Use Tailscale vpn if you want access from outside your home network. It’s super easy to set up, all you do is install Tailscale on the server and client, and login.

I’m talking about the LCD/monitor. Maybe @penguin_knight keeps the LCD and mounts it to the board as well. If not, it’s headless. Mouse and keyboard are not the issue. I always set up raspberry pi headless because the OS allows it. All you have to do is add an ssh file to the /boot dir and wpa_supplicant.conf file in root dir. Other distros typically don’t, they need a monitor to be installed.

Conclusion: I now have a laptop and a RPI running 24/7 🤦‍♂️

Sounds like a win to me. lol

Do you do a headless install like Ubuntu Server Preseed?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Cobbler/Preseed

Or do you install linux on an SSD from a different machine, then plug it into MDF mounted laptop mobo?