> Many Adafruit boards come with micropython which could also be seen as a waste of resources. Yet for low volume semi pro applications, the ease of development warrants the overhead.

As a reality check: MicroPython can run in 16 KB of RAM; a typical development board has 192 KB. µCLinux requires at least 4 - 8 MB of RAM just to boot up, and recommends 32 MB for a "serious product" [1].

> Linux has solid network, WiFi, Bluetooth stacks and a rich box of tools that might be very nice to tap into without requiring something as big as an RPi.

I would absolutely not count on any of those tools being available and functional in a µCLinux environment.

[1]: https://www.emcraft.com/imxrt1050-evk-board/what-is-minimal-...