Getting well off-topic now but, you don’t have to use Arduino like that, you can use Atmel Studio instead of the Arduino IDE and write to the registers directly instead of using libraries.
Yup. Agree there, and is what I do (but not Atmel Studio, since that’s not on Linux). Arduino “IDE” also secretly adds in a few things for your convenience, but inconsistently.
Was referring more towards the way that the Arduino project aim their products, and the intended audience (relative beginners, and simple tasks).
I would say that for someone that’s never coded before, then the Arduino way is going to be better than the raw AtmelAVR way, even though you can do both in the same program. But then I started out programming Z80 aged 14, after learning Link380z basic aged 13, so the hard way is not impossible.