I'm coming in late here, so forgive me a bit.
There is a line in any Linux system where you cross from what I think of customization and into configuration. Don't get hung up on the terms. What I'm saying is that there are things I can change which will not be effected by updates and things that I can change that will be effected by subsequent updates. This line is sometimes hard to find but many packages and software apps will have warnings about where this line is for them.
I have had more satisfaction and less update breaks with Linux when I made sure to find the line where crossing means I'm in the area of configuration that the creators of the software will be changing in the future. And I learned to live inside those lines as much as possible. And I was happier.
Now, it is also true that sometimes the creators of the software cross the line the other way and mess up my customizations. But I have found these instances to be few.
So, my advice is to find the distro that does most everything you want without you changing anything, and then live with it for a while. Maybe the configurations that are giving you grief are not really things you need to get your work done.
Just some thoughts.
Alan