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After some time I’ve found a way to upcycle Chromebooks to run the latest version of Ubuntu and boot to an external USB drive while maintaining the ChromeOS. The WiFi chips in these models also can create their own wifi networks so they can be short range routers.
What does this actually mean? Instead of requiring new hardware like a raspberry pi, we can take old Chromebooks that schools get rid of in the thousands and actually reuse them to create portable micro servers. Pack them full of offline books, maps, wikis, etc.
There is a major upside compared to using an old Chromebook over a raspberry pi, mainly that it's actually cheaper and can be free depending on how you source your chromebooks. I got 10 at $30 each which is cheaper than a pi or a pi alternative.

The battery life is also insane. I used it for close to 12 hours and it didn't even hit 50% battery loss. They also take very little time to charge so I'm interested to see how much power they might take up while attached to the off grid solar array.

So the plan is to make the docs and work some more on making these into portable offgrid information stations and packing them with info. anarchosolarpunk.substack.com/…
#solarpunk #permacomputing

Image of a chromebook running the latest version of ubuntu

Off Grid Internet Use Cases

Expanding the uses of an autonomous network, and offering some ideas on the ways that autonomous and community controlled networking can lead to change.
Anarcho Solarpunk
#solarpunk #permacomputing

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in reply to HydroponicTrash

silverwizard
silverwizard
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@HydroponicTrash Upcycled and recycled computers are so good! I've been digital racooning for three years now - and realizing that there's no way to need new hardware has been a depressing as hell experience - so much tech just... gone
@HydroponicTrash

CarolineCherry reshared this.

in reply to silverwizard

HydroponicTrash
HydroponicTrash
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@silverwizard Yeah it's insane just how much is already out there and is either sitting in a warehouse being unused or sitting in a landfill. Gotta take things out of that cycle one step at a time!
@silverwizard
in reply to HydroponicTrash

CarolineCherry
CarolineCherry
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@silverwizard This is so encouraging . I’ve been recycling old mobiles and iPads with local library and they’re refurbishing via a community group and being redistributed to refugees , asylum seekers and others . We need to do this as I’m very concerned that in UKs recessionary climate many are being left digitally excluded.
@silverwizard
in reply to CarolineCherry

mike805
mike805
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@stroppypanda @silverwizard we had a bunch of old laptops at work that did not meet requirements. I reinstalled them and gave them away to employees and their families. Second time I have done this.
@CarolineCherry @silverwizard
in reply to silverwizard

Dekkzz
Dekkzz
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@silverwizard
<<< 2006 Thinkpad t60 - does everything bar the usual JS bloated websites.
@silverwizard
in reply to silverwizard

LisPi
LisPi
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It depends to a point. CPU manufacturers helpfully decided to build faulty hardware that constantly requires new microcode patches to remain safe & once support gets dropped the safety is compromised (yes I'm oversimplifying, but the situation sucks).

But outside of that, that still leaves a lot of options for low-trust nodes.

This entry was edited (1 year ago)
in reply to LisPi

mike805
mike805
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@lispi314 @silverwizard I think this is all more propaganda than reality. I have used old phones and old laptops for a long time and not had a problem. As long as you upgrade the browser and the machine is behind NAT, they seem fine.
@LisPi @silverwizard
in reply to mike805

LisPi
LisPi
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@mike805 @silverwizard Only the absolute most incompetent of skiddies will make it obvious they've compromised your hardware.

NAT also does exactly nothing once compromised via some vulnerable client, as you can just pull instructions from the C&C instead of having it push them.

@mike805 @silverwizard
in reply to HydroponicTrash

Andrés
Andrés
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Looking forward to it. I will start to put my ear to the ground about local schools getting rid of Chromebooks.
@BlackAzizAnansi
@Black Aziz Anansi
in reply to HydroponicTrash

Nathan Freitas 🕺
Nathan Freitas 🕺
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we've been building pi's with an curated f-droid app store and matrix-based chat service running on them for off-grid / limited internet use cases: likebutter.app/box/ secondwind.guardianproject.inf… but have been hoping for some other cheap, upcycled way of doing hardware... definitely interesting in this!

Butter | Life without internet made smoother.

Life without internet made smoother. Get access to tools that help.
Butter | Life without internet made smoother.
in reply to Nathan Freitas 🕺

griffey
griffey
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@n8fr8 agreed! Would love to be able to work with libraries in schools to upcycle these discards….
@Nathan Freitas 🕺
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