I recently built a new gaming computer and have been contemplating about the OS.
I prefer to move away from windows given obvious reasons and do like using Linux, but my experience with my steam deck has taught me that pirating games in Linux is hit or miss.
I played around with windows LTSC and honestly, seems like windows without the bloatware.
So question is, how is game pirating on Linux (in a desktop, not steam deck).
Is it as smooth as windows or should I just say fuck it and accept that my gaming computer has to stay windows for another generation?
I used to repack games for a group in Linux pirating. Most of the time, there was no tweaking. Only the badly optimized ones like ragnarok, elden ring new dlc, etc needed some other work.
You can install games from dodi, fitgirl, online-fix, all just fine. You can also download linux repacks from jc141.
What others said... I think I've even run the installer as a non-steam app through Steam using proton and that worked as well. Unless I'm misremembering.
I still dual boot with Windows for gaming, so I can't comment on the next gaming as much, but I will say that LTSC is everything that it seems to be (or not be).
Windows without any bullshit, I used it for years.
I use windows solely for ease of gaming so I haven't bothered to replace the stock, but if you do keep using Windows, LTSC is definitely the way to go.
as far as the articles going around, Linux is catching up but is not yet as effortless less as Windows for gaming specifically.
Use Bottles with the Sandbox option enabled (and sound enabled). So, native performance but without access to files outside the Wine prefix (virtual Windows folder where the game is installed) and without network access. This way, you don't have to worry about games phoning home, containing a crypto miner or ransomware.
Also, forget about FitGirl repacks on Linux, most don't unpack correctly.
From Microsoft. They actually provide ISO downloads for the 11 LTSC versions, so there's not really any reason to go grab some random one off totally-legit-software-and-totatlly-not-malware.com or whatever.
Massgrave (known widely for their Windows and Office activation scripts) provides download links as well, useful if you use a VPN since Microsoft blocks you from downloading.
I found a torrent that had windows 11 LTSC, pre activated and with office.
When I made the bootable usb, it had options where I could just opt out of the data collection and all that so it wouldn’t even show that during install.
Pretty good experience. Feels weird to say that about a Microsoft product.