Should I Switch Distros or Just Try Different Desktop Environments?

It sounds like you've got a mix of distro and desktop environment challenges. The number of preinstalled apps is definitely a distro-specific issue; Mint tries to cover a wide range of users, which can lead to bloat. If you want a cleaner start, switching distros could help. Some distros like Arch or Gentoo let you build from the ground up, so you only install what you need.

Regarding the lack of documentation, you’re right, it varies from distro to distro. If you want solid manuals, Arch is known for its thorough documentation. On the other hand, the centralized settings issue relates to the desktop environment; perhaps trying KDE Plasma or GNOME might give you the ease of access you're looking for. Switching distros or DEs is a great idea—everything's customizable in Linux, so experimenting is key!

You should definitely give a few other desktop environments a shot! I tried out a few like KDE, GNOME, and XFCE before landing on CachyOS with KDE, which I really love. Each of these environments has unique features and levels of customization, so it’s worth doing some research and maybe running each in a virtual machine to see what fits best.

Also, yeah, the preinstalled apps are more about Mint than the DE itself. As for Discord, it is known to have problems across different Linux distributions. I found it to be more stable with native installations rather than using Flatpak. Check out other Mint flavors or hit up a different distro entirely if those don’t work for you!

It sounds like you might want to switch to a different distro! Something like Debian could be more minimalist and may fit your needs better. A lot of users have reported that Ubuntu MATE runs smoother than Mint and has better compatibility with apps like Discord. It's very similar to Cinnamon too, which might make the switch easier for you! Try it out and see if it resolves your issues!