@moaner incase anyone else on a newb level has a similar issue for whatever reason here is
what i encountered in my ignorance when trying to get ubuntu touch on a oneplus nord n100...
following tutorials using fastboot in linux, i missed that the 10.5.2 unbrick tool is native to windows
and on establishing that having bricked the phone into qualcomm crash dump mode (using a .img file from the xda forum via fastboot/adb in linux terminal) I found that to power off the phone and get it in edl mode the cable had to be detached to prevent a boot loop.
Powering off the phone in the stock fastboot mode without the usb cable attached enabled edl mode to be recognised in the windows 11 unbrick tool from the stock 10.5.2 msm download tool v4.
if in a boot loop the usb cable needs to be detached and the power off option from the stock fastboot menu needs to be used to power down to then hold the volume up & down keys to get the device into edl mode and flash the stock rom. (oneplus_nord_n100_eu_oxygenos_10.5.2.zip)
(The MSM download tool needs to be run as administrator in windows)
(And as an aside, google play needs to get network access before oem unlocking can be switched on).
Then due to qualcomm driver issues (although they need installing in windows 11), the device won't show in fastboot mode (or didn't for me) so the bootloader unlocking needed to be done in linux and although it said waiting for device, by powering into fastboot mode (hold vol up and power), the bootloader unlock menu appeared which it didnt for some reason in windows.)
Then in ubports i think stalling the install when the orange robot recovery menu appears on the phone by disconnecting the usb cable, then allows for going into the advanced menu options and enabling adb and then reconnecting the usb cable, helps enable a functional installation.
Having gone round in loops several times, this is what got me the successful installation on my 2013 Nord N100.