What I'm loving about this poll is everyone is positive and has an opinion (NixOS is getting a lot of shadow votes). "I'm using <x> but YMMV" and "I like <x> but <z> might be interesting" are surprisingly common responses. Every suggestion is appreciated.

Hm. This process is substantially more frustrating than when I last installed or updated an OS. Issues have been: a) corrupt boot image, b) you have to install from the network oh and by the way your wireless network drivers are NONFREE so have fun finding some for your 10-year-old laptop, c) unless you have been installing this OS since 1987, you will not be able to understand this installation guide - consult your VAX admin for assistance.

Maybe the problem is I'm still trying to use unetbootin to create a bootable USB stick from a Windows box. The alternatives do not fill me with faith :/

I apparently have Software QA Syndrome - any action I take results in baffling edge-case failures with no diagnostics. Opening doors, breathing, sitting quietly in a chair - in 5 seconds everything will be on fire.

I am beginning to suspect this microSD card in the cheap USB adapter. No reason, really. Fresh out of the package SD card of reputable brand and not the cheapest of the line, known good USB adapter. Maybe I've just Quick Format'ted it enough times to burn it out. I wouldn't expect a dozen runs of unetbootin to do that, but I also expected I'd be able to install _something_ by now. Debian and OpenBSD have been total failures, falling back to Linux Mint (what I started with). Nothing is installing; tried YUMI, tried unetbootin. Nothing works.

@arclight BalenaEtcher is bloatware but it’s bloatware that seemed to work for me 🤷‍♂️