In these situations I just keep checking, and making sure every move is a check to avoid stalemate. Mate in 1 or Mate in 49 I don’t care I just want the win.

Your friends who are treated like crap, are they in a company where software is the main product, or in a company where software is a support department (and their actually money earner is some other product/service)?

For personal stuff (mostly development and general browsing) I use PopOS, have been using it for 4 years now with no problems whatsoever.

For work I use macOS because forced.

Will never use a Windows machine again. I tried my wife’s Windows 11 machine, and it fucking SUCKS!!

For gaming I have a Steam Deck which is SteamOS.

Linux all the way!