If you're using a Pi I don't see why you'd want to avoid learning Linux. Setting up and connecting to SSH servers is an essential skill for anybody doing anything on Linux that isn't purely desktop use.
While I generally agree that they should, I disagree that they should have to.
SSH and then some sort of VPN for remote terminal access isn't too bad.
It has been a decade or more since I tried setting up VNC, but I never could figure out how to connect to an existing X session. Has that setup gotten better?
OK but it's not ready now, objectively speaking. Don't you think it's a bit of a dick move from your OS to ship a version that breaks VNC and doesn't offer an alternative?