Wiindows for Gaming, Ubuntu for Everything Else. Help?

[UnknownFearNG]

Hello all. I don't know how many times I've done this, but I have gone from using just Windows for gaming, to dual-booting Windows and Ubuntu, to just using Ubuntu. Back and forth, for a few years now. I want to get back into desktop/laptop gaming and I know the options of dual-booting or VM even, those are not a problem. The problem I seem to have is, once I start to get really into gaming on Windows, I seem to not use Ubuntu as much. Does anyone have an advice I could take? I want to continue to use Ubuntu for virtually everything except use Windows for just gaming.

[hakermania]

Well, I don't see where the problem is. I do exactly as you say. Dual-boot with windows full with games and Ubuntu full with programming stuff It is up to you how much you want to use each operating system and for what.

Also, if windows works fine and smooth for doing other stuff rather than gaming, you could use it as well.

[PaulW2U]

Does anyone have an advice I could take? I want to continue to use Ubuntu for virtually everything except use Windows for just gaming.

I think I'm just rewording what hakermania has already said but you should use what works best for you and is available. I don't see why you think you must use Ubuntu.

Up until recently, I regularly used Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Xununtu, Kubuntu, Vista, Windows 7 and at work Windows XP. I always use what is available unless I have a specific need for something that isn't.

May be your problem is that having just the one PC, when you've finished playing your game(s) you leave your PC running Windows rather than making a point of re-booting into Ubuntu?

[oldrocker99]

I was 100% Ubuntu until I bought a desktop with Win7 on it; I now dual-boot, with my /home directory on a second drive. Yes, I use Windows, but strictly for playing games. In a few years (hopefully), when games I want to play are completely playable on Linux, I will deepsix Microsoft forever.

The #1 thing that will attract the average user to GNU/Linux, the best OS, is lots of games. This is why to be happy about the Humble Bundles, Steam's plans, and, of course, Dominions 3.

[PaulInBHC]

I have the same quandry. Even though restarting takes less than a minute, it feels like forever. Yet I don't mind wasting hours reading forum posts.

I have XP and it works well for what I do on a computer. But what will I do when support runs out for XP?

Hopefully wine will have matured enough for my games or someone will make native games that I like or I will have given up gaming.

[UnknownFearNG]

May be your problem is that having just the one PC, when you've finished playing your game(s) you leave your PC running Windows rather than making a point of re-booting into Ubuntu?

Pretty much this. I figure I'll just game later, but then it turns out I want to listen to some music, then I upload all my music onto Windows. Then, a few days go by, and it's like "hey, I've been doing everything on Windows and not Ubuntu! "

[devikap]

Thanks for sharing this idea i think I was unsure if this would help but now after reading this post yesterday I have also started using Ubuntu for all other activities. I think this would really help.

[Zomgrick]

I'm coping with exactly this "problem". I want to use Ubuntu for everything, but I can't. So I start up windows to play Guild Wars 2 or League of Legends and end up using only Windows because I am too lazy to reboot. I wish these games became playable on Ubuntu.

[doorknob60]

If you rely on Windows for a game or some other software on a regular basis (and have a good amount of RAM), one good way is using Linux in VirtualBox and using Seamless Mode, and just leave that running in Windows all the time. Then you get the best of both worlds, all the time. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good.

[PaulInBHC]

Ok doorknob, what is seamless mode? How much is enough ram?

I set up Win8 preview with 1g of my 4g ram and 512 of my 1g video ram. I installed a game that uses .Net, DirectX and XNA. I started the game and it was unplayably slow, textures would not display. Maybe if I had 64 bit and 8+g of ram?