Apples vs oranges. A Linux geek used to Deban grabs a N900 and is at home once they add all of the repos, it actually came with a console app installed, even the Linux Zaurus didnt come with that installed.
Grab a supported Android phone or tablet, USB unlock bootloader in fastboot, flash a new recovery firmware like Team Win, then download and sideload the Lineage image. Once you have LineageOS dl and sideload the root enabler addon and the f-Droid .apk for FOSS software repo, dont get the Google play addon or what is the point of this all. Get the .apks you feel needed for closed software from a friend with an insecure google play phone and an apk repacker app or use an apk downloader solution and you have a usable tool, friendly and hackable but still too nanny as say WindowsXP but with better security and a very useful permissions blocker. It still is not Linux as we know it, SSH is not as useful and it seems like every useful feature requires an easter egg level of effort and forum surfing to learn the little trick. That said it is amazingly more secure and more useful than dealing with a google-play standard android device which requires a known root exploit to hack yourself root access.