
So… good news :)
France Canada

So… good news :)
MX Linux. Prior to install I disabled bitlocker in windows to be able to resize the part with gparted. Once in windows again I re-enabled it.
The MX installer is very complete, I was able to directly use LUKS to encrypt my linux partition, and I chose btrfs with multiple volumes. Once grub was installed I needed to change my BIOS to boot from linux partition, this is when my first boot in windows asked for the key.
I think the first time I installed linux/grub on a repartionned windows drive, my first boot in windows it asked for the bitlocker key, I have it on a USB drive, it’s like 30 chars/number. Since then dual booting has always worked. Laptop is win10/linux and desktop is win11/linux.

Have you asked for help in the MX respin forum ? https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewforum.php?f=127&sid=e5234896e30626fb7c307fcde586d649
I am using the MX x64 and have luks+btrfs but I guess the installer is different…

In Québec, cyclists always say that driving laws do not apply to them, they never stop at STOP sign or a red lights, are on the road or the sidewalk instead of the cycle lanes, etc.
They are very dangerous as they respect nothing especially in suburbia. In Montreal sometimes they stop!!! because it’s stop or die, mainly.
I am using top for a long time, when I log on a system to check thing, I always type “s 1” to refresh 1 second, “e” to display in mb, “shift e” if top is not in mb, “c” to toggle name/command line, then “W” to save

MSI B850 Gaming Plus Wifi
It looks like it is a qualcom chipset and should be supported but a quick google show some people have problem with it, you have the latest BIOS?

Problem may come from incompatibility between your adapter (driver) and your router, packet size, MTU, windowing, etc. What is your adapter? what kernel version are you using? Try booting on a USB stick containing another distro like MX AHS and do a wifi speed test.
For me in the last years I bought a lot of US wine bourbon/whisky barrel aged, maybe 6 or 7 differents, I find it interesting, but since I boycott them and anyway we cannot buy them in Canada, too bad… I liked them… Instead I buy Baco Noir from Ontario, pretty good wine.

Work in Montréal, live in suburbia, 20 years ago it was a 30 minutes commute, before covid it was 60-80 minutes, worst if snow storm, traffic jam is worst year after year. As a programmer, working from home is perfect, there is no change for me working in the office or at home, especially when I work for companies in BC, USA, Spain, name it.
Commuting does not make sense for some jobs where you are in front of your screen on the phone or Teams 8h a day.
I know someone who during covid found a remote job, and the company now has a 2 days in office mandatory, it takes the guy 2h the morning and 2h the evening to go there, it is insane…
insert xkcd picture about standard

In general, yes… I used Ubuntu years ago but for almost 10 years now it’s MX Linux (Debian based), only problem I had was on my brand new PC the wifi card was new and not well supported by the kernel, but with new kernel/driver it improved and now I have 0 problem.

Well, I cannot write it better than all the comments here… Yes it was good 25 years ago, but selling it to BK, changing coffee beans (they used to be good, years ago they changed it, because of price I guess, and the new one is disgusting. McDo switched to the old TH beans AFAIK this is why the McDo coffee is good), having donuts came frozen and just heating them, capitalism, etc.
In the last 20 years I went to TH less than 10 times.
For me an SBC is really a PCB with components on it à la RPI, I haven’t see a lot of x86 like that except industrial one and they are $$$.
Have you thought of a beelink mini PC? This one is $149… https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-Lake-N150-Upgraded-Computer-Business/dp/B0F3C6R47G
Have you tried MX Linux? It is based on Debian, they have a distro for RPI, and they have no systemd
I am using Linux since the 90s, used Ubuntu a lot at one time, then started using MX linux, 16.1 iirc was my first install. Then I continue to use it, I have always like Xfce (coming from mwm and such), and no systemd, no snap, no flatpak etc. MX is very stable, use the latest package in .deb format. I am using it for almost 10 years now, 24/7, I am using it as my work PC too.
Windows cannot access EXT4 or BTRFS by default. Also in Linux you can use LUKS to have your partition encrypted, and Windows even with a ext4/btrfs driver will not be able to read your data.
Of course Windows, if infected, could wipe your partition table or things like this.
If you are using encryption now, you do not need to wipe the SSD, after a new install the remaining data on the “disk” will still be encrypted, without the key.
Same, only time we used it is when we needed a script that was running in Windows and Linux, easier to maintain one script that 2 in 2 languages
In Canada I am hearing about TGV in the “windsor-quebec corridor” for more than 30 years. While in Europe they have TGV for 44 years…