No, they should be installing Linux on them after reformatting the provided SSD.

There’s a reason valve has an absurd amount of money.

Oh well that’s great news. I would still do a little legwork, like searching “DistroOfChoice on Intel Mac” just to make sure you don’t run into any unforeseen issues.

If you’re on an M-series chip, Apple silicon as opposed to the older intel based Macs, your only viable option is Asahi Linux, which is specifically made to run on Apple silicon. If you would like to try this out, I have no promises that you won’t brick your machine. I highly recommend you watch some tutorials and read some documentation about the Asahi install process to see if it is something you’re willing to attempt.

So, the other poster is correct. You need a new non-Apple device if you intend to use Linux freely like the rest of us.

There’s good news though. Linux runs wonderfully on older hardware. Depending on what level of gaming you intend to do, you could get a decent used gaming laptop with a discrete GPU, or even a Thinkpad with integrated graphics for fairly cheap. Carefully consider your hardware choices based on your needs. If you take this route, the world is your oyster, and I highly recommend doing some distro-hopping in your first year.

Linux mint is a great place to start. As far as I am aware the only proprietary software involved is multimedia codecs and Nvidia drivers, but you would want those on any distribution, because the user experience without them is severely lacking.

Fedora is great, but it won’t install the multimedia codecs for you like Linux mint will. You’ll need to start learning how to use the terminal straight away. I consider Fedora to be an intermediate level distribution, unlike Linux Mint or Ubuntu which are very beginner friendly. Fortunately there are plenty of step by step guides and support forum posts to help you through things if you’re willing to do the work.

Arch based distros like CachyOS, EndeavourOS and the like, will challenge you. But that challenge will teach you a lot. I would say after getting comfortable in something like Linux Mint after a few months, give EndeavourOS a try if you want to develop your knowledge.

That brings me to an important point. Back up your files. With either a secondary SSD, or an external HDD/SSD, literally drag and drop the files you can’t bear to lose. Linux is very easy to wipe and reinstall, and hopping from distro to distro until you find your home can be a lot of fun, but having a safe backup so that you can do so without any worry of losing data, is extremely important.

Recommending Omarchy, or any distro based around a tiling window manager to a beginner is probably the best way to make sure they don’t use Linux. I can’t believe I have to keep saying this.

You’re not even trying to help, you’re just saying “I use Omarchy BTW”

I’m currently running CachyOS, where I installed Hyprland and ML4W dot files (basically a well refined set of config files for Hyprland) alongside KDE Plasma. ML4W (MyLinux4Work) has great YouTube videos detailing their installation process.

Hyprland, like i3, is pretty amazing to use once you get used to it, but sometimes it can break, so having the option of rock solid KDE right at the login screen is a nice bit of insurance.

CachyOS is based on Arch, so you’ll need to get cozy with updating and installing software, both from the repository and flatpak, via the terminal. If you’re not already comfortable with that, it’s a great opportunity to learn.

Yeah man, the prices are unfortunate, but supply and demand is definitely a thing. Items are only worth what people are willing to pay, and I’m fortunate to be able to justify some of my expendable income on growing my collection here and there.

If you really want your head to hurt, look up some of those really popular games sealed and WATA/PSA graded. Old graded consoles still sealed can sell for 6 digits.

I definitely have several of my favorites ripped for a rainy day. It’s definitely not a hobby for everyone. I have more modern emulation machines that can easily run all of my backups, but there’s really no replacement for the real games on real hardware. Just like some people are audiophile vinyl collectors who thumb their nose at Spotify and a pair of ear buds.

1. Selling games from 10-20 years ago isn’t scalping.

2. I have 15 Nintendo handhelds on my last count. 2 of the 3ds are modded.

3. I have a pretty sizable collection and I’ve not had a game die on me yet, aside from save batteries that I’m capable of changing. I know the games can eventually die, I know it’s on the horizon, but they all still work for now, and I think even after they die I’ll enjoy the memories that the physical media provided me.

This. My back log of physical DS and 3ds games is extensive and grows a little every time I remember I have the eBay app on my phone. Sorry wallet.

I have a beefy gaming PC and spend way more time on retro handhelds. Nintendo 3ds, DS, GBA. Gives me a nerd hobby to collect games, and you can enjoy keeping them nice, picking them up when you want and putting them down when you’re done. Soooo many good titles too.

It’s working now. Sometimes websites briefly stop working, for a multitude of reasons. Usually I just go take a quick nap, the come back and hit F5, kind of like how you skip time forward in Skyrim.

Yeah, just check out the website or GitHub of your favorite distro, desktop environment, or application, almost all of them will have donation options. I’ve given to EndeavourOS a couple times. Feels good.

Exactly. If I’m dead, it’s not my problem anymore.

There’s definitely middle ground to be found, and decency to exercise.

Lefty here. I have a queer wife who identifies as non-binary but still identifies as my wife, as well as plenty of trans and queer people in my social circles, and I don’t see the need to word police myself over completely innocent phrases. I don’t think you’re harming anyone by just saying women, when the men or nonbinary people who can get pregnant constitute like a tenth of a percentage of the population.

I go out of my way to make sure the not-straight people in my life feel safe and comfortable around me, but there’s a certain level of pearl clutching over language that I don’t feel the need to engage with. You aren’t being hateful, you’re treating people like human beings, and you get to decide for yourself how you speak.

Yes, because I also have a desktop PC, not to mention a dock for my Steam deck. Sure, I could keep using my old Xbox controller on the PC, but the Steam controller creates perfect continuity between my deck, pc, and deck docked.

I second everything above. If you use Fedora be sure to follow a post install guide, there’s plenty more of them out there. Otherwise, Mint, Ubuntu, and Pop!_OS are great options.

If you want a little more challenge, EndeavourOS and CachyOS are great introductions to Arch. Avoid Manjaro.

I’m really sick of everyone suggesting Bazzite non stop. I’m a serial distro hopper because I love learning about various distros as they grow and change, and bazzite and other immutables have always been problematic and janky for me, and their immutability makes it difficult to problem solve with tried and true resources and methods.

I knew 4chan would eventually immigrate to Lemmy.

I’m not recommending Nvidia. I’m making a point by giving an example of the procedure for installing drivers for the most common GPU (by a wide margin, amd and intel market share accounts for single digit market share) being far more difficult on Debian than other distributions that are more beginner friendly.

Did you even bother to read the thread?

I get so frustrated hearing this take over and over again.

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers

This is the process for installing the DKMS Nvidia GPU drivers on Debian.

The process to install said drivers on Ubuntu, Pop, Mint, etc, is literally clicking an icon.

Yes, following the manual is easy for you, and easy for me. It’s not easy for the tech illiterate elders in our lives. And it’s not easy for me to drop in weekly to solve their problems either.