DontNoodles

Yes, the other answer also suggests this and I think this will do the trick. Thank you for your response.

Phew! I almost believed I was asking for something beyond the scope of linux-fu. English not being my first language may be part of the reason but still I think I covered everything that was relevant.

Yes, that's exactly what I want and your post has given me the clarity I needed. M.2 wifi slots don't support disks so that option is definitely out. I'm going to boot with the latest Ubuntu live OS on a USB and attempt what you've outlined.

I don't have anything really critical on the zfs that is not backed up separately so I'm definitely going to attempt this and learn in the process.

Thank you for taking the time to respond!

The SSD is 256GB while the two HDDs are 4TB each. What kind of zfs config/array do you suggest I create from them?

I get the part that the cloning software does not care for the underlying OS. My worry is the fact that I'll run the cloning software/command from a live USB which will not be able to detect the zfs mirror on my backup drive on its own and thus break the zfs mirror with bad consequences for the existing data. I could not find any commands to make the live USB OS discover and respect the existing zfs configuration.

I'll definitely take this route if the wifi slot will not support the m.2 drive. Thanks for the suggestion.

Why do I need to add my nvme to the zfs pool? That doesn't really make sense.

If the wifi slot does support m.2 drivers (I was just looking for some confirmation/document), it'll solve my problem. Thanks nonetheless.

I would like to avoid buying additional hardware if possible.

Power

Yeah, I'm not wishing for two pointers either. The current setup with Remote Mouse software allows two devices to move the single pointer at the same time but since kdeconnect software allows sharing of files and notifications from phone onto the PC, I'm not sure how connecting two devices will work. Guess I'll figure it out as I set it up.

I came across a reference to kdeconnect while reading related stuff but I really looked it up after your comment. I'm using Debian on my machine and am currently using free version of Remote Mouse which allows very limited actions without posting. Kdeconnect sounds like it could take care of that and more. I just hope it supports two person controlling the same PC.

This will be in complimentary to a physical button IR remote that I'm aiming to implement after this post. Thanks.

I'll have to read up on what you mean using IR remotes to control a Pi through HDMI HEC. The computer I'm using has an DP output that I've used an adapter to feed to my TV HDMI. So I may not be able to use your setup. But it sounds novel and interesting so I would definitely like to learn more. Thanks.

That sounds like a good approach. I'll try and explore this. Thanks.