Device Refurbishing, Repurposing, and Recirculating
With newer, better, and faster computers and devices always on the horizon, it is easy to lose track of what happens to our old ones.
E-waste (electronic waste) is simply that - unused, unwanted, or non-working electronic devices that are discarded, often ending up in landfills. Globally, e-waste is rising five times faster than e-waste recycling.
While this seems like an insurmountable challenge, there are steps we can take within our community to reduce our contribution to the e-waste "pile" - refurbishing, repurposing, and recirculating our devices when possible.
At Mundane Data, donated devices are repaired if needed, then the hard drives are completely overwritten. This removes any/all files and the operating system itself - a clean slate. From here, a version of the Linux desktop operating system is installed and customized to fit individual needs.
FAQ
Linux?
- It may seem unknown or at least uncommon, but Linux is an operating system that you likely interact with many times throughout your day. For example, it is the base of the Android operating system and powers many common smart devices. There is a good chance your smart refrigerator or toothbrush are running Linux!
- Through worldwide, open-source, community development efforts, Linux distributions support a wide variety of personal devices that the original manufactures have long-since abandoned, giving them a new life and making them ready to take on most modern computing needs.
Is the software or application I need supported by Linux?
- Firefox and Chrome are fully supported and as such, so are many/most web apps.
- For desktop applications, the Flathub and Snap stores will cover most needs, including many of the same applications you would see on Mac or Windows, like Slack, Discord, Zoom, and Spotify.
- For gamers, Steam is fully supported and many games have native Linux support.
Is there a steep learning curve?
- Navigating the computer itself - shutting down, logging in, searching for files, installing and removing applications, changing settings, etc. - is where Linux desktops shine. The desktop environment, what you see and interact with, is separate from the underlying files and applications, providing a flexible and customizable experience. Mac users may feel at home with a Gnome desktop environment, and Windows users with Plasma. You can freely switch between these or many other desktop environments as well as customize or lock them down for special use cases or needs.