this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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I'm considering installing Linux on my laptop but I'm unsure if I should start with a virtual machine first. My main use cases are gaming and coding, so I want to make sure it's the right fit.

What are the pros and cons of using Linux for someone like me? Would starting with VirtualBox be a good idea before going all in?

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[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You can always do a dual boot. I've had a dual boot Linux Mint and Win 11 for maybe 18 months and I'm finally getting around to purging Windows out for good. The Mint installer sets it all up shockingly easily. I ended up so rarely using Windows that at this point I would rather have the space back.

Admittedly, I do very little coding or gaming, so YMMV, but I'm also basically trashing PS Elements and MS Office Home because I know GIMP and LibreOffice do the job anyway. It was that $250 that kept me holding on for this long.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

warning: Mint is not a great choice for gaming, basically unusable out of the box and no better after following tutorials for optimization. Not to mention no Wayland support.

PopOS worked fine out of the box. Bazzite also works great.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

You should explain that to the few Steam games I have that work just fine on Mint, right out of the box.

It's hit or miss and depends on the game, and OP didn't really give us much detail. There's just no absolutes is ultimately the lesson to learn, which is why a dual boot option might suit them best.