The idea of postmarketOS is so awesome. But then I check the compatibility grid again and see that the only devices that have camera support are the PinePhones. I'm surprised that isn't more of a priority. Without a working camera, it really feels like it isn't a mobile device.

It's not that it isn't a priority, it's just quite hard. The Pinephone happens to have an easier camera interface on the hardware level than the other devices.

"What works: You tell me!" is alive and well apparently.

No luck for my semi-bricked wm8850 netbook. It would be an ideal platform (cortex a9, 512MB of RAM) to play/work with a CLI + CWM oriented environment...

Oh wow, that's a wonderfully obscure soc. That's not great for software development though.

Specs wise it would be great for that yes