I have a 2016 MBP sitting in my living room plugged into my projector and audio receiver.

I was thinking about a quick weekend project where I'd turn it into a home cinema Linux box + a basic NAS.

I'm a compulsive yak-shaver/bike shed renovator so before I risk getting stuck tinkering -- what distro/setup do you recommend? Is the process as fiddly as it used to be a decade ago?