I see why this Linux distro is the dream pick for gamers and content creators

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• GLF OS is a gamer-centric Linux distribution.
• Although challenging to install, it’s worth the effort.
• You can install and use GLF OS for free.

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When I downloaded GLF OS, I assumed I knew what I was getting into. From every indication, this Linux distribution was all about gaming. The website claims that “Gaming Linux FR is the first French-speaking video game community on Linux. We run a space where our members can share resources, knowledge, and experiences to fully enjoy gaming on Linux.”

It’s not just an OS, it’s a gaming community. Nice.

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During installation, however, there was an option to install DaVinci Resolve. The option surprised me for two reasons: I’ve never had an OS offer to add my favorite video editor during the installation, and DaVinci Resolve can be a challenge to install and get running properly. For one, you really need an Nvidia GPU for the app to work, and there’s only one distribution officially supported by DaVinci Resolve: Rocky Linux (versions 8 and 9). 

For installation, you can choose from the following editions:

• Standard: Basic workstation, ready for you to install your favorite gaming platforms, doesn’t include creator tools.
• Minimal Edition: Base system that includes Firefox and LibreOffice, intended for a minimal NixOS configuration.
• Gaming Edition: Preconfigured with Steam, Proton-GE, and various launchers for a ready-to-play environment.
• Studio (Free): Includes all gaming tools, plus free software such as Kdenlive, GIMP, OBS Studio, and Audacity.
• Studio Pro: Includes all gaming/content tools, but upgrades to the premium DaVinci Resolve Studio (requires a DaVinci Resolve Studio license).   

I opted for Studio Pro. Here’s how the installation went.

Installation

During my first installation attempt, GLF OS crashed and rebooted. I wasn’t quite sure what the problem was, so I trashed the virtual machine and started over, making the same choices. During the second installation, I expanded the installer to see what was happening. At 46%, it appeared to be downloading and installing a ton of software, but the percentage didn’t budge.

I decided not to watch that pot to see if it would boil past 46%. When I returned, the installation had frozen. Back to square one.

Then it looked like my virtual machine tool (KVM with Virt-Manager) had gone bonkers, so I switched to VirtualBox. A bit of research suggested the issue might be insufficient RAM. I bumped the RAM up to 10GB — same results. I bumped the RAM to 16GB and tried the Gnome desktop — no change.

As it turns out, the issue is that NixOS (on which GLF OS is based) downloads every single package for installation, which causes it to fail. This is a known issue with both GLF OS and NixOS.

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Once more unto the breach, dear friends. This time, I upped the CPU cores to 4 and turned away from the installation to do something else (hoping that time would be my friend). Nope.

I then attempted a Minimal Edition installation, and — success! My theory is that the Minimal installation didn’t need to download as many files as the other options. Whatever works, right?

I wondered, however, if installing GLF OS as a virtual machine was part of the problem. To test that theory, I installed it on a spare machine. This time around, I went with the installation that included DaVinci Studio. Although the install looked like it was going to hang at 46%, it continued and completed.

Even better, DaVinci works like a charm. I’ve installed the video editor on other machines (with more powerful hardware) and other distributions, but the end result with GLF OS was far superior.

Now, let’s take a look at what GLF OS has to offer.

It’s all about gaming

It should be obvious, given the tagline: “Linux Gaming Made Easy.” Outstanding. 

As soon as I logged in, the Welcome app made it clear this distribution was for gaming. However, since I installed the mini version, the gaming apps were nowhere to be found. In fact, there were several mentions in the Welcome app that did not apply (such as Samba share — because Samba is not installed by default with the Mini option).

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Fortunately, there’s the new Easy Flatpak app, which allows you to install those apps very easily. Open Easy Flatpak, search for Gaming, and install everything you need. In fact, there were gaming-related apps that I’d never heard of.

One of the cool things about Easy Flatpak is that you can search for the software you want to install, add it to your cart, keep adding more software, and then install everything in your cart when you want.

How I wish every Linux distribution would go this same route. Fortunately, you can install Easy Flatpak on any distro that supports Flatpak.

It took a reboot before Steam would run properly, but once that was taken care of, I was able to log in and start searching for games to play.

Final impressions

First off, only a select few Linux distributions should be this challenging to install (I’m looking at you, Gentoo and Linux From Scratch). Once I got GLF OS installed, it ran like a champ, seriously impressing me. Although I would have loved to get my fingers on the version that included DaVinci Resolve (to see how well it ran), I was still quite pleased with the Mini version.

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Who is GLF OS for?

If you are a gamer or a content creator, GLF OS is right up your alley. If you have a spare machine with beefy hardware, I highly recommend installing this distribution. Since you won’t be installing GLF OS as a virtual machine, you shouldn’t have any problems installing any of the various editions.

Once you have GLF OS up and running, you’ll find it a real treat to use.