Linux

Beginning: Ubuntu.
Until today: Arch

Why? I found in Arch updated software that I was interested at that time, I liked the rolling distro, minimalism, AUR.

I'm happy with my TWM (DWM) and multiplexer (tmux).

I did install other distros in old hardware like Slitaz, Debían that needs 32 bit.

I'm interested right now in things like Alpine and Void, because small and functional in Termux or older hardware. And some distrobox (similar to proot-distro in Termux).

Now learning a little bit of Groff with markdown (pandoc) to create PDF, for a small and fast typesetting. I haven't found a way to convert markdown to pdf using MOM macros in Groff.

OpenSuse (back then the "normal" one, then Leap and now the rolling release Tumbleweed). It just works really well and keeps on trucking. Updated my old machine for ten years through all the openSuse releases without reinstalling. The repositories are very well kept in order and the build service easily provides anything I might find lacking.

Also, I quite like using Yast for system administration. There are many areas that I rarely touch and having a GUI available is super helpful.

arch with gnome. arch because pacman and AUR, gnome because I messed around with tiling window managers for an unnecessarily long time but I don't have infinite time to customize and personalize every aspect of my computer and map every action to a keyboard shortcut and memorize them :) I need to det stuff done. I sort of forced myself into using the least amount of customization. that's why not KDE.

I don't know if I'm a "hopper", because I haven't used that many. But I started with Slackware in the late 90s. I put Red Hat on a friend's computer (and was promptly unable to help with it) somewhere around 2001.

Around 2010 or so I switched my desktop and laptop from Slackware to Kubuntu. I was just tired of dealing with package dependencies. Maybe 6 or 8 years ago I switched my server from Slackware to Debian for similar reasons.

Right now my plan is to switch my desktop and laptop to Debian. I haven't yet because I want to reconfigure some disks on the server (need more space on /var and less on /home), then move a service that's currently running on my desktop to the server (Home Assistant), then install Debian on to my new nvme drive on the desktop and go from there. There's a whole upgrade path, basically. It has been a slow process because I have to do the space reconfiguration on the server itself - I can't log in remotely and do it - and the server is located in the basement, without a monitor or usable keyboard hooked to it... but there's also no deadline either, so no need to rush on it.

Pop!_OS. I previously got stuck on tiling window managers, but I found that they have prohibitively large amounts of setup involved. It's also not uncommon for support applications to be poorly maintained or to have a poor UX. Pop!_OS's desktop gathers everything together very nicely into a working shell with minimal setup, but still has that sweet, sweet tiling WM.

Mandrake > Ubuntu > Debian > Mint > Arch > Artix

Settled on Artix for openrc and all the aur goodness

OpenSUSE Tumbleweed on my desktop and laptop. On my desktop mainly due to newest drivers. I had bought a very new AMD GPU at the time and Tumbleweed was one of the first distros to support it. Switched my laptop to it because of familiarity.
I started my IT career on Debian servers and so my private servers are on Debian too. They were on OpenSUSE Leap for a while but I switched when the future of Leap became a bit uncertain.

Arch Linux (Endeavour OS if you are scared of the terminal) for personal use. It's almost all the software you want one click away, plus the best documentation ever.

Debian on my company's computer because Debian.

Ubuntu > Fedora > Ubuntu > Arch > Ubuntu

Fedora Secureblue Kinoite (based on ublue, based on Fedora)

Before:

• Linux Mint (crashed randomly)
• Manjaro (was awesome, convinced me of KDE)
• MX Linux (why the hell is this so recommended??)
• Kubuntu (broke)
• KDE Neon (broke)
• Fedora KDE (broke)

Crux. Simplest package building system out there, and the core is just out of the way completely, giving you the keys to setup your system just the way you want it.

Ubuntu -> Fedora -> Debian stable (and lots of flatpaks) for my desktop. Ubuntu has only gotten worse with age, and I got tired of being on the leading edge and just want stuff to work (and I use ZFS so I don't want rapidly upgrading kernels). For my home server Ubuntu -> Centos -> Almalinux

Windows -> Mint -> PopOS -> EndeavorOS

I tried Mint for a few days, enjoyed it but wanted something a bit more gaming focused. Tried Pop, had issues getting it set up, got it set up and didn't like it. Moved to Endeavor, and after a brief learning period, its been everything I wanted in an OS.

I fucking love EndeavorOS

I used Void Linux for a while, but now I am staying on NixOS. It's got great features that I'll probably miss on other distros.

I am running Debian / KDE with a lot of KDE adjustments/configuration. Debian to ditch snaps, KDE because I can 'adjust' it to my liking.

Debian for most of my machines, rock solid and works. I've had 0 problems with Debian on any computer its downloaded on. And I personally don't need very up to date packages.

On my main computer (currently Windows due to hardware compatibility issues on Linux), I've flip flopped between Pop and Fedora depending on how much I need 3D graphics applications.

Proxmox; you continue distrohopping but with less issues

Debian Woody > Red Hat 7.0 > Slackware 9.0 > Slackware 10 > Debian > Ubuntu > Mac OS > Ubuntu > Arch.

At least for desktops and laptops.

For servers I'm still primarily running Debian (and one instance I'm running Arch).

The reason why I settled on Arch is primarily because the combination of bleeding edge and being stable enough for daily driving it. The AUR also adds sooo much, that there is nothing I really don't need to manually install anymore.

For servers, I basically want a rock stable system. Hence why I've chosen Debian Stable.

Fedora Silverblue. Solid like Debian but doesn't break and require reinstall when I tinker around.

Ubuntu > Sabayon > mint > Arch > Mandriva > CentOS > Debian testing & Arch ( just the best ones )

Windows -> MacOS -> Manjaro -> Arch

I'm in love with arch so I won't be switching anytime soon.

Kubuntu on some machines, KDE Neon on others. Ubuntu Server on my home servers.

Never really distro hopped. Went from DOSLinux to Slackware and stayed put as my main. Having multiple machines, some multi booters, meant I had/tried a bunch of others. Vector Linux, Xubuntu, Debian Wheezy, several Arch-based (up to Garuda), various BSDs, and two unices (OpenSolaris/OpenIndiana, IRIX). Got an old ancient ToughBook (Pentiun II, 192MB RAM) with Arch before systemd collecting dust.

[ Those machines had multiple Windows versions also from Win2k to Win7 including XP x64 Edition ] Dem were da days. 🥰

Currently, Main laptop: Slackware. 2nd laptop: MX Linux, Void Linux, OpenBSD. Mini PC: Slint (Slackware-based).

Well, for the mini PC I did distro hop. Went through a lot trying to find the right one. Most were Arch-based (but not Arch itself) and they would indeed break at the worst time. Nature of bleeding edge rolling release I guess. Mostly I was looking for something non-systemd. Eventually settled on Slint.

Windows, then Ubuntu when I started Computer Science, then Linux Mint, and I've been hopping back and forth between both but mostly Mint, then for a while also KDE Neon, then I decided to leave my comfort zone and tried Fedora, and never looked back.