When I first started the project I was just looking for a method to store files directly on the blockchain. Not that long into it I realized that a very small linux could be stored and hard coded for different use cases.
Since then my main focus has shifted to developing a base layer smart contract and the only way that I saw to do it was to utilize a small linux whose code could be slightly altered for each implementation.
If the mechanics existed on the blockchain itself (in its core code) none of that would be necessary but sans any smart contract logic being built in I opted for the linux route.
Honestly, the linux is overkill for the task at hand but I really like the idea of having a tamper-proof virtual machine and not having to rely on a patchwork of Layer 2 code (that is not on chain) to achieve something as simple as a smart contract.
Much of it is a very novel idea and I have continued to experiment with different approaches without getting stuck on any one approach being the best.