Maybe they have a great support network via family. Maybe they don’t understand what life is like without a job and home.

Wow this is clearly a labor of love. Excellent work, and thanks for describing some of your challenges along the way!

OP may have some confusion about what dual-boot means. WinBoat running in the background is the best plausible explanation for this, IMO.

I followed the same path as OP and your friend in the last week. I settled with Niri and Noctalia and am very happy.