this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025
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There are distros for that. Ubuntu and derivatives have a GUI hardware detection tool that finds the right driver for you. Some distros come with Nvidia drivers out of the box. Most have a GUI tool for adding extra package repos for things like Nvidia drivers.
But it's important to note that this isn't a Linux problem, it's an Nvidia problem. AMD drivers are bundled with the kernel because they're FOSS, and Nvidia could totally do the same thing.
I'm not saying Linux is perfect, I'm saying you don't need to use the terminal if you're just trying to play games.
I am on the record saying that having to copy/paste one line to terminal isn't the dealbreaker most people say it is.
Weirdly, your attempt to argue against it shows the real problem.
Normies won't distro-hop across five options to find the one that works, they maaaaybe will install one thing once by clicking "Next" through the installer. If it doesn't work after clicking all the Next buttons then it doesn't work. Normies won't add a repo, GUI or CLI. If the app is not in the "store" (or if you can't click a button on a website to install it), then it's not supported. Normies don't care if it's an Nvidia or a Linux problem. If their expensive GPU works on Windows but not on Linux, then Windows works and Linux doesn't.
It's weird to me how warped this conversation is top to bottom. It really is that one XKCD comic turned into a lifestyle.
And that's why I keep it simple with my recommendations: install Mint (any flavor that looks nice). It has the driver detection app already installed, it can install debs, and the package repository has a very good selection. Tons of people use it, so community support is good.
The vast majority of users can get up and running by only using the GUI. That's pretty good.
Except Mint has really bad support for Nvidia, to the point that some of the docs I've read straight up say "Don't use Mint if you have an Nvidia card," so if you're recommending it to gamers with an Nvidia gpu you've actually been trolling them.
Probably one of the biggest issues with Linux that it seems wild people won't accept is that there is no "one size fits all" answer. Each distro has its strengths and weaknesses. Mint is great for people who use a computer for light browsing, video streaming, really any casual use. That doesn't make it universal.
Really? I don't see how that can possibly be true. I could see new AMD and Intel drivers maybe causing trouble because their drivers would be in newer kernels and Mint runs a slightly older kernel, but Nvidia doesn't matter nearly as much.
Do you have a source for that? If it's true, I'll consider changing my recommendation, but I'll want to know why first.
Sure, but most people won't notice the differences. If you want to browse the web, play games, and use a few programs, any Linux distro will work. You need to know Linux pretty well before the differences start to matter.
I've been using Linux for a long time (nearly 20 years) and have tried several distros. I have my preferences, but I could get everything I need on pretty much any distro. They're more similar than they are different, unless you're talking about something exotic like Alpine.