For what reason are you trying to avoid docker? since most projects provide docker images and an example docker-compose.yml it's very easy to get the application you want running.
Otger projects that do plug and play application setup like yunohost etc. are casaOS and umbrel (both use docker under the hood btw)
It depends on your risk profile. On a private tracker it is much less likely that copyright trolls sit in the leech and log the ip of every peer, which is the main reason to use a vpn on public trackers. But it still increases your anonymity if you torrent over VPN.
And If your isp doesn't allow port forwarding you could become connectable by using a VPN provider that provides that feature
the family computer running ubuntu from 2010 on. I used it mainly for Web browsing and creating presentations for School. I was able to run League of Legends (that was in 2014 i think) through wine but i think it crashed in about 50% of Games during the loading screen :D. Linux gaming has truly come far since then (and now LoL doesn't run on Linux at all because of Riots Rootkit)
.xyz Domains that are just numbers are $1 per year. and netcup has a deal a few times a year that prices .de domains at 1,30€ per year.