> cross-compilation in C/C++/Rust seems downright user-hostile: you have to obtain the correct cross-sdk, but it won't tell you which one, or how to get it (some combos don't even exist), or even where to put it.

Since advent of multiarch, crosscompilation does not seem harder than regular compilation. Just install package with gcc for target arch and required libraries for target arch (using the same way as gcc and libraries for host arch).