> * For software reliability and sustainability, what Linux distros are supported, do they upstream all changes, do they rely on closed drivers or blobs, etc.?
This has been the only reason to buy only RaspberryPis (when I could actually get them).
Sure, buy some <other-fruit>Pi, two years go by, the latest available linux version is 1.5 years old now, no new software support, no new kernels, no nothing. Sometimes it's even impossible to download the image in the first place.
> two years go by, the latest available linux version is 1.5 years old now
You still get support 6 months after release? Last time I bought an <other-fruit>Pi it came with a kernel that was already 2 years out of date on the day it was built (including binary blob proprietary drivers which only worked with that version), and that was it...
I think Pine64 is another one to look at for software support. It's not immediate as they don't design the chips, but they do work on mainline Linux support for their products. The PinePhone Pro and Pinebook Pro both using the RK3399 SoC is pretty well supported by mainline now, so you can run mainline Linux the not-Raspberry Pi boards with RK3399s (Orange Pi 4, Rock Pi 4). Armbian probably the one to provide updated installs.
Pine64's newer QuartzPro64 board uses an RK3588, so I hope to see good mainline support there too as the Orange Pi 5 and Rock 5 (no longer a Pi) use the same SoC.
> Sure, buy some <other-fruit>Pi, two years go by, the latest available linux version is 1.5 years old now, no new software support, no new kernels, no nothing. Sometimes it's even impossible to download the image in the first place.
You searched in the wrong place. Board vendors give us something to play with,but they're not a community and we should never rely on their distros as they'll stop any development or support when a new model appears, which isn't a problem at all. Distros with recent, very often mainline, kernels do exist also for boards not produced anymore, just look at Armbian and DietPI.
Armbian Debian for the Odroid C2 (out of production) with a kernel that is newer than the one running on the laptop I'm writing this post with.
I can understand a RasPI user saying "but I can download the OS image on the RasPI site!". That's true, and I concur it's very handy especially for newbies who find a common place in which they can do everything, but that's more an anomaly than the norm. Would we go for example to Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, etc. websites to download a Linux distribution for our shiny new laptop? Nope, we rather head to Debian, Arch, SuSE, Manjaro, Alpine, etc. sites. That's exactly what we should do with embedded boards. The problem isn't that other boards than the Raspberry PI do not have updated software, but rather that those who provide it aren't popular as they deserve.
This has been the only reason to buy only RaspberryPis (when I could actually get them).
Sure, buy some <other-fruit>Pi, two years go by, the latest available linux version is 1.5 years old now, no new software support, no new kernels, no nothing. Sometimes it's even impossible to download the image in the first place.