Checking out how to build an OS from scratch is also handy. It can be an interesting low risk way to explore building Gentoo, Arch, or Linux From Scratch.

The main appeal IMO, is that you have microcontroller like input, output, and serial communications already setup in the kernel with access in user space. As long as the kernel is supported by the Rπ foundation, (it is proprietary undocumented hardware that only they can support), you are getting the security updates required to keep the thing online automatically and safely. The best stuff to build is unique stuff for you that uses these aspects. Like make a little bathroom clock with a little TFT LCD display that tells you the local weather. Then set up some RSS feeds for local community stuff you do not want on your main mobile device, like maybe local political activity, library and community center events, concerts, clubs, etc.

For server stuff, I would stick with devices with purpose built hardware. Like, a micro SD card is slow and unreliable, and the lack of nvme is bad. In most cases it is cheaper to use other old devices that already have screens unless you want to share a hardware design that is repeatable, you need something secure to keep online, or you need serial or input/output. Those are the main benefits.

The thing is, the Rπ is what it is. It is the path of least resistance. The software support is approachable and great. The price is cheap. However, the non profit thing is a scam. The Rπ foundation is basically an arm of Broadcom. The Rπ is a chip from a set top TV box with 3/4 of the die unused. Broadcom uses excess fab capacity to make the Rπ chips and sell them at materials cost. This is not charity. It is controlling the grass roots market to make competitive scaling business ventures difficult. This is why Rockchip is not crushing them already. The Rockchip RK3588 chip is fully documented and open source. In this space, there is little to no innovation, it is only about price on ancient trailing fab nodes. This is the ladder to climb that leads to Intel, AMD, Samsung, and Qualcomm. The Rπ is the guy kicking anyone that tries to climb. So… use it for what it is good for, but in most cases, other hardware is better, and there is nothing wrong with saying so, or moving past the Rπ. I’m lying next to a RK3566 machine right now, sorting out issues with the ARM version of Fedora Workstation, looking at how to build the native WiFi module for it from source, and maybe try debugging an issue in that module’s code that is causing a memory race condition. Although that last one is past my typical pay grade. - So I’m not all fluff here.

That is just my $0.02.

As an abstract concept, Linux From Scratch is like ultimate god mode. That walks you through everything in extraordinarily overwhelming fashion to build a operating system from scratch.

Gentoo is like LFS on easy mode with a package manager to help you stay on top of a working system. It is still like maybe demigod mode. The main thing with Gentoo is that you have access to compiling everything from source, so you can integrate any changes you would like to make to packages within the package manager.

If you understand a UNIX operating system on a LFS/Gentoo level, Arch is like both of these, but with binary packages.

Debian is primarily for a more complete base system with stability where they make long term support kernels. Debian is primarily for creating custom tools on servers and for reverse engineering hardware. Most hardware drivers come from Debian.

Red Hat is the goto for commercial server stuff. Many Kernel maintainers and developers work for Red Hat. Fedora is up stream of Red Hat and has most of the tools from Red Hat. The book The Linux Bible is the goto book for learning IT and networking and is written around Fedora/Red Hat.

So the reason for the bla bla bla is because understanding the purposes of each of the distros will guide you to essential documentation. This is the key to intermediate level Linux; when you understand where to look for information across all distros.

• LFS will walk you through any components in tutorial detail if you can find the entry point and ground your understanding.
• Gentoo is likely to have similar tutorial guides and information that has easier entry points.
• Arch is like the giant warehouse of components. Arch has the wiki which is the principal documentation on the components themselves. What Arch is not, is tutorial. The wiki is an encyclopedia. Use it as such.
• Debian has the bootstrapping stuff and documentation to port onto new hardware or explore.
• Red Hat/Fedora have the information and tools for the kernel and networking. If you want to mess with something like the CPU scheduler or configuring numa architectures, these are the places to look for documentation.

These are general loose guidelines. For your monitor resolution issue, I would start with Gentoo and Arch. I had a similar issue when I tried Arch back around 8-9 years ago, but I do not recall the details and it has probably changed considerably since the X11 to Wayland transition.