Discussion: linux-6.14.X

[_roman_]

I just saw gentoo has 6.14.0 in the repository.

While doing the config file I saw there is a new option. I'll just quote another page / source

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.14

Linux 6.14 delivers many exciting new features like the NTSYNC driver is working for emulating Windows NT synchronization primitives to enhance the Wine / Steam Play gaming performance

NT synchronization primitive driver — The Linux Kernel documentation

Fancy numbers, details about ntsync

NTSYNC driver for improving Windows games on Linux with Wine / Proton should finally land in Linux kernel 6.14

After waiting quite a while on it and some rewrites, it looks like the NTSYNC driver code to help Windows games running on Linux will be pulled in and enabled in the Linux kernel.

www.gamingonlinux.com

 

[Solaris17]

I am pretty excited for this and 6.15. Specifically NTSYNC for 6.14. I hope proton/wine swaps out there current driver and starts using this soon:TM: but its wait and see. AFAIK proton is still on fsync. but the NTSYNC performance does look good.

In atleast the games tested.

 

[R-T-B]

From what I understand the performance benefit of ntsync should be only very slightly higher than esync/fsync on proton builds, but without any of the compatability issues those often bring. Very nice.

 

[Macro Device]

I am pretty excited for this and 6.15. Specifically NTSYNC for 6.14. I hope proton/wine swaps out there current driver and starts using this soon:TM: but its wait and see. AFAIK proton is still on fsync. but the NTSYNC performance does look good.

View attachment 391622

In atleast the games tested.

Holy... 860 FPS must be an absolute pleasure.

 

[R-T-B]

Holy... 860 FPS must be an absolute pleasure.

800hz monitors when?

 

[tpa-pr]

It's very funny that Linux is quickly becoming the comparable or even better OS to play games on Like I've said in the past there's a touch more maintenance and upkeep, but it's worth it.

I'm also hoping 6.14 brings better support for the RDNA 4 cards too.

 

[Macro Device]

800hz monitors when?

I don't think there's any meaningful improvement after 240ish. Brains are powerful but not that powerful.

This excessive FPS count is mostly here for lowering the input latency so you get VERY FIRM CONTROL.

 

[R-T-B]

I don't think there's any meaningful improvement after 240ish. Brains are powerful but not that powerful.

I agree was just being funny. I really doubt you get much benefit between even 120 and 240, diminishing returns and all.

This excessive FPS count is mostly here for lowering the input latency so you get VERY FIRM CONTROL.

This is true.

 

[Macro Device]

I really doubt you get much benefit between even 120 and 240

120 to 170 is very much noticeable for me but 170 to 240... Not gonna happen. But I have a backlog of nine serious brain injuries, maybe healthy humans hover around 250 (meaning still can tell it apart from, say, 200 but can't do that with 300).

 

[_roman_]

PCGH seems to have same numbers in german. (just copy and paste of old informations from january 2025)

Linux 6.14: Spieler erhalten deutlich mehr Leistung und Stabilität

Spieler können sich über Linux 6.14 freuen, denn der neue Kernel hat den NTSYNC-Treiber implementiert, der die Leistung von Spielen unter Linux verbessert.

www.pcgameshardware.de

they also quote

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.14-Power-Management

Linux 6.14 Power Management: "Dominated By AMD P-State Driver Changes"​

Like I've said in the past there's a touch more maintenance and upkeep, but it's worth it.

My gentoo linux from 2006 is far less hassle than windows 11 pro. You need to download every driver and update from computerbase.de/downloads
Initialise by hand and wait for every installer to wait. windows has no feature to install several packages at once, or even a working package manager. The regular amd gpu driver rollbacks, several windows reboots make windows much more time consuming for only gaming.

There is also no time waste to learn anything new. Most stuff is still the same. Every few years I was forced to change DE.

I run encryption. I'm sure gentoo even has a lazy approach for binary kernels.

I'm also hoping 6.14 brings better support for the RDNA 4 cards too.

pcgh also quotes

https://www.phoronix.com/news/AMDGPU-More-GFX12-Linux-6.14

AMD Squeezes In More RDNA4 Changes For Linux 6.14 - Enables Cleaner Shader On GFX12​

 

[tpa-pr]

My gentoo linux from 2006 is far less hassle than windows 11 pro. You need to download every driver and update from computerbase.de/downloads
Initialise by hand and wait for every installer to wait. windows has no feature to install several packages at once, or even a working package manager. The regular amd gpu driver rollbacks, several windows reboots make windows much more time consuming for only gaming.

There is also no time waste to learn anything new. Most stuff is still the same. Every few years I was forced to change DE.

I run encryption. I'm sure gentoo even has a lazy approach for binary kernels.

Note when I say maintenance and upkeep I'm referring to gaming specifically and I'm speaking from the perspective of a Windows user. You gotta remember, a lot of the time gaming in Windows is the proverbial "point-and-shoot". It might be a mis-use of terminology on my part though, maybe "extra configuration" is better?

To give some basic examples: say a game is missing something like Visual C++ Redist to run. On Windows you download the redist installer, double-click, next, next, next and done.

On Linux you would need to download the redist installer, then use something like Protontricks to install it to the right prefix. It's not bad that you need to do this, it's just not what your basic Windows convert would be used to.

Same with modding for example. On Windows you might just drop dinput8.dll in the game directory and done, your mod is now enabled. On Linux you'll need to use WINE_DLLOVERRIDES to make sure Proton uses it instead of its own DLL.

And again, none of this is necessarily bad. After all, Proton giving each game its own little box it's allowed to play in can save a lot of headaches later. Its just "extra" compared to what would be required on Windows.

 

[unwind-protect]

I still haven't played with 6.12's real-time mode for audio properly, let alone anything newer. But good to see distributions keep up.

 

[igormp]

To give some basic examples: say a game is missing something like Visual C++ Redist to run. On Windows you download the redist installer, double-click, next, next, next and done.

On Linux you would need to download the redist installer, then use something like Protontricks to install it to the right prefix. It's not bad that you need to do this, it's just not what your basic Windows convert would be used to.

I believe that's all done automatically for games that are on steam.
For games outside of steam, I remember someone in the other linux thread commenting about a tool that automates those steps with proton, in a similar way to steam, but ofc it implies someone has done that work of figuring out what's needed before. Have you experienced any of those?
I'm really asking out of curiosity, I don't really play games, and all the ones I've played in the past 5+ years have all been through steam, so I'm curious to know if that front has improved for more casual users or if it's still more annoying when compared to Windows.

 

[tpa-pr]

I believe that's all done automatically for games that are on steam.
For games outside of steam, I remember someone in the other linux thread commenting about a tool that automates those steps with proton, in a similar way to steam, but ofc it implies someone has done that work of figuring out what's needed before. Have you experienced any of those?
I'm really asking out of curiosity, I don't really play games, and all the ones I've played in the past 5+ years have all been through steam, so I'm curious to know if that front has improved for more casual users or if it's still more annoying when compared to Windows.

Steam does take care of the majority of it for their games indeed! For modding the onus is obviously on the user, but the majority of games on Steam are point-and-shoot, same as Windows.

I think the tool you're thinking of is Lutris? It's a graphical game manager that doubles as a front-end for Proton/Wine. It has a huge collection of scripts to allow automated installation of games from outside of Steam too, it's very good:

Again, some extra steps are required compared to Windows, but they're not hard steps And as long as your average Windows convert is willing to put a little time and effort in Linux can work just fine for them. I have a case study in that I helped my best friend convert from Windows to Fedora, apart from some initial teething issues with his drawing tablet which have long since been resolved he's happy and comfortable using it. The major caveat in his situation is he had an expert on hand to assist with issues he ran into. Your average convert may be going into it blind which adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

(But at the same time, they should be able to do the most basic of research. After all, a computer is a tool you need to learn how to use).