Reusing a Broken Laptop, Getting Comfortable with Linux, and Building My First Home Workbench

The article describes the author's journey of repurposing a broken Asus laptop instead of discarding it. They faced various hardware and software issues but persisted in finding a new use for the machine, eventually turning it into a headless Ubuntu server and a home workbench.

Details

The article chronicles the author's experience with an Asus laptop they purchased years ago, which started exhibiting various hardware and software issues over time, including random Windows BSODs, browser crashes, screen problems, and instability. Despite trying various troubleshooting methods, the author was unable to find a clean fix for the laptop's problems. Instead of replacing the laptop or getting costly repairs, the author decided to re-imagine its purpose. They purchased a refurbished ThinkPad and switched to Ubuntu Linux, but kept the old Asus laptop as a secondary machine. Eventually, the author decided to turn the Asus laptop into a headless Ubuntu server, a home workbench, a network storage node, and a learning playground. The process of installing Ubuntu Server on the laptop was challenging, with the author facing numerous errors and issues, but they persisted and were able to get the system up and running. The article highlights the author's determination to reuse and repurpose the broken laptop instead of discarding it.