>>106015232 (OP)i built my linux setup from debian net install and used macos/windows until i had something i could fully switch to. the goal was to have a system that didn't waste disk space or CPU/RAM for things i don't explicitly intend, which had always been a dream of mine when using macos/windows. i also had a vision of a terminal-based desktop experience. i spent countless hours tinkering and learning of course.
my proudest achievement is a bash install script (and backup system) that i run after installing the debian net iso, which is useful for applying different settings on certain hardware or for certain use case.
the payoff for the time investment has has been worth it. i have a setup that can be installed on a huge range of computers with minimal effort. i can control everything through an ssh session. all of my computers run the same setup now.