The problem with RHEL is that the free version exists at the sufferance of IBM, a company not well known for being motivated by keeping tech enthusiasts happy.

The problem with RHEL is that the free version exists at the sufferance of IBM, a company not well known for being motivated by keeping tech enthusiasts happy. I would use Debian, personally. Not as long of a support cycle as RHEL, but still quite stable and no possibility of corporate rug-pulls.