My household primarily runs Arch and Artix for our desktop OS and never have any issues with it, however we have had no end of issues with our home server* and it often ends up being related to systemd.
I am ideally looking for something that can just be left and updated less frequently that can also run docker containers, ideally using OpenRC but can also occasionally run a package on the host system. I’d prefer something GNU as well.
Please don’t reply with any “systemd works fine for me” or “what is your problem with systemd” like most that a search turns up.
Edit*: Probably should have mentioned that its been on CentOS, Ubuntu and then OpenSuse Leap
Switch to a stable Linux distribution like Debian Stable or Ubuntu LTS. The issues you’re facing are much more likely caused by new package defects instead of the init system, or new defects in the init system packages. Switching the init system but keeping rolling will change the where and how defects crop up. Switching to a stable distro will nearly stop new defects from cropping up altogether till a major version upgrade. Which is measured in years. In the case of Ubuntu LTS, 5 years by default and 10 years if you activate the free Ubuntu Pro. That’s the easiest way to stop servers from breaking and having to watch over them.
Yeah, rolling release on a server sounds horrifying. You couldn’t pay me enough to live that nightmare.
There’s a reason “enterprise” server distros exist. Install LTS release once every 2, 4, or 5 years depending on taste, login to update as you remember the machine is even running an OS, and just generally forget the machine exists for several years at a time.
It’s how I do. Unattended security upgrades in tow.