

I have found that: it’s easier if you stick to one (major) distro such as Debian or its derivatives, and try to stick to that distro’s package system (in this case, apt). Yes there is a learning curve. But once you learn it, you find that Linux gets easier to use. But more importantly, it gets more POWERFUL to use. I agree with your assessment that Linux is not beginner friendly but it is USER friendly in that it empowers the user. But yes you do have to put in a little work first.
Well, what are you then?