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I don't know the current state of the art, but I learned software development on a Chromebook with Linux and I didn't need any special cable. Originally I used Chrouton, but later switched to GalliumOS.

That said, sometimes the computer would get in a weird state that required going into regular Chromebook mode to fix, so I think you'd at least want to have a throwaway Google account for managing it. Doesn't have to be something you actually use.

What I remember being a few clicks away last time I used one (about two years ago), was an Ubuntu container that could be installed with a persistent local filesystem and shell access.

yeah, here are the instructions: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en (I was wrong about it being Ubuntu, it's Debian bullseye)

MFA is not currently enforced when logging into a chromebook.

Oh I misread. I'm of course aware of Crostini, I thought you meant that it would be easy to install Ubuntu for real.