Two weeks ago, I traded in my trusty Linux Mint for Garuda Gaming Dragonized Linux. Why? Because my Blizzard games started acting like a toddler on a sugar high—unpredictable, loud, and not fun for anyone. Garuda promised a gaming-focused flavor of Linux, and with a name like “Dragonized,” how could I resist? Who doesn’t want to feel like they’re installing fire-breathing software every time they boot their PC?
And you know what? Garuda actually fixed my Blizzard woes. The catch? Once I saw how it fixed them, I realized I could’ve solved the same problem in Linux Mint if I’d just put two brain cells together. But hey—when you’re already strapped to the back of a digital dragon, you don’t just hop off mid-flight.
Two weeks in, I can honestly say: this ride has been smoother than brisket off a pellet smoker.
The Upside:
- Blizzard games run flawlessly. No tantrums, no stuttering—just glorious gaming.
- Office suite runs perfectly. Yes, I can be productive while riding a dragon. Even this very blog post was written on Garuda. That’s called multitasking, folks.
- Web surfing is seamless. I juggle multiple browsers like a circus act—Firefox, Brave, Chrome, and even Edge (because sometimes you just need to suffer). Octopi package manager makes installing them painless.
- Arch base means latest everything. Kernel 6.16.5, Plasma 6.4.4, Wayland, and the freshest Nvidia drivers. It’s like living on the Linux bleeding edge—without actually bleeding.
- Spotify runs great in the background. Because nothing says “dragon-slaying gamer” like blasting ‘70s disco while fragging enemies.
- It’s fast. My 8-year-old PC runs like it just had a triple espresso.
The Downside:
- Reboot required after updates. Garuda politely insists on daily reboots if you’re an update junkie. Mint let me be lazy, but Garuda cracks the whip. It’s like a gym coach reminding me, “You don’t have to do push-ups… but you’ll thank me later.”
- Neon overload. The default neon icons looked like someone let a rave DJ design my desktop. I switched to the Breeze theme and felt my blood pressure drop. Now my desktop doesn’t scream “rad gamer dude.” Instead, it whispers “normal 66-year-old who also wants his icons to be visible.” And honestly? That’s the vibe I’m going for.
And that’s pretty much it for the downsides. The price of living on the Linux cutting edge is minor—like occasionally nicking your finger while slicing brisket.
For now, I’m going to keep on riding the dragon. It’s fast, flashy, and just dangerous enough to keep life interesting.