Hello there 1- It really depends on your build, distro and drivers being used. Some benchmarks show Ray tracing causes performance drop compared to Windows.

2- There are mod managers here and there but, honestly I don’t mod so I don’t know anything about it.

3- If a program doesn’t have Linux version, there might be Linux alternative. Those alternatives sometimes might not be on par with their counterparts though. Adobe products are one bit example.

4- Applications developed with .NET may be built on Linux through Mono framework, as long as they are developed as portable. For native Windows programs, there is a compatibility layer named WINE, but it won’t guarantee that every program will work. It may support games as well, but for games Proton is more preferred. Proton is Valve’s official tool anyway.

5- Distributions’ package managers will manage updates, either application updates or system updates. Most distros will also notify users about updates, however installing them is up to user’s decision. Universal package managers like Flatpak are responsible their own updates.

6- Linux is way more secure than Windows for being what it is. Being an open source does not inherently mean that it’s secure. But open source softwares are generally peer reviewed by public and they are often recommended fixes thus if there is any vulnerability, it’s fixed more quickly. Antiviruses are not needed, not because there is not Linux viruses though. There is ClamAV anti-virus, also there are proprietary AV applications, if you still need. AV’s are mostly ineffective in today’s technology.

7- AMD drivers, for example way more reliable than their Windows ones. Nvidia also made a lot of progress in recent years, so yes. There might be still some issues, lack of features.

8- No, it cannot.

9- For a beginner, Linux Mint is and always has been best choice for start, in my opinion.

It’s literally be just as simple as choosing a distro, preferably a just works one or something thats piss easy to install like Linux Mint, Fedora or OpenSuse.

Then you choose your Desktop Environment, from which you can choose either KDE Plasma, XFCE, GNOME or the new COSMIC desktop environment (still currently in beta so not recommended js yet) which you can choose when installing your distro or while choosing your distro. You can always change it once you’ve chosen.

KDE Plasma’s infinitely customisable, yet also really user friendly, with a lot of incredible software included by default, including phone compatibility software similar to what you’ll find in apple’s ecosystem. XFCE’s really lightweight and power efficient. GNOME’s very macOS like by default, being a lot less customisable than KDE but really user friendly. They each have their own versions of software.

You should know what your distro’s package manager is and how to use it, which is basically what you use to install updates and install and uninstall software. That’s literally the only thing you’ll need to use your terminal for, it’s basically just a text based file manager which can run programs/software. That’s basically it, just make sure to frequently update your system, they are voluntary unlike Windows updates and don’t require reboots or crash your system, and you should be good.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Package managers. Linux had this before Windows. Granted, Linux needed package managers, because of the myriad and complex dependency trees that software can have. I prefer to install software through a package manager because it not only takes care of dependencies for me, it will take care of updates, too. I will only install something downloaded from a website as an absolute last resort. (And then, of course, making sure it’s a trustworthy source.)

How does digital security work on Linux?

It’s rather complex, but you probably won’t have to deal with it unless you have to do some kind of systems administration. On a day-to-day basis, the OS might ask you to enter your password to install software or make an update, and that’s the extent of it.

Basically, every file has 3 categories of permissions: user, group, and others, and each category has 3 permissions: read, write, and execute. This is transparently handled by the system for you, though, and I can’t even remember the last time I had to change permissions on a file. It’s a good thing to be aware of if you have to do troubleshooting, though.

Is it more vulnerable due to being open source?

Just the opposite. Vulnerabilities get spotted sooner because there’s more eyes on the code, and they’re often patched quicker because anybody can submit a patch to an open-source project.

Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

I’ve never heard of any distro shipping with antivirus software, but I’ve also never heard of a Linux virus. Of course, I’m sure they exist, but I’ve just never heard of one. I’ve been using Linux for over two decades, and I’ve never used an antivirus or gotten a virus in all that time, and I’ve never even heard of a Linux user getting a virus. Part of that is due to Linux being more secure and part of that is due to Linux being less popular. If you’re writing a virus, you aren’t going to try to jump through the insane hoops of Linux security when you could target Windows which is A) less secure and B) has a fuckton more users.

Obviously, use common sense, don’t install from untrusted sources, etc. etc., but viruses aren’t the omnipresent threat on Linux like they are on Windows.

People have answered most questions. The gaming thing is a total lie though.

Some specific games will work kinda okay. The vast majority will work worse. And a good chunk of super popular games won’t work at all. Just dual boot and keep gaming on windows.

People in here straight up lie to push for Linux when it’s really not necessary. It’s great at what it does. And it’s improving in what it doesn’t.

On the gaming side, it depends a lot what games you play. Generally the rule is (at least for single player) that it will work through Proton or a native version, unless otherwise specified. Personally, pretty much all of my Steam library works perfectly on Linux, even some games on launch day (Persona 3 Reload was flawless day 1). For modding your mileage may vary but if the game runs there’s a very high chance the associated modding tool will work too, although it might require some more tweaking than you are used to in order to get it to work properly as quite a few tools will assume you are running Windows. Multi player games are where there can be some trouble - for example Fortnite is a notorious example of a game that refuses to run on Linux because Epic Games does not allow its anti cheat to work on Linux. ProtonDB and a good old fashioned go on your favourite search engine should be able to tell you if what you play works, doesn’t work, or needs tweaks to get working.

Running non-Linux apps is a mixed bag. Some things (most notably games through Proton) can work through compatibility layers perfectly fine, even if they need you to install .NET or some other dependencies. Others will be totally unusable, at least for now. Make sure you check all the applications you need to work on a regular basis work before jumping in, so search up their compatibility with tools like WINE (translation layer to let Windows apps run on Linux, also what Proton is based on).

For updates, you’ll love it far more than Windows. Since almost every app you could ever need is installed through either a package manager or Flatpak (closest analogy I can give is like a phone app store, but allowing you to install pretty much anything, including system stuff), your updates will all come in one place. For example, on my Fedora KDE install, all I need to do for updates is go into the Discover app (KDE’s package management software) and into its update section, download, and install. This not only updates system software (desktop, kernel, drivers, so on) but also your applications. This means updating your system and apps is a breeze that’ll take far less time than the usual pain that is Windows Update.

For security, you’ll have a lot less to worry about than Windows, and I have to admit part of it is because Linux has a fairly small user base. Few malware writers are going to care about a few Linux desktops compared to plenty of unpatched Windows systems out in the wild. However, the open source aspect also helps a lot - rather than showing vulnerabilities to hackers, it’s been valuable more to show these vulnerabilities to people who can fix them since the software is on public display. There’s more eyes on the code, and more people who can fix problems before they become major vulnerabilities. For most regular desktop users, you will not need any antivirus. If you’re really worried about viruses, I have heard ClamAV can scan for some things, but I haven’t tried it myself as it really isn’t necessary for desktop use.

GPU drivers can be a bit complicated. AMD and Intel are incredibly simple, since (at least for anything made within the last 10 or 15 years, if not older) the drivers are built right in and need zero configuration (it just works!). NVIDIA cards can be a bit more of a challenge. On a lot of distros, you can install the NVIDIA drivers usually during or right after install fairly easily, but they will be separate from the rest of the built in drivers. You can have a good experience with NVIDIA on Linux, but just expect there to be anywhere from a bit to a lot more effort needed to get some things working compared to AMD and Intel GPUs due to this separation. Of course, this will depend on your exact set up.

There’s no real risk of damaging your hardware installing Linux, the only real danger is deleting files already on your main boot drive during installation, so make sure to double check your installer to see if it’s doing what you want it to. Make sure you have a back up of your important stuff too, just in case. The only thing I can think of maybe is extreme overclocking through LACT or something maybe causing damage, but that’s part of what you sign up for with overclocking even on Windows anyway.

Distros are a very debated topic, and there’s no real “best” one, just one that fits your needs. If you’re new to Linux, my personal recommendation is to go with something boring and well supported like some variant of Fedora or Ubuntu. There will be plenty of documentation for both to help you with things, and they both are fairly solid distros with good track records. However, one thing to keep in mind is what kind of desktop you want. Linux has multiple desktop environments (DEs) that can provide differing experiences (different way of launching applications, arranging icons, file managers, that sort of thing). If you’re used to Windows, KDE definitely has the smallest learning curve, as a lot of things will be as you are used to, so it may be best to go for either the KDE variant of Fedora or Kubuntu. The main difference between Fedora and Ubuntu you will notice is that Fedora has a far faster update cycle, which means you get new features quicker, but you will have to restart for updates more often. In addition, I have heard that the NVIDIA drivers can be easier to handle on Ubuntu, so if you have an NVIDIA card it might be more optimal to go for an Ubuntu variant.

All your concerns are valid and Linux handles all these well except:

If you play competitive games with kernel anti cheat it will simply not work on Linux courtesy of the game developers.

Linux is fully capable of running the game and the anti cheat but the game developers restrict it. Notable games are cod, fortnite, apex legends.

A notable competitive game that works on Linux is cs2 although you won’t be able to run 3rd party anti cheat like FACEIT as far as I know.

You can use the proton site to tell you how many of your games on your steam library are playable on Linux.

I’m on my 8th month or so using Linux to game and I’ve had no issues, most popular games will work. Most niche games use very simple tech like SDL and will just work.

Wine essentially creates a fake windows environment and handles a lot of internal API calls by kind of redirecting them to existing Linux services, so a lot of windows stuff will just work.

As for security. You realize most of the Internet runs on Linux ? Practically the majority of the internet is hosted on Linux machines.

As for a distrto there is no optimal choice you can make.

You can pick Ubuntu, Debian or Mint and find yourself disappointed in how restricting the power user experience is.

You can pick arch or cachy for the latest wine improvements but find yourself lost in how to handle the OS in case something goes wrong.

I personally think cachy (rolling release) is the best for gaming but you could encounter issues (skill issues really) that might frustrate you. These issues would lead to growth and improvement in your understanding of Linux but if all you want to do is game and you don’t care about understanding computers then it might not be for you.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

For the most part, yes. I’ve modded Skyrim, with SKSE and haven’t run into any mods I couldn’t add. Satisfactory has linux support for mods through the community-built mod launcher, so I haven’t had any problems there. If you are comfortable copying files around, sometimes editing text files, uncompressing files, and other like tasks then you’ll be fine. The only troubles I have had are running trainers that run alongside the game and connect to the running executable. There is one of the Resident Evil 2 remake I wasn’t able to get going. I think there are methods to do this, I just haven’t looked into them in detail yet.

For most things involving games in Linux, you need to have a small amount of tweaking skills, and that’s it. You might have to copy a launch string into the Steam launch setup, or you might need to download a tweaked copy of Proton to get something running well (Glorious Eggroll builds). If you have those skills or can learn them, you’ll be fine. It’s kind of fun, too. If you don’t have those skills or want to learn them, you’ll be restricted to not being able to get the best experience when running some games and there will be the occasional game in your backlog that won’t run at all without it.

Not trying to scare anyone off, but that’s been my experience with Linux gaming. I’m comfortable enough on Linux that it hasn’t been a problem, but some people might find it more of a hurdle to get over.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

So far, my experience on this depends on your graphics card. If you’re using AMD, you shouldn’t be too significantly impacted. If you’re using Nvidia, god help you. In my experience trying to get games running on Linux with an older Nvidia card, you’ll have a lot more fun bashing your head into a wall until the wall breaks.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

Depends on the games you play. Because of things like DOSBOX and Wine, it is sometimes easier to get DOS and early Windows games running on Linux than it is Windows. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer allows games written for Windows to Just Work^TM on Linux. My diet of nerdy factory building games and indie titles works perfectly well in Linux, my cousin who plays Bethesda and EA games ran into more irritations. The major compatibility barrier is competitive online multiplayer and anti-cheat systems. Many developers intentionally exclude Linux compatibility. The game runs fine, but you’ll get banned for doing it.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Probably, depends on the game. I didn’t have much of a problem modding Kerbal Space Program or Satisfactory, the communities offered mod managers that worked perfectly well.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

My suggestion would be to go full native if you can. Like, Adobe Photoshop isn’t available on Linux, so instead of trying to make it work, give GIMP or Krita or one of several others a try. Increasingly, things like Slack are Electron apps, which basically run as a glorified web browser, so they’re fairly easy to port to Linux and it’s becoming increasingly typical to upload them to Flathub.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Yes, through a compatibility program called Wine, which I’ve already mentioned. Though again I would recommend going for native applications than trying to use Windows software on Linux.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Short answer: Better than Windows does.

Different Linux distros will handle this slightly differently, but generally speaking your system will come with a thing called a package manager. It’s basically an app store but everything in there is free. The package manager handles updates for the OS itself as well as the software you’ve installed, up to and including updating to the next version of the OS if applicable. In fact as I write this, my computer is asking if I want to upgrade to Fedora 42.

It’s also not as onerous as Windows updates; most of the time it’ll update software, you can use the rest of the system while that’s happening, and it’ll finish and it’s fine. Sometimes it’ll say “must restart computer for changes to take effect” but it won’t force or nag you to do that. You can come to a stopping point in your work, then do a normal restart. None of that “Updating your computer 1 of 7…” it just does a normal boot in a normal amount of time.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Linux has a system of permissions, a bit like how Windows will sometimes ask you to run things as Administrator. Linux has had that concept longer than Windows has, Linux will call it the Root or SuperUser.

Increasingly, sandboxed applications that run essentially in their own virtual machines are being used to limit what an application can access. Flatpak has a system of permissions not unlike Android, where you can say “No this app doesn’t need camera access.”

We get a lot of security from having a package manager we actually use. Linux users aren’t in the habit of downloading random .exes from all over the internet. Software in the repos is vetted and signed. Don’t run code you don’t trust.

Few Linux systems come with built-in antivirus software. Conventional wisdom is it isn’t needed. Antivirus software does exist for Linux, but it’s often to detect Windows malware in server traffic. For an end user desktop it’s not necessary.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

AMD publishes their drivers directly to the Linux kernel. My 7900GRE Just Works^TM. Nvidia tends to be a bit more of a pain in the neck. Your system will likely come with the open source Nouveau drivers, which will run but possibly not very well, and you’ll need to install proprietary drivers, which…the method you go about doing that varies from system to system.

Now, I had a hell of a time with the hybrid graphics on my laptop, but I think that’s another story.

Oh, yet another story: on my GTX-1080 in my previous computer, I started to have an issue with a new monitor I bought. Turns out the card needed a firmware update or it wouldn’t let the computer boot with a late model DisplayPort monitor attached. Not a driver update, a firmware update. Nvidia does not publish the tool to do that for use in Linux, so I ended up taking the GPU out and borrowing a Windows computer.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

I think I could use dd to wear out an NVMe SSD via excessive writing. But basically no. You’re not going to flip a switch in a settings menu and hear a bang from your case.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

I would recommend trying several. A few of my favorites over the years have been Mint Cinnamon, Fedora KDE and Ubuntu Mate.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

A lot of stuff runs with windows emulation as if it’s native. It’s the same method the steam deck uses and so Valve actively do work to keep it working. The main problem is games with heavy anti-cheat.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Generally, yes. I think so.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

See above.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

There’s .NET libraries for Linux, but things have to be recompiled to use them.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

The distribution maintainer will issue updates on a regular basis. Update procedure is different for different distros, but all have a push-button update scheme. It’s pretty solid these days.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Keep your system up to date with security updates, and you’ll tend to be fine. Smaller user base tends to mean that there’s far less malware. Antivirus isn’t necessary.

Obviously phishing scams don’t care what OS you’re on, so mind what you click.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

AMD ones are very solid.

Nvidia ones can be a pain from what I hear, but I don’t buy green.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

No.

That said… You can always wipe a disk when you install an OS.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

Download a few Live-USB images and try them out. You don’t need to install them to get a desktop and a browser up. You can see if there’s any compatibility issues with your hardware.

Whichever works for you, go with it.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

If you play competitive multiplayer online games, yes. Otherwise, no.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Depends on how you mod games. But probably yes. The NexusMods app is newly available for Linux but with very minimal support at this point.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

It depends. Sometimes you can run them through WINE/Bottles. The main place you may run into problems is in peripherals.

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Through WINE/Proton, yes.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

Depends on your distro. I use Bazzite and updates take place seamlessly in the background so you don’t need to do anything.

How does digital security work on Linux?

Kind of a vague question. Keep in mind pretty much every server on the planet runs Linux, including incredibly sensitive ones.

Is it more vulnerable due to being open source?

Quite the opposite.

Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

Every modern OS has antivirus built in, and third party solutions should be avoided like the plague.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

As long as you’re not using Nvidia.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Not anymore than any other OS can.

And also, what distro might be best for me?

That is an eternal argument in the space. There are 2 recommendations that come up most often for beginners: Linux Mint and Pop!_OS. Although I don’t like either of those visually, so I can heartily recommend Bazzite for beginners. I won’t go into too many details as to why but it comes with lots of goodies and configurations “out of the box” that enhance and simplify the experience, especially for gamers.

A few more thoughts here:

• for a first Distribution, Ubuntu is fine, too. Also, you could ask people arounf you what they know best und whether they like to help you. For example, Debian is a bit harder to install but is rock solid once it runs.
• if you are concerned about security, you should practice a strict separation between trusted software installed by you, and untrusted data presented to you via web, mail or Internet. Never run untrusted code. Windows blurs that line and this is fatal.
• In respect to hardware support: Most standard PC hardware will work very well with Linux, even old scanners that have no more Windows driver support. NVidia is the bad exception, and the bad rap is still justified because of Wayland, the new graphics display server. If you are not really poor you might consider to buy something better. The hardware support landscape is different for laptops. Here, refurbished Lenovo Thinkpad or Dell laptops are first choice, and also best value for the money.

Will my ability to play games be significantly affected compared to Windows?

No. Thanks to Steam Deck, most popular windows games also work on Linux. See https://www.protondb.com/ for a complete list of 18,000 titles… Someone already mentioned that kernel level anti-cheat is the big, obvious blocker.

Can I mod games as freely and as easily as I do on Windows?

Im guessing that most moders target Windows users therefore, don’t think mods would be AS easy. Not saying modding wouldn’t exist or work at all.

If a program has no Linux version, is it unusable, or are there workarounds?

There are workarounds. Linux has some great alternative software to popular paid stuff. See LibreOffice or Krita.

There are also more advanced options to run Windows apps under Linux, see Wine or Virtual Machines

Can Linux run programs that rely on frameworks like .NET or other Windows-specific libraries?

Yes. Similar to the above answer/ similar to aforementioned Proton. For .NET specifically, there is a Linux runtime.

How do OS updates work in Linux? Is there a “Linux Update” program like what Windows has?

This can depend a lot on what distribution you’re running, but definitely, there are ones with easy buttons for whole-system updates.

How does digital security work on Linux? Is it more vulnerable due to being open source? Is there integrated antivirus software, or will I have to source that myself?

It’s different and probably overall better than windows. Most distros are much better out of the box than windows.

Open source is ususually a security advantage because (long story short) security mistakes can be caught by more people.

I don’t have a good answer for you on anti virus. I am very privacy and security conscious and I dont use one on linux. My personal opinion is that you don’t need one and shouldn’t need one if you’re not downloading sketch stuff.

Are GPU drivers reliable on Linux?

Totally. GPU drivers are much, much better than they used to be.

Can Linux (in the case of a misconfiguration or serious failure) potentially damage hardware?

Theoretically. You would have to try really hard, but for normal use, no. More likely, you could lose data or access to the system if you misconfigure stuff (just like with Windows)

Distro recommendations. My personal opinions, don’t flame me.

• Bazzite. hard to mess up, gamer focused, super simple updates, and targeted support for gamer hardware. Feels like a cross between steam deck and windows. Less support for tinkering but if you never want to touch the terminal, this is my choice.

• Pop!OS. Simplified Linux with great driver and steam support with easy updates. More tinkering support than Bazzite

• Linux Mint. Easy to start on but more traditional back-end. Much more support (forum posts) than the previous two. A lot of what works on Debian or Ubuntu works the same on Mint, so you’ll be able to do all kinds of fiddling

Any change brings some pain, that’s unavoidable, but it doesn’t mean it will not be interesting as well.

My whole life with computers the fanbois du jour told me we had reached excellent usability. We’re talking GEOS, FVWM, the shit Sun and Digital Equipment Corp threw at us, up until Windows 10 and KDE or what have you: there will always come a point when you need or want to have a look under the hood. And there things can be alien, overly complex and very inconsistent and undocumented. That is the path every real user will walk one day, and it’s not pretty. Best of luck on your journeys!