Comment by Imustaskforhelp
1 day ago
As someone actually a teen. It is very interesting to share how I started my linux journey
I had only got a computer in 6th grade but I was always fascinated by computers in the sense that I was trying to run blindly termux scripts from youtube etc. to run windows programs or linux etc. and I had even successfully done these things earlier
But after 6th grade getting a pc, I was trying to learn some python in covid and uh, lets just say that vscode wasn't happy with a 500 mb ram win 7 pc
I even installed droidcam/womic etc. and it was a real treat on using your phone as a camera for sometime during online classes
Then uh my cousins and brothers bought me a new pc (technically my mum gave the money, so shoutout to you mom, i love you) and I am still rocking that pc
That pc has a very nice specs and they are so good except for one thing which is the gpu. it has just gotten an integrated intel 580 graphics card and barely any high power or mid power games can work on it
So I was having some games like valorant,portal etc. but mostly it became minecraft and I wasn't enjoying the other games
I was watching a lot of privacy content on youtube at the same time and how invasive microsoft is and how linux is just better in that sense.
Now I used to play valorant. It used to work on 60 fps but idk what triggered it to become extremely unplayable for me to the point that it was a godsend if it worked on 20fps
Tried doing everything but I realized that I am not playing a game at 20 fps and neither do I want to. It has kernel level access and its created by a game which has some chinese influence and Its not even about politics but I would actually not play american games with kernel level access either
That being said, First I thought of just reinstalling windows but then realized that if I am actually going through the hassle of re-installing system then might as well use linux (I thought backups were meh and I didn't have any important stuff [i think] anyways, although I wish I would've backuped my fathers occasional folders but eh its 2-3 years now)
Instaled nobara after watching linux experiment. To get the best linux gaming.
It is so funny but I thought that nobara/glorious eggroll had built all of this from scratch in start, like It was gnome and I was like wow did he make this and that and that oh my god, so cooool
Copy pasting dnf commands :sob: (I guess I am on cachy but old habits die hard regarding copy pasting, I still do it sometimes)
Then I went to raw archlinux, it was a mess in the start trying to experiment. I had arch kde and the experience was definitely something
Personally I used to play minecraft (with prism launcher) and not many games. And I genuinely wanted to play with arch more than gaming.
I then was on arch kde and I think I downloaded some games and tried to run it and lets just say that sailing the seas on linux was a very hacky solution but i was able to do that
Lets just say that your boy out here was installing a lot of software bloating disks and wanted minimalism and re-installing systems again and again (and always not making backups, I think I barely make backups even now :sob:)
I went from arch kde -> voidlinux iirc -> artix (realized that non systemd systems can't run vscode etc. a bit of a mess) -> arch hyprland iirc for a very long time and it was here where I tried to genuinely install proton and make games work and it had a very high learning curve (1-2 years flexing my neofetch) -> cachy hyprland (just 1-2 months ago) -> cachyos niri right now
Personally I would say that Linux is a W in everything but personally I just didn't have a graphics card at all to play modern games
From retrospect, regarding gaming, why not just buy older versions of playstation or xbox, are they not specifically designed for gaming itself. It can be a good physical level of seperation as well
I don't know what I do with linux honestly, I just do whatever my heart wants, so if someone asks me my hobbies, I genuinely don't know what to say, tinkering with linux/open source is the answer that I give (building custom linux isos, doing random open source cool stuff etc.)
I then go see on normal discord servers, the amount of games people play and I am like damn
The number of games I have completed/enjoyed can be counted on both my hands or maybe even just one
I really appreciate you taking the time to write this up! Your experience is excellent, and it sounds like you're approaching it with good judgment and curiosity! Linux is a ton of fun, because it's a toolbox you can, as you say, "do whatever your heart wants". Much of computing has lost that ethos, and I think it's a real step backwards.
One of my favorite computer scientists, Alan Perlis, wrote the dedication for a very famous computer science textbook that used to be used to teach students at MIT. The book is sometimes called "The Wizard Book", but it's real name is "The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". The dedication said this:
> This book is dedicated, in respect and admiration, to the spirit that lives in the computer.
> I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot of fun. Of course, the paying customers got shafted every now and then, and after a while we began to take their complaints seriously. We began to feel as if we really were responsible for the successful, error-free perfect use of these machines. I don't think we are. I think we're responsible for stretching them, setting them off in new directions, and keeping fun in the house. I hope the field of computer science never loses its sense of fun. Above all, I hope we don't become missionaries. Don't feel as if you're Bible salesmen. The world has too many of those already. What you know about computing other people will learn. Don't feel as if the key to successful computing is only in your hands. What's in your hands, I think and hope, is intelligence: the ability to see the machine as more than when you were first led up to it, that you can make it more.
I think your journey is a great example of that spirit!
Thanks I was going through a rough time(rather not comment) but your comment helped me a little bit.
Thanks once agian, have a nice day.
I guess my hobby is computing :p
Also feel free to take the comments other people have created regarding you being strict etc. or their opinions etc. in a positive manner. I am sure you want the best for your children and parenting can be complicated and there is no fit one approach and its glad that your children like linux/computing as well
Singleplayer support on linux is absolutely top notch imo and its only some very anti kernel leavel multiplayer cheats supports which get troubled and honestly i am not sure what is the best way to counter against that in linux
But there are some good games I can suggest but you might know them as well: Minecraft,Counter strike etc.
Although they don't share the open source, they share a similar spirit of modding etc. and its gotten almost mainstream enough. Open source games are mixed story with the only good I know being tuxkart haha
I think there is a point in trying to teach children something for their own benefit, since if you might not teach them about open source, I wonder who might teach them (I technically figured things by my own but trying to one up my brother was my motivation, read my other comments to know more)
Its a mixed bag and one of the advices I can give with my supremely limited knowledge but maybe you can try to take more advices from similar people etc. whether its on HN etc. and actually try to get more advice from everything to try to find if that was the best equilibria etc.
But I mean if your children have no objection (like as an example, I am teen and I also don't have much objections with not playing valorant in fact it was the reason technically I installed linux)
SO I guess everything is subjective and we are all just yolo'ing it in this sense but I do think its so crazy that we can comment on this platform and not know each other but have a weird sense of faith that we are talking to a human with similar-ish hobbies/interests living probably hundreds of miles away in an instant.
I think this is the fun of computing just as much as well :)
Have a nice day once again.
Right on. I really loved Minecraft in the early days, but I think it's changed a bit since then, so I focus on Luanti (MineTest is the name most people know, I think) these days. But yes, I'm a big fan of both Minecraft and Counter-Strike. You have good taste. =) I understand that MineCraft is taking steps to deobfuscate its source a bit, to embrace modding a bit more. I was excited to hear that! The early days with Bucket were a real hack based on decompiled sources, IIRC.
Agree with you about discussing things online with others being kind of crazy; I first ran into the internet in the late 90s, and the ability to find others based on interest was amazing. But as you said, always a measure of faith involved (that they are humans somewhere that are like us and have similar interests). As a guy that makes a lot of choices that put me in a minority, I find that online is often the only place I can actually meet someone with my interests, though I've gotten quite used to this. I would say I run into someone IRL with my interests once every 10 years or so.
My kids and I have tons of discussions about all this, and I've been chatting with them about this entire thread for a couple of days now, getting their thoughts and explaining the counter-points that people are offering (I try to steelman opposing views if I'm really passionate about the topic). It's been a fun exercise, both in putting my ego aside a bit, and also stepping into others perspectives. I'm not sure I know anywhere else online I could have conversations quite this way.
Again, thanks for reply. Hope to chat again in future threads. =)