> 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.
> µCLinux [...] recommends 32 MB for a "serious product"
My point exactly. There's currently a hole between ten-cent MCUs requiring RTOS and 5$+ RPi that can run Linux. Taking out nommu from the kernel would make any 64MB "super-MCU" a non-starter.
You might be surprised how inexpensive a small Linux-capable MPU is. The Rockchip RV1103 (1x Cortex-A7 @ 1.2 GHz, 64 MB integrated DRAM) is under $3 in quantity. High-end microcontrollers are actually more expensive than low-end MPUs, e.g. STM32N6 is $15-20.
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-...