GrapheneOS is such a staple for me now. Been waiting for it to be released for the Pixel 8 since I got the phone at launch... it doesn't have the annoying search bar or the unmovable widget telling you the weather... Regardless of the security and privacy it offers... And its just pretty.
If it's any consolation, installing GrapheneOS through the web installer was surprisingly straightforward and easy. I haven't installed Linux since that seems difficult for me, but GrapheneOS was a breeze.
Its insanely easy, the hardest part is putting the phone into fastboot and installing the USB drivers on windows. Then its just click buttons on the WebUI and pressing the buttons you're told to. The whole process takes about 10 mins.
Check out some YouTube videos on it, its the same process for any pixel (its also the same process for CalyxOS if you want microG)
Couldn't break it if you wanted to. But also not worth if if you're not actually about pricavcy and security either. Installing Graphene, then following with the installation of tons of privacy invading apps is simply a waste of time.
You still have the benefit of Google not having unrestricted access to all corners of the device. You can still install google apps and then lock them down to only have access to what is required.