April 11, 2026

221: Old Hardware, New Penguins: Installing Linux on All the Things | Linux Out Loud 123

56 minutes

In this spring‑cleaned episode of Linux Out Loud, Wendy, Bill, and Nate dust off their homelabs and see just how far Linux can push “retired” hardware. Bill talks about guiding a Linux‑first startup, Fyra Stack, as they build a colo and VPS business in downtown Chicago, wiring it all together with Proxmox, PostgreSQL, Snipe‑IT, and osTicket—plus a few cursed Zigbee light bulbs along the way. Nate dives into one of his favorite pastimes: installing openSUSE Tumbleweed on everything from a 2007 white MacBook to a 2015 MacBook Air and a pair of well‑worn Surface Pros, comparing battery life, sleep quirks, and how “modern” Plasma feels on ancient gear. Wendy rounds things out with creative test‑taking workarounds using ChromeOS Flex and a quick look at VDO.Ninja for remote recording, before the trio wraps up the cleaning spree.

Show Links:

Fyra Stack – Linux‑focused startup (colo and VPS) – https://fyrastack.com/

Proxmox VE – virtual environment and homelab hypervisor – https://www.proxmox.com/en/proxmox-ve

PostgreSQL – open‑source relational database – https://www.postgresql.org/

Snipe‑IT – open‑source IT asset management – https://snipeitapp.com/

osTicket – open‑source support ticket system – https://osticket.com/

openSUSE Tumbleweed – rolling release Linux – https://get.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/

MX Linux – lightweight Linux for older hardware – https://mxlinux.org/

Arch Linux – general‑purpose rolling Linux distribution – https://archlinux.org/

ChromeOS Flex – ChromeOS for older PCs and Macs – https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeos-flex/

iFixit – repair guides (example: Surface Pro 7 battery replacement) – https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+7+Battery+Replacement/144417

Framework Laptop 12 – modular, repairable laptop – https://frame.work/laptop12

StarLabs Starlite – Linux laptop – https://us.starlabs.systems/products/starlite

VDO.Ninja – peer‑to‑peer live video – https://vdo.ninja/

Special Guest: Bill.

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By Linux Out Loud

4.8

2020 ratings