I got a start in upgrading 7 donated laptops. 4 are done. GNU/Linux Mint with Xfce desktop installed in about 30 minutes per computer. Another 10-15 minutes to run updates. Specs: 4 to 8GB of memory, hard drives (rather than SSDs). Instead of being recycled they are ready for continued use. Totally usable for day-to-day general use. Anyone can do this kind of direct action, community mutual aid that conserves energy and resources.
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Discussion
@dennyhenke I did this to a 2015-era Toshiba Chromebook which stopped getting ChromeOS updates from Google. Totally usable, and looks better after covering up the “Chrome” logo with a sticker.
@mdavis Love it! Nice sticker, and agreed, much better!
@dennyhenke great initiative, congratulations! Linux Mint is indeed fantastic, and a breeze to get it up and running.
@dennyhenke I did three ones since last spring ! Neighbour's and daughter's outdated Windows 10 computer, and friend's sluggish computer.
My friend thanked me later!
@niavy Fantastic! Yep, it's the neighborly thing to do!
@dennyhenke And I bet they're all running much quicker and are more stable/less buggy than when they had Winblows on them, eh?
@dennyhenke @duncan_bayne is also running a similar Linux desktop installfest. Great to see.
@dennyhenke I love your "let me manipulate 14 laptops at once without standing up" desk !
@dennyhenke
Can you point to any step-by-step guides for total techno-numpties like me?
Can you point to any step-by-step guides for total techno-numpties like me?
This is important stuff.
@shojiwax Start with the Linux Mint Guide below. You'll need a USB stick. Basic steps:
- Back-up your files to an external drive.
- Choose and download the edition of Mint (Cinnamon if you have 8+ gigs of ram and an ssd, Xfce if you have less).
- Burn the downloaded ISO image to USB stick, following instructions provided on linked page below.
- Boot from the stick. You'll be running Linux Mint after the boot. If it works as expected double click the install icon.
https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
@dennyhenke yep, a friend last year helped me install Mint on my 2012 MacBook Pro, which I hadn’t used in five or six years. It’s again my primary device.
@GPJohnston Fantastic. Honestly, it feels a bit like magic. There's a real freedom that come with knowing that I don't ever have to waste money on a new computer again. I'd guess there are many millions of computers that need not go into the recycling process for years. For those of us that are concerned with the #climate, this is an action anyone can take.
Most Americans I know pretend they are helpless to enact change on a personal level. That's not true.
@dennyhenke Yup, and if you're into accessibility, look up Orca for the desktop and TDSR for commandline: https://github.com/tspivey/tdsr
@dennyhenke What should we do with them? Where should we put so many? And why Linux?
@Violla GNU/Linux will run very well on older hardware that is no longer supported by Apple or Microsoft. My daily computer (typing on it now) is a 2012 Mac running a current version of Trisquel Linux. It runs very well with apps I use daily to do desktop publishing and graphic design work for clients. Apple stopped issuing security updates for this computer years ago.
With GNU/Linux older computers have many years of useful life. They can be upgraded and given away which is what we're doing.
@dennyhenke Can Linux be installed on more modern computers?
@Violla Yep. There are issues installing on the newest M chip Macs. There is early support for some of them but I'm not sure what the current status is. I know some manufacturers are supporting GNU/Linux at purchase, several even specialize in computers with GNU/Linux preinstalled.
That said, I'm still new to it all so there may be issues I'm unaware of in terms of the latest, cutting edge hardware. Thus far most of my attention has been on upcycling older hardware.
@dennyhenke And I understand that it is possible to give weak computers a second life without slowing them down?
@Violla Yep. It will likely run faster than Windows or MacOS did.
@dennyhenke This is great stuff! Thanks for doing this.
@dennyhenke You deserve all the praise and gratitude the Fediverse can shower upon you
BUT MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY WHERE CAN I GET THE AWESOME ROUND DESK
@dennyhenke
And look at how HAPPY they are.
Get yourself a rescue today.
Add a new forever laptop to your family.
@kevinrns ❤️ My thoughts exactly!!
@dennyhenke you might still want to replace the HDDs with cheap (but reputable brand) 2.5" SSDs. They come rather cheap and it's the single most noticeable upgrade you can perform on any computer. The difference should be starkly noticeable in everything from boot to running programs, updates and so on.
@Regentkoerper Unfortunately we have zero budget for that. Not even a dollar. No doubt that would improve performance but it's not possible.
We're in the first few months of the project, perhaps at some point in the future we'll have a budget for such improvements along with more volunteers. Currently it's just me and I'm also offering assistance with installs and planning various intro classes on using GNU/Linux and various free software applications.
@dennyhenke I commend you for getting this whole project started in the first place - I love seeing people actively prevent working hardware from turning into e-waste. Thank you for your service!
If I may add: You could try and improve setup speed for your machines by running something like FOG Project on any old machine. Capturing a "golden image" of an already setup machine and restoring it to subsequent computers through PXE Boot. Or use a clonezilla live USB and a hard drive for this. :)
@Regentkoerper
Thanks! There are so many still usable computers being decommissioned before their time! Such a waste!
Thanks! There are so many still usable computers being decommissioned before their time! Such a waste!
I'll look into your suggestions. Thanks.
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