I always use Rocky Linux or Alma Linux, since I have extensive experience with enterprise Linux and RPM packages. I have Fedora on my main desktop computer. Both Rocky Linux and Alma Linux are rock-solid and are ideal for any kind of workload.
Also, Debian is a good choice if you know how to manage DEB packages and you feel comfortable with APT.
Fedora is a good choice if you want fresh packages and are willing to upgrade your server every 6 months (following the Fedora release cycle).
Rocky Linux and Alma Linux follow a similar slow release cycle of RHEL, wherein you can install your server and not have to worry for years (as long as the packages are updated with dnf update) Debian is also a slow release distribution, which makes it good for servers.
I have been using
dnf
for years, both on desktop and servers, and never had a problem with it. I have the opposite idea, it’s getting better withdnf5
, I think it’s a great tool and upgrades not only the regular packages, but the entire distribution during new releases without any problem. I upgraded my notebook from Fedora 38 to 39 and finally to 40 throughdnf
, no complains.