Could another contributing factor be that Linux is becoming less appropriate for embedded use? In the mid 2000s, I developed an embedded system for my employer

Could another contributing factor be that Linux is becoming less appropriate for embedded use? In the mid 2000s, I developed an embedded system for my employer based on Debian, cut right down and with our software started directly from inittab, set to respawn (we could have replaced init entirely with a bit more work). With stuff like systemd in the mainstream, Linux userspace is increasingly opinionated and desktop-centric. It takes time and effort to strip out stuff you don't want, particularly when it's increasingly enforced and you have to do custom builds. In comparison the BSDs are easy to build with customisations, including the ports I might need. While I no longer do embedded stuff, I do wonder what it's like with the current state of Linux.