Should I give up on learning to get around Linux?

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I'm a very competent user, but I find the amount of technical involvement in Linux (in my case, Linux Mint 17.1), having to register at a new forum every time I see something wrong, is quickly burning me out. I'm overwhelmed because my game SimCity 4 won't launch at all in Wine and I try requesting help on Wine's forum, I get an answer but I'm still burned out because I'm not sure about anything anymore. It's really burning me out pretty badly. SimCity 4 is proven to work with Wine per other sources. Should I just go back to using Windows because I'm getting pretty frustrated. The, if I reinstall Windows, I'll be even more burned out by the hours of new updates I'll need to catch up on.

There really isn't that much to get around (at least not with Mint/Ubuntu). I wouldn't rely too much on Wine; it might help you out with a few games here and there but it's nothing you can bank on. If Linux isn't enough for you on its own a buggy and erratic compatibility layer won't make much difference.

The Steam client for Linux is very efficient, but the game library is very limited in comparison to Windows (if you want mainstream PC titles Linux isn't for you). There are plenty of emulators available (if you like the old school stuff) but some of them require a bit of command line interaction for them to work and there are usually detailed guides available.

Why on earth did you ever replace Windows? Why did you not make a dual-boot setup to get the best of both worlds? That said, Linux Mint is one of the most user-friendly distros I've ever used. It takes time, but not much effort, to get used to the command line. If you're curious about how to use a program from the command line, typing "man <command>" without quotes or brackets will give you a manual page.

I just started trying to learn Linux as well, I am duel booting tho. Windows works better with certain things(games for instance) but I like the idea of a free open source OS and the challenge of it. When it gets too frustrating I'll just switch over. I'm just taking it slow and picking things up as I go. Getting to even just this point is beyond most people it seems.

I'm 100% Linux (Ubuntu 14.04), but it works for me because I have fairly modest requirements. Linux Steam runs Football Manager, Euro Truck Simulator, Half Life 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2 plus a huge chunk of the Indie library which is enough for me. Throw in open source gems like Super Tux Kart, a few old PC games through Wine and a ton of emulators and you've got a decent game library as long as you don't expect the latest and greatest.

Mint and Ubuntu aren't difficult to understand and have many advantages over Windows in terms of security and efficiency, but they will be frustrating to new users who are accustomed to having a full deck of Windows software.

One alternative to dual booting is to use a Virtual Machine to learn on, either on your local machine or in a cloud somewhere.

VM's are also easier to manage if they become corrupt and wont boot, throw it away and replace with a fresh copy.

K_Kelly, PlayOnLinux ( https://www.playonlinux.com/ ) is another piece of software designed to run Windows programs in Linux. You might also want to try Zorin OS ( http://www.zorin-os.com/ ). It as an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that comes with WINE and PlayOnLinux. Its developers claim that it is specifically designed for newcomers to Linux.

Please note, however, that I am a basic Linux user who has never used either PlayOnLinux or Zorin OS, so I can not say for certain if they will do what you are looking for. I do, however, highly recommend setting up your computer as dual boot system, with Windows on one of the partitions--assuming your hardware can handle this, of course.

Linux Mint is a great place to start, very user friendly. What would you like to do with Linux? WINE and other emulators or compatibility layers mean well...but generally cause much frustration and inconsistent results.

The other comment about running Linux in a virtual machine is spot on. Lookup Virtual Box, it is free and fairly simple to get running. This way you can keep Windows as your primary system...and still play around with Linux, all at the same time!

I like linux, but I gave up on it after realizing that using it would become my primary activity if I used it.

I either have to put my full mental energy into maintaining the system and administering the network, or I can do the work and play I want the computer for in the first place. Some people can to both, I am not one of them. It isn't productive for me.

On principle, I really like Linux. In practice, too many driver problems. Too many forums with RTFM comments, too much complexity for my brain to handle and still focus on the other things I care about.

I have been using Ubuntu since 2007 and Wine has helped me run quite a few of my old Windows games (SimCity 4 among them. I do not know the current state of Wine, but I never had trouble running SC4 a few years ago). But if you want to play Windows games, your best bet is to forget Wine and have Windows either on another partition or on another hard drive. Nowadays, Linux is still my main platform for everything from browsing the internet to attempting to learn game programming (I always get bored and give up) to writing a book (I always get writer's block and give up), but when I want to play Windows games, I will boot Windows 8.

And yes, Steam is a great choice if you cannot have Windows right now. You can play Euro Truck Simulator 2, Mount & Blade: Warband and Crusader Kings II on Linux, which should be enough to keep one busy for months.