Famous Alternatives to Windows Apps on Linux - Week 2 of Using Linux

  

Week 2

 So far, my PC experience with CachyOS Linux has been nearly flawless. I have played Elden Ring and achieved the frames per second cap of 60 fps constantly. I have even  launched Roblox, which is notably known for not being supported on Linux! Here is a summary of all the software that I have been using in the past week, as well as a note on a small issue that I have experienced.

 Productivity

 To browse the internet, I am currently utilizing the wonderful open-source Firefox browser by Mozilla. Initially I used the Google search engine, but then I finally transitioned to Ecosia (which I recommend everyone to use). I have done work using these software and I haven't had any productive problems. I am still deciding if I should I use the OpenOffice suite instead of the traditional Microsoft and Google apps. In case you don't know, OpenOffice is a free, open-source software package that contains a document editor, a drawing software, a spreadsheet editor, a mathematical tool, a database manager, a presentation "wizard", and a calculator/analyzer. 

 Gaming

 To my surprise, I managed to boot up Roblox using the famous app called Sober, which has over a million downloads and was the leading game app in 2025 on Linux. Although I haven't actually played on it, it worked, and I managed to sign in to my main account.

A list of the most downloaded apps on Linux in 2025, with Firefox and Roblox" leading the "Top Apps" and the "Games" categories respectively.

Source: u/TheNavyCrow on Reddit 

 The discrepancy

 HDMI is unfortunately not entirely supported on Linux, but only version 2.1 and upwards. While I am still able to achieve a 144Hz refresh rate on a 1440p resolution using HDMI 2.0, my HDMI 2.1 cable that came with my 320Hz 1440p monitor is not used at its full capability. HDMI 2.0 only has 18Gbps compared to the 48Gbps of HDMI 2.1.

The solution: DisplayPort! The reason for why HDMI 2.1 speeds aren't available on Linux is because HDMI has a closed-source license. Windows for example has paid a hefty licensing fee to HDMI so that version 2.1 is available on their operating system. Since Linux is open-source, it is stuck with the older, but still good, version of HDMI. However, DisplayPort is open-source and will allow me to get that nice 320Hz refresh rate on 1440p. The next step is to purchase the cable (I have found one for around 15 dollars) and then test it! I will keep you guys updated.

 Conclusion

 This week has been a splendid experience and I still believe that even you should try daily driving Linux on your computer (even on a laptop), and escaping the Microsoft matrix. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next episode!

 This is the second episode of my Linux Experience 2026 blog series. Every week, I upload a post talking about my experience using this unique operating system! Sign up with your email to receive a notification when a new blog is released, it's free!

 Click here for Week 1.

 

My PC Specifications:

  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800x3D

  • AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB VRAM

  • 32 GB DDR5 6000Mhz CL30 RAM

  • 2 TB NVMe 5.0 SSD 

 Other Components:

  • 27'' 2560x1440 320Hz 1ms Monitor

  • B850-Plus Motherboard (WiFi 7)

  • 850W Power Supply

  • Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB

  • 5x Artic P12 Case Fans

  • Phanteks XT Pro   

 

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