I guess the thing is "Ubuntu is the friendly distro" but then also "Mint is the friendly distro?" Way back in like 2009 (okay, turns out it's been a little while) Mint was super comfy and Ubuntu already felt like it was in my way without actually being any easier.
I have used Linux since 1993 (Slackware, Suse and Debian) and Ubuntu since 2006. I consider switching back to Debian because I hate snap and other containers for Of-the-Line Software and while I can uninstall snap and install a De-Snapped Firefox directly from Mozilla I hate doing this Extra-Work.
Dudes, even the "newer faster" Firefox-Snap is still taking three times as long to start and uses twice as much memory and on my work computer, a Core2 Q9550 with 8GByte of memory, this is VERY noticable. Yes, the system is old but for work more than enough. My i7 is only for games and I don't mix work and fun.
Oh, and then there is that old neighbour who is using a Pentium4 3Ghz 3GByte RAM, which is 32Bit only. He is like 80 years old and doesn't want to buy a new computer and his old rig does everything he wants. Ubuntu simply doesn't support it anymore. Supporting old computers is something Linux does outstanding (Windows 11 dropping two year old systems is fucking sick)
DragoraGNU/Linux-Libre, an independent GNU/Linux distribution based on concepts of simplicity.
Dyne:bolic a GNU/Linux distribution with special emphasis on audio and video editing. This is a “static” distro, normally run from a live CD. Since it will not receive security updates, it should be used offline.
guix Guix System, an advanced GNU/Linux distro built on top of GNU Guix (pronounced “geeks”), a purely functional package manager for the GNU system.
Hyperbola Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre, a long-term support simplicity-focused distribution based on Arch GNU/Linux.
Parabola GNU/Linux-libre, a distribution based on Arch that prioritizes simple package and system management.
PureOS, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian with a focus on privacy, security, and convenience.
Trisquel, a GNU/Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that's oriented toward small enterprises, domestic users and educational centers.
Ututo, a GNU/Linux 100% free distribution. It was the first fully free GNU/Linux system recognized by the GNU Project.