Thanks for opening up a forum on this topic and to GamingOnLinux for sharing it. Game development on Linux is something Iâve been attempting on Ubuntu 21.10 recently, having previously developed some jam-sized games using GameMaker Studio 2 and Unity on macOS and Windows respectively. Given Ubuntu has been my preferred Linux flavour since around 5.04, itâs exciting to see more investment in the concerns of gamers and gamedevs.
Iâve been toying with Steam and the most recent stable version of Proton, adding entries to ProtonDB and such to help out. I must say, the progress that has been made in a few short years is staggering.
That said, there are still some splinters in my daily experience. I hope these points provide some insight.
Installation of NVIDIAâs proprietary driver isnât as simple as a couple of clicks.
Once installed via Additional Drivers, installation of NVIDIAâs proprietary graphics driver is poorly configured. To solve screen tearing, one needs to open up NVIDIA X Server settings and check the âForce Compilation Pipelineâ boxes on all configured displays. This isnât obvious to the user at all. In addition, their tool consistently fails to write the xorg.conf file due to a permissions error, forcing one to manually copy the file content, create the xorg.conf, paste it across and so on.
I understand itâs proprietary, it taints the kernel and whatnot. I suspect that because itâs proprietary, nobody in the community is able to fix these issues? Perhaps it requires a conversation and collab with NVIDIA?
Installation of this driver also breaks the pretty Plymouth startup. As such, having this essential driver installed feels like a hack.
Finally, when changing desktop arrangement settings, itâs not obvious whether I should be making those changes in GNOMEâs Settings tool or NVIDIAs. I seem to have cobbled together a configuration that works having disabled my laptopâs onboard Intel GPU too, but it doesnât feel right.
Which Hardware For An Optimal Gamedev Experience?
It would be very helpful to know, from the distribution themselves, what makes for a good gaming and/or game development hardware setup. I often hear that while NVIDIA âworksâ, AMD is actually the superior option since the drivers are said to be open source and included with the kernel. But then, Iâve also heard that you wonât get full Blender support without installing their proprietary driver. Does the proprietary AMD driver cause similar issues as NVIDIA? What of Xorg vs Wayland? The perils of fractional scaling! Itâs all very confusing and none of this inspires confidence in the platform.
I wonder if perhaps there ought to be an effort to catalogue modern gaming desktop builds that are tested and scored by the community? Something like Logical Increments, so that I can trust that the hardware Iâm buying will offer a first-class Ubuntu experience. Ubuntu/Canonical might also get some kickback for the affiliate links.
Iâm familiar with Ubuntuâs Hardware Certification Programme, but that feels like something for large organisations deploying at scale for business, server and cloud purposes opposed to individual gamers and game developers. I think this filtered search says it all. Iâd like to see links to purchasable Ubuntu gaming laptops and/or desktop hardware configurations. Take a look at Microsoftâs homepage for example. Itâs very easy to buy a laptop with graphical grunt that you know will just work. Within a couple of clicks youâre on Dellâs purchase page.
On Package Management
One thing that grinds my gears is that I seem to be acquiring software from many more different sources these days. This is true of macOS and Windows too. The Linux space however historically set the expectation that the package manager carried everything one needed
Iâm now thoroughly reliant on each of Apt (+ppas), Flathub, Snapcraft, downloaded .debs, binary tarballs and loose shell scripts.
Iâm not sure whether this problem has a solution. But one thing I am certain of is that the package management situation on Linux has gotten more complicated. I think having Snapcraft include more of whatâs available in Flathub, such as the GNOME Circle apps, would be a good start so that I donât have to manage multiple stores.
Listing the proprietary engines in Ubuntu Software
You may be pleased to learn that Unity is now supported on Linux, and more recently YoyoGamesâ GameMaker Studio 2 (in beta).
It would be nice to see these engines listed in Ubuntu Software in addition to the many open source engines. Regardless of what folks think about the nature of proprietary software, having it listed in the store communicates that Ubuntu is a viable platform for that given tool.
Flathub carries Unity Hub, as an example.
Iâve noticed that the indie-friendly Itch.io launcher is missing from Ubuntu Software too and would be a similarly nice addition.
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Thanks for listening 
