I also wanted a Linux desktop OS that respected my privacy and required my consent to install anything -- including "backdoor channels" to its own snap based software store.
I'm not happy about the Brave browser issue and getting re-directed to its profit making URL's without my consent. Having said that, I recognize "free" software isn't really free and that the developers of the Brave browser should be paid for their efforts. I'd have opted in to the re-direct URL's to help pay them, it should've been my choice to do so. That Brave is issuing a "patch" to enable/disable url re-directs to help fund them I think is the right thing to do and it should be set to OFF by default. Allow the end user to opt in, that's the right thing.
I'm not completely sure the snapd/chromium issue between Mint and Ubuntu is a deal-breaker for me. Still thinking through that. I'm not sure it's going to cause me to migrate my 7 PC's and laptops at home from Ubuntu 20.04 to a different linux flavor. Time will tell. I'm willing to be wrong and be convinced otherwise here.
Are you saying linix is isntallign stuff on us without our knowledge? (I have a cold today and am not thinking clearly- so i might be reading what you are saying wrong)