In Praise Of Linux Desktop

I’ve been running a Linux desktop environment exclusively for half a year. Despite the minor issues along the way, I’m amazed by how much Linux desktop has improved over the years.

I have been using Linux desktop for a long time, but it has always been a dual boot with a Windows install. I use Windows mostly for games and some specific use cases. I tried Wine back then but it wasn’t ideal. This setup has been working well until the end of life for Windows 10. I’m among millions of others where the hardware is still fine but Windows 11 just needs more. All things considered, I decide to go all in for Linux desktop.

Considering that running games is still a priority for me, I want to stay close to Steam Deck’s setup so that maybe it’s easier to find solutions in case I run into any issue. Steam Deck uses Arch + KDE, and I’ll follow that.

I’m pleasantly surprised to see that things have improve a lot since last time I tried installing Arch Linux from scratch. For example, the tmp folder is mounted in RAM automatically. No more manual editing for fstab. It’s also a smooth experience installing KDE Plasma 6.

I still remember the old days of fighting KDE Plasma 4 issues on an Ubuntu install nearly two decades ago, so I’m shocked when I see KDE Plasma 6. It’s so polished and usable and definitely no longer the KDE I have in memory. The out-of-box experience is superb. I don’t need to configure any hardware driver or anything. The default settings just work.

My excitement peaks again when I run Steam games. They just work no matter whether they are triple-A or indie games. Thanks to Valve’s Wine-based compatibility layer, Linux gaming is finally enjoyable.

I feel obliged to document the drawbacks as well. First, KDE Plasma 6 still has some minor issues. For example, my speaker volume keeps resetting to zero and back. This causes the on-screen display for volume to appear frequently. I think the root cause might actually be my hardware, especially the front panel headphone port. As a workaround, I have to use hdajackretask to override the rear line-out port with the front headphone port. Second, some websites just won’t work properly on Linux-based web browsers, especially the login pages. I have to use another device for those websites. Third, my specific use cases that require Windows or macOS have reduced a lot over the years, but they are not down to zero yet. For example, I still don’t know how to copy the m4a files out if I purchase some music from iTunes on an iPhone. Luckily, I have a MacBook nearby.

Linux desktop has been the new norm for me for the past half year. I keep questioning myself why I haven’t done it sooner. Also, I’m deeply grateful for all the work that folks have put into this.