I keep switching between CachyOS and Debian because I like different things about each, but I really want to settle on one dependable system. Bazzite, Mint, Windows, and BlendOS have all caused problems, especially on my handheld, while some other distributions do not support my hardware well. I also dislike Ubuntu's GNOME-style desktop, and I do not want a gaming-focused distribution loaded with subscription apps. Debian feels a little unfinished to me, but constantly reinstalling systems is using a lot of my internet data. What would be a practical choice that works reliably across my handheld and home-theater gaming PC?
3 Answers
Give Fedora KDE Plasma a serious try. It has a polished desktop, good hardware support, and KDE feels closer to a traditional layout than GNOME. It is also current without being quite as experimental as some rolling releases. Install it once, set up snapshots or backups, and commit to troubleshooting it instead of reinstalling whenever something feels off.
You may not actually need one distribution for every device. Keep Debian on the machine where stability matters most and use CachyOS on the gaming system if it performs better there. The important part is choosing a role for each installation and stopping the search for a perfect distro. Hardware details and the exact errors would also help identify whether the problem is the distribution or a particular driver or configuration.
Before changing again, make a checklist of the things you actually need: controller support, sleep and power management, graphics drivers, game compatibility, desktop preference, and update stability. Test those on a spare drive or separate partition, then pick the system that passes most of the list. Fedora KDE or Debian with KDE would be reasonable starting points, but no distribution can guarantee identical support on every device.
That seems more realistic than forcing one setup everywhere. A handheld and a home-theater gaming PC can have very different driver and power-management requirements.