Debian desktop user here, and I would happily switch to RHEL on the desktop.

I fully agree, outdated packages can be very annoying (running a netbook with disabled WIFI sleep mode right now, and no, backported kernel/firmware don’t solve my problem.)

For some years, I used Fedora (and I still love the community and have high respect for it).

Fedora simply does not work for me:

• Updated packages can/did break compatibility for stuff I need to get stuff done. Fine if Linux is your hobby, not acceptable if you need to deliver something
• In the industry, many times not the last recent packages of development environments are used (if you are lucky, you are only a few months or years behind), so having the most recent packages in Fedora helps me exactly zero
• With Debians 2 years release cycle (and more years of support), I can upgrade to the next version when it is appropriate for me (= 1-2 days when there is a slow week and the worst bugs have been found already)
• My setup/desktop is heavily customized and fully automated via IaC, no motivation to tweak this stuff constantly (rolling) or every 6-12 months (Fedora)
• From time to time I have to use software packages from 3rd parties, with Fedora, I might be one update way from breaking this software packages because of version incompatibilities (yes, I might pin a version of something to use a 3rd party software, but this might break Fedora updates (direct and transitive dependencies)
• I once had a cheap netbook for travel with an infamous chip set bug concerning sleep modes, which would be triggered by some kernels. You can imagine how it is to run Fedora, when you get often Kernel updates and the bug will be triggered or not after double digit numbers of minutes of work.

Of course, I could now start playing around with containerizing everything I need for work somehow and run something like Silverblue, perhaps I might do it someday, but then I would again need to update my IaC every 6-12months, would have to take care of overlays AND containers etc…

When people go ‘rolling’ or ‘Fedora’, they simply choose a different set of problems. I am happy we have choice and I can choose the trouble I have to life with.

On a more positive note: This also shows how far Linux has come along, I always play around with the latest/BETA Fedora Gnome/KDE images in a VM, and seriously don’t feel I am missing anything in Debian stable.