When choosing a Linux distribution for gaming, consider the following factors: - Choose a distribution you are comfortable using that has out-of-the-box hardware detection. - Consider whether a graphical or text-based installer would work best for your hardware. Graphical installers are more intuitive but may be slower on older machines. - Look for distributions that provide easy-to-use configuration tools for networking, hardware, and system updates. - Research the distribution's package management and software availability for graphics drivers, 3D acceleration support, and gaming software like Wine. - Consider optimizations for disk performance, unwanted services, and lightweight desktop environments for gaming.

1. 1
Choose a distro
- Something you are comfertable using
- Out of the box hardware detection

2. By
Buddhika Siddhisena
Member of LKLUG
Co-Founder ThinkCube
bud@thinkcube.com
bud@babytux.org
Gaming on GNU/Linux

3. 3
Choose a distro
- Something you are comfertable using
- Out of the box hardware detection
- Easiness to tinker with
- Support tools provided
- Software availability

4. 4
Deciding Factors – Installer
Graphical installers looks
better and are more intuitive
but may be slow on old
hardware.
Text installers work better
on old hardware and are
more stable.

5. 5
Deciding Factors – Config tools
Config tools make configuring network
services, hardware and updating the
system easier.

6. 6
Deciding Factors – Package management
Getting 2D acceleration working
- Checking your current graphic card driver
- Discover your graphic hardware
- Decide on the driver
Free & Opensource drivers
Binary only drivers

7. 7
Deciding Factors – Package management
Getting 3D acceleration working
- Checking if 3D acceleration is turned
on
- Installing 3D acceleration
- Benchmarking

8. 8
Deciding Factors – Package management
Optimizations
Testing disk performance and optimizations
Turning on DMA
RAID 0/5
Turning off unwanted services
Running a low resource window manager

9. 9
Deciding Factors – Desktop environments

10. 10
Deciding Factors – Package management
Running Windoze games
- Native ports of popular games
- Installing wine (Wine is not an emulator)
- Installing winex

11. 11
Deciding Factors – Package management
See also:
Nvidia Drivers - http://www.nvidia.com
ATI Drivers - http://www.ati.com
Wine - http://www.winehq.com
WineX - http://www.transgaming.com
LKLUG - http://www.linux.lk