There was a time where I liked configuring and compiling things. I wrote my own scripts and pkgbuilds for arch. I’ve broken and fixed my system more times than I can count. I don’t mind it, but god I’m lazy. So I run POP now cause shit works and I don’t really have to mess with it.
Same for me, sort of. Started with Ubuntu in 2007 (I still feel nostalgic about the login drum “bu-du-bup” sound), then arch for a couple of years, all the tiling wms, endless polishing of dotfiles. I mainly used the computer to modify how I used the computer. Then I found things I liked doing, like typesetting with TeX, and after that I just wanted a system that let me do that without spending time on the system itself. Since then I’ve used Debian.
I’m in this camp. Been messing with linux since 2004. Ubuntu 5.10 i think it was, Fedora core 4, slackware, crunchbang, arch…almost 2 decades later i’m on Pop OS. shit just works it’s out of my way. i can customize it to look how i want, set it and forget it. nvidia works great etc. i use the terminal a lot though. mainly for bash scripts and ssh server stuff, directory navigation and management etc. I use a lot of third party TỤI apps too. I like the option of having a stable easy to use GUI for mundane lazy periods and the ability to do whatever i need in terminal. Plus pop os with tiling and floating window manager toggle is awesome.