I think that instead of meaningless, it gives stability and control which one can lack elsewhere. Trust and local control, with those more things, but based on an explicit decision, not a less-secure default to start with. But to each his own, based on priorities, of course.
Tons of tools fail to compile? My experience about lacking features feels different from what you describe. There are over 10k precompiled packages available, meeting my needs nicely. For example, I use rustc and cargo on obsd without trouble, just a simple install, though I think rustup is absent. I wonder if the rust project is still planning to integrate rustup into cargo sometime though, and how that is going.
Only OpenBSD has a track record anything like going since ~1996 with only 2 remotely exploitable security bugs in the default installation. And ongoing, it has far fewer (no?) privilege escalation bugs, etc., which gives some comfort as one installs packages beyond the default installation.
So one can weigh security, clean organization & good documentation, vs. some convenience if needed features are missing (bluetooth is available sometimes via USB, I think I read in a mailing list, but no NFS, and some other things).
Fwiw, another accredited online educational program, with interaction with others, is
BYU Pathway Worldwide and associated programs. It requires a Church affiliation but not necessarily membership (I think). Tuition is much lower, vastly lower to students in poorer countries; it has accredited bachelors programs (through BYU-Idaho, but all online; like IT, business, others), and is also suitable for those who need to first become qualified for a university (like learning English, which is used in curriculum, and other basic skills), and then provides that university (and then tuition is again lower still, last I checked). I believe it also provides mentor-like contacts who encourage students to not give up. I think it is not self-paced, but has semesters.
In my church/beliefs, if one prepares, receives the proper ordinances from the proper authority (given by God), and is faithful, then family ties will last beyond the grave -- in other words, you will see them and other loved family members again, and be able to be with them eternally (only by choice; never by force).
There is a scripture: "Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die,....And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;....", or in Italian: "Vivete insieme con amore, tanto da piangere per la perdita di coloro che muoiono....E avverrà che coloro che muoiono in me non sentiranno la morte, poiché essa sarà loro dolce;...."
There is also hope for those who died without a chance to receive the ordinances (though they always will always individually make the choices, with their own identity, whether in this life or the next).
And thanks for your suggestion: we will be visiting my dear parents soon.
(edit--lengthened the quote above slightly; improved other wording)
A capable family member (in-law) of mine got a Master's degree from WGU, resulting in a salary increase.
For someone who lacks the needed English skills, is not in USA/Canada (and thus benefits from much lower cost, varying widely by country), there is also BYU Pathway Worldwide, which also provides high-quality, online university education (from start to Master's). It helps with, for example, learning English and/or study skills in an inexpensive intro program, and has a system for support/encouragement to help students along. More info in wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BYU_Pathway_Worldwide or of course their web site https://www.byupathway.org/ .
More things convince me that trust is earned by behavior over time, not by anything else, including promises, words, appearances, group membership, etc. (Forgiveness is required; trust is earned.)
And trustworthiness matters very much. To choose whom to trust, it seems one needs to have and look for core principles, starting perhaps with honesty, kindness, etc.
Agreed. Another way to put it: 1) Honesty. 2) Treating others the way oneself would want to be treated (the Golden Rule)--from this one can derive testing, the right amount of documenation, observing, communicating, working well with others, so much.
And 3) the ability to think something through patiently, thinking of what should happen, and what could go wrong, and being willing to develop the skills to make a ~"plan" (i.e., a program) that will do it properly.
Tons of tools fail to compile? My experience about lacking features feels different from what you describe. There are over 10k precompiled packages available, meeting my needs nicely. For example, I use rustc and cargo on obsd without trouble, just a simple install, though I think rustup is absent. I wonder if the rust project is still planning to integrate rustup into cargo sometime though, and how that is going.