Uh, I never used any specific driver for my logitech mice (mx518 and g5) on linux (both arch an ubuntu), and they worked smoothly, with no noticeable difference with windows. The extra buttons worked out of the box too.

And compiz is optional... I don't understand how something you put on top of linux makes linux itself bad to play nexuiz on. It is always possible to switch to another WM temporarily while playing nexuiz (on ubuntu w/ gnome for example, you just run metacity --replace&)

Also, linux != ubuntu. You can't blame it on linux, that pulseaudio is so hard to get rid of. It's just ubuntu.
I use neither pulseaudio nor compiz, and nexuiz works awesomely for me.

Yes indeedly. My 7 button mouse work fine, "except" for this bug (NOTE! This is not the case for all machines). Compiz can easily be switched off. Pulseaudio is not to blame for being badly implemented in certain distros, because its needed, also in the context for awesome stuff to work. Not to mention sound over TCP. :3
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Otherwise on this topic, I use systems built on linux full time, on the other hand, I don't give a shit about games that does not work on "linux". So after the "why's", it comes down to, games and certain hardware, are there alternatives? In either case, for me, like in life, its about RIGHTS to choices and those communitys that make these rights a reality.

Either way, you should backup all your important stuff (you should do that anyway), install a distro which fits your experience with linux, ubuntu for example. Install, see if something does not work. Look for a support community and search around and ask questions if needed. There is always helpful people about, in return as time goes on and your knowledge and experience grows, you help out in a constructive, adequate way, within the degree of your own choice.

could you run nexuiz while running linux off of a DVD?

EDIT: actually that gives me another idea

Yoda almighty wrote:could you run nexuiz while running linux off of a DVD?

EDIT: actually that gives me another idea

Yes

for playing nexuiz is really best linux for better fps in game,for starting is good ubuntu /better xubuntu with XFCE desktop/ and if you are hardcore linux user try debian,arch,suse or BSD systems