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.