Comment by voidlogic

Most of your above list would be taken care just by sticking to Ubuntu on Thinkpads using gnome-session-flashback. Its basically a polished version of the same DE I have been using since 2004 and love... rock solid (not of the boot or HW issues you mentioned, etc). I spend like no time ever messing with it and its been that way since 2014, 2016?