Linux Compatibility Reports:
In May 2023, I decided to migrate my entire Windows machine over to Linux. This was an arduous but generally successful experience. To help future souls attempting this same journey, I have recorded some of the challenges I encountered and the workarounds to solve them.
My current overall rating for Linux vs. Windows is:
| Is it worth moving to Linux? | Summary | |
| Silver | "Some things perform well; others do not." | Many applications work almost out-of-box, with some performing better on Linux than on Windows. However, stuttering and issues with graphical fidelity can be distracting to sensitive eyes. Font rendering is still problematic on WINE. I recommend dual-booting or using a VM to retain the best of both platforms. |
With all the recent improvements to WINE and Linux in general, newcomers can easily get mislead into thinking that highly-rated applications will "feel" the same on Linux as on Windows. However, this is not always the case. On several occasions, I found that a Platinum- or Gold-rated application performed well on paper, but felt like a Bronze application in practical usage or sustained gameplay (or even vice versa).
As such, these reports endeavor to capture the real feeling of moving from Windows to Linux. Each report examines real-world usage according to the following criteria:
- Games do not receive a report until played completely from start-to-finish or until all multiplayer features have been thoroughly explored.
- Reports for regular applications are not submitted until multiple real-life projects and tasks have been completed using them.
- All applications are evaluated first on Windows, then on Linux using identical hardware (i.e. dual-booting).
Comparisons were made against Windows 8.1 Professional, which I have found to be the lightest and most performant Windows OS after tuning. I am a long-time user of this OS and also of all applications on this list.
All applications are rated according the following rubric, adapted from the WINE HQ definitions:
| Definition: | "Was it worth moving from Windows to Linux?" | |
| Platinum | Runs out-of-box with similar or superior performance to Windows. Steam games install and play without any workarounds. Regular applications and WINE games install and run using the wine command without the need for any winetricks. Some issues may be present, but they are comparable in scope and magnitude to Windows. |
"Absolutely! Some things may not be exactly the same, but close enough." |
| Gold | Has similar or superior performance to Windows, but requires some workarounds. For Steam games, this may involve protontricks, custom Proton versions, or command-line options. Regular applications and WINE games may need to use winetricks. Nonessential features may have issues e.g. display glitches with startup screens, but these do not interfere with using the application in any practical way. |
"Everything works after some effort; any differences, I can live with." |
| Silver | Has acceptable performance in general, but with some nontrivial issues for which there are no viable workarounds. For games, this may include very slow load times, freezes, or distracting graphical artifacts. Regular applications may experience instability, have issues with certain menus or navigation, etc. | "Some things perform well; others do not." |
| Bronze | Works, but with significant problems that tend to impede normal use (subject to use-case). Games may still be playable, but suffer from unresolvable issues that may seriously hinder enjoyment (stuttering, artifacts, crashes, etc.). Regular applications may have broken features, exhibit incorrect behavior in some scenarios, and so on. | "I hope other applications aren't this difficult to use or to get working." |
| Broken | The application or game cannot be used for its intended purpose. This rating may be assigned to games that are technically "playable", but which cannot be properly enjoyed e.g. due to extreme stuttering or crashing. | "No, not at all." |
Unless otherwise indicated, all compatibility reports assume the following software and hardware:
- OS (Linux): Mint 21.1, 64-bit
- OS (for Windows comparison): 8.1 Professional, 64-bit
- Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma 5.25.5 (see notes below)
- Kernel: 6.1.5.0601050-generic (see notes below)
- Graphics Platform: X11
- Graphics Driver: 525.105.17
- WINE: 8.0.1
- CPU: Intel i7-8700K @ 3.70GHz
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- Memory: 32 GB Corsair DDR4 @ 2133 MHz
- Motherboard: ASUS Maximum XI Hero
- PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G3, 850W
- Primary Display: ACER Predator XB253Q (1080p @ 60Hz)
- Secondary Display: ASUS VN248 (1080p @ 60hz, see notes below)
- OS Drive: WD Black SN770 1 TB NVMe
- Data Drive: Samsung 870 EVO 4TB SSD
- Backup Drive: Seagate Ironwolf Pro 20TB (SEST20000NE0, non-RAID)
- Backup Enclosure: Sabrent USB-C 10-bay docking station
- Keyboard: Corsair K70 Mk.2 mechanical keyboard
- Mouse: Redragon Perdition M901 @ 500 Hz
- Controller: Xbox One, wireless with USB dongle
- Speakers: Logitech Z623
- USB DAC: Fiio E10K
- Headset: Logitech G733
Most of the below applications were also tested successfully on a friend's system with slightly different hardware (NVIDIA RTX 2070, ASUS TUF Z390 Plus, SuperNOVA G5 750W). However, performance on Linux can be very hardware-dependent, and your experience may vary.
I try to ensure that all game pages are as spoiler-free as possible. However, some game details must occasionally be disclosed to provide workarounds for specific bugs.
| Application: | Rating: | Category: |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 | Broken | Productivity |
| Adobe AfterEffects CS6 | Broken | Productivity |
| Adobe Audition CS6 | Productivity | |
| Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 | Silver | Development |
| Adobe Illustrator CS6 | Productivity | |
| Adobe InDesign CS6 | Productivity | |
| Adobe Media Encoder CS6 | Productivity | |
| Adobe Photoshop CS6 | Productivity | |
| Adobe Premiere CS6 | Broken | Productivity |
| Bulk Rename Utility | Gold | Tools |
| Cheat Engine | Silver | Tools |
| Crysis | Platinum | Games |
| Crysis Warhead | Platinum | Games |
| Crysis 2 Maximum Edition | Platinum | Games |
| Crysis 3 | Gold | Games |
| Darksiders | Silver | Games |
| HxD | Gold | Development |
| KotOR Save Editor | Gold | Modding Tools |
| KotOR Tool | Gold | Modding Tools |
| Notepad++ | Gold | Development |
| Star Wars Episode 1 Racer | Gold | Games |
| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | Silver | Games |
| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II | Bronze | Games |
| Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy | Silver | Games |
| Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast | Silver | Games |
| Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic | Silver | Games |
| Star Wars Republic Commando | Silver | Games |
| Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D | Gold | Games |
| VLC | Gold | Utilities |
| more to come... |