Linux
Linux
This article offers valuable insights on collaboration challenges. System76 often claims to be correct, but their approach of fixing bugs locally rather than sharing them upstream can undermine open-source principles. They operate as a personal project, so users have the freedom to adapt or reject it. It's important to recognize that open-source thrives when contributions are welcomed and improvements are shared.
Express your concerns that it's not ideal (though not against the law) to refrain from supporting upstream updates and to voice complaints on Twitter about others' projects. I'll respond that it's equally unreasonable (though also not illegal) to dismiss feedback and continue building your project according to your own vision. If GNOME developers expect PopOS developers to follow strict rules, then PopOS teams can also act in line with those expectations. GNOME is free to shape its project as they wish and disregard input, but PopOS also has the right to raise issues and not fully align with GNOME developers beyond open-sourcing their patches under GPL terms.
It depends on your comfort with tweaking your computer. Linux requires some time to get familiar with. People used to think it would behave like Windows, but often it doesn't. While there are many capabilities in Linux, learning your preferred workflow will take effort. If you don’t play a lot of games and the tools you use on Windows work on Linux—or if a better option exists—go for it. Linux works well for my daily tasks and matches my system specs.
Because you need something more advanced and a bit harder to set up, options like LFS, Gentoo, and Arch aren't suitable. These alternatives would fit your hardware best. You're looking for cutting-edge features, so I'd suggest Fedora. If you're comfortable with the process, plain Fedora is ideal; Fedora Silverblue works well if you prefer a more straightforward experience. For professional productivity, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) might be worth considering—it's the commercial version based on Fedora and includes all the updates. Think of Fedora as the free Windows Home edition, while RHEL offers Windows Professional with all the extras.