Whether you opt for bare metal servers or virtual machines, you'll need a rock-solid distro. These are my four go-to favorites.

Don't be distracted by shiny objects.

Neither point-and-click simple like Mint nor grueling like Gentoo, NuTyx delivers the sweet spot for anyone who wants a better understanding of Linux systems.

If Ubuntu is your only Linux experience, you might be repeating the same pattern you tried to leave behind.