I've been running Linux for most of the last 25 years, too. But I've mostly learned how to keep things simple. I buy high-DPI Dell Precision laptops. They're

I've been running Linux for most of the last 25 years, too. But I've mostly learned how to keep things simple. I buy high-DPI Dell Precision laptops. They're pricey, and the build-quality is meh, but they come preloaded with Linux. Everything works. I leave all but a few settings on factory defaults, and I never run anything but a "Long Term Support" release of the OS. In case of hardware issues, I buy an on-site service plan. I won't claim that it's perfect. But I spend less than 20 hours a year "keeping it working." Which is less than some of my MacOS coworkers spend fighting with Docker and other Unix tools on the Mac, so it's a wash. It's not like getting the Python development ecosystem to work on an M1 Mac is all sweetness and joy. One secret to my success is that I try very hard not to customize anything. To paraphrase Yoda, once you start down that path, forever will it dominate your destiny. I do not recommend Linux for casual users. But for developers who deploy on Linux, it can be a very reasonable choice.