It's time for the time-worn question. Which Linux should I choose?
I have experience running Ubuntu both as an install and through WSL, and I've been in charge of multiple Linux servers, one RedHat and a few Ubuntu. So I'm not afraid of some fiddling. Though I will say, I'd like it to just work most of the time. That's why I'm here.
Typical use case for my computer is I have a ~40" ancient TV and a ~22" monitor to the side. I often put videos or something on the small monitor and play games on the TV. Most of my games are FitGirl repacks or otherwise from the seas. I know Linux gaming has come a long way, but would this be an issue? Also, I like that I can turn the second monitor on and off easily through the UI with WinKey + P.
Aside from that, anything can do what I want it to. I dabble with some programming here and there, etc.
Thanks in advance for your input. I'm honestly just tired and don't feel like doing all the research myself at the moment.
Debian is great if the things you want to do have been a thoroughly solved problem for a few years already. Debian is a pain if you are trying to get something working which only recently became possible / practical. I love Debian, but I only use it on machines which don't have time for dedicated maintenance beyond
apt update; apt upgrade
.On my desktop I run Gentoo (high maintenance, highly customizable). On my laptop I run Fedora (lower maintenance, but still a LOT more churn than Debian). On everything else, it's Debian (practically no maintenance. Software versions are locked in place for like two years at a time and these 'dist-upgrades' are the only situation where you need to dedicate any time to it).