I have used Arch for >13 years (btw) and use the terminal every single session. I also work with Linux servers daily, so I tried the other families with DEs (Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS/AlmaLinux/Fedora).
I’m comfortable (and prefer) doing everything with CLI tools. For me, it’s a bit difficult to convert my Windows friends, as they all see me as some kind of hackerman.
What’s the landscape like nowadays, in terms of terminal requirements?
Bonus question: Which distribution is the most user-friendly while still updated packages? Does anything provide a similar experience to Arch’s amazing AUR?
I think a lot of people are just scared because the terminal is so much more powerful than the gui. The gui won’t let you delete the system but the terminal is happy to let you. People shouldn’t be so scared but they are and I think the use of phones over PCs will exaggerate the problem.
The terminal lets you delete the system with the same checks as GUIs, i.e. you’d be prompted for a privilege escalation password… If you delete random user files in the terminal then you can do that in a graphical file browser too. Just don’t run random commands without knowing what they do.