I start: the most important thing is not the desktop, it’s the package manager.

  • When you’re just trying to get work done: pick a solid, well-tested high-profile distribution like Fedora, Pop!_OS, or Debian (or Ubuntu). Don’t look for the most beautiful, or most up-to-date, or most light-weight (e.g. low CPU usage, RAM, etc.). Don’t distro hop just to see what you’re missing.

    Of course, do those things if you want to mess around, have fun, or learn! But not when you’re trying to get work done.