Proton on Linux is annoying to say the least. I've got it mostly working on my distro and without a DE. Have you checked the protovnpvn_reconnector service, assuming you're on systemd? It's kind of odd that it just slows to a crawl but maintains connection.
I'm not really sure, apart from fdroid needing permission to install apps. I don't use fdroid, at least not directly. Most of my apps are installed through obtainium.
In settings - about phone, tap the build number tab at the bottom like 7(?) times. That'll enable the developer section back in settings, and there's a bootloader option there, OEM unlocking.
I definitely second this. From what I've read, graphene's sandboxed google services work a little more seamlessly compared to microg.
Edit: you might want to be careful with secondhand, though, regarding locked bootloaders. An unlocked bootloader is necessary and is NOT the same as "carrier unlocked"
This comment explains the drama and concerns pretty well. In short, the problematic lead stepped down and there isn't really a reason to discredit the dev team as a whole.
As far as auditing goes, the code is available on GitHub. Only slightly joking, following release updates would be a good way to see what's changing at a high level.
I haven't really looked at the details, but there might actually not be much overhead from the protocol itself. It does amount to running an X server beside Wayland though, I believe.
Yeah but that's a masterpiece, let's be real