ardent_abysm

Assuming you have a Firefox derived browser installed, you could just add an EPUB extension to the browser.

I set up Mint on my parent's PC a couple of years ago, and the amount of support I have had to provide has dropped to basically zero.

Assuming your laptop has hardware that has Linux support—wifi cards manufactured by certain companies are what typically make things difficult—a just works distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop!_OS will have a gentle learning curve for doing things that you want.

Mint is almost purpose made for people new to Linux or for people who just want to use their computer. It also has a large and friendly community around it, so there is community support, if you get stuck or confused on something. My parents, who are no tech people, have been happily using Mint for a couple of years now, with far less headache compared to Windows.

As others have said, the installation of whatever distribution you chose will probably be the most intimidating aspect of switching to Linux. It doesn't require being technically savy, just a willingness to learn and follow the procedures. It will be helpful to have your phone handy when you are doing the installation, so you can look things up incase there is something you don't understand.

If there is anything on the laptop that is important to you, back it up. The simplest way to install Linux will make whatever on the drive inaccessible. Additionally, find and record your Windows product key, just incase you want tk go back to Windows.

Mint is an Ubuntu derivative like Pop, so the package manager is apt. Synaptic is a gui for apt.

If you want to learn and use ansible, go for it, but it might be a bit more than you need. If you are just wanting to install the apps you want, you can just write a quick bash script that installs all the apps you want.

The file structure should be the same in Mint as Pop, so restoring your dot files should be straight forward.

It is a real, and useful feature, while also being a joke.

OpenSuse Leap might be closer to what you are looking for.

Yes, it is definitely possible. How it is achieved largely depends on the desktop environment pr window manager you use.

I use the meta key largely for things related to windows and workspaces. I use the capslock key as the compose key. And, the right alt key for alternative characters. Additionally, there is Ibus for typing a variety of scripts and languages.

Messing around with a Raspberry Pi was what got me over the threshold of learning enough to utilize Linux primarily, and then eventually exclusively.

Obsessed? No. Persistently interested though.

I communicate Linux as an option when the circumstance are appropriate. It is often not worth getting involved in other people's tech decisions. My mother is now a satisfied Mint user, after she asked me if there was more pleasant and private way to use her computer. It has been great for me, because my providing tech support has gone to basically zero.

I use fonts.google.com for discoverablility, but download the fonts from the GitHub repositories.

UI: Inter (if I bother changing the default)

Reading: Source Serif 4, Literata, and Noto Serif

Terminal: Fira Code

Text editor: Fira Code

Document output: EB Garamond, Source Serif 4, and STIX Two Text

Symbols: Noto Sans Symbols, Noto Sans Symbols 2, Symbols Nerd Font

Microsoft fonts largely don't have the character coverage I need or are not better than what is available under open licenses.

Embedding fonts in documents negages the need for others to have matching fonts installed on their computer.

Did you try the audio troubleshooting from the Pop! Documentation?

https://support.system76.com/articles/audio/

Is there any kind of guide for how to configure settings not yet exposed to the gui settings? I have been spending some time in Cosmic after every update. It certainly isn't unusable, but it is kind of a stretch to consider it ready for daily use for an end user. I have a hard time imaging people at System76 daily driving Cosmic since June without manually changing the configuration files.

Is there IBus, or similar, integration on the development road map? This is a feature that keeps me from spending more time in Cosmic so far.

Yes.