Library will begin ‘upcycling’ old computers
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MATT MOREY, Democrat News Reporter
The library has a demo of a laptop with Linux Mint, which their web page designer, Jeremiah Henke said will be part of the operating system for his upcycling program. Madison County residents can bring in old computers with Windows 10, which will be obsolete this October, and update them with Linux, which can either be kept or donated to a resident who needs one.
MATT MOREY, Democrat News Reporter
Ozark Regional Library and Madison County Recovery Allies have begun an ‘upcycling’ program to donate obsolete computers to local citizens after being updated with a new operating system.
The library will accept computers, back to 2010, that people do not use anymore, and install Linux Mint operating system before donating them to people of Madison County who apply.
This comes in time for Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 computers on October 14 this year, which will prevent them from security updates or technical support, according to the library web designer Denny Henke.
This could affect computers purchased before 2022, which are usually incompatible with Windows 11. According to the library flyer, an estimated 200-400 million computers will be thrown away. Lots of computers are incompatible with Windows 11 or will run up the processor, Henke said.
“So at that point you’ll have a decision to make,” Henke said at the Madison County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. “If you’re running an old Windows 10 computer, you can donate it, you can keep using it without updates, or you can buy a new one.”
The solution, Henke said, is found in the free, open-sourced program called Linux.
“Now has anyone heard of Linux before?,” he asked. “Most people think of the Matrix or a half-red carbon on the text. That’s not what Linux is today. Modern Linux looks just like Windows or a Mac.”
He said Linux Mint, its operating system, has a familiar and clean design with a taskbar at the bottom and a free alternative to the Microsoft Office suite called LibreOffice which includes a spreadsheet and word processing program that make it accessible for anyone used to Windows or Mac. It is even used at the International Space Station, he said.
Computers can now be turned into the MCRA facility at 505 South Main, or at the library in July. In August, they are planning on opening a program to assist people who may want to update their own computers to Linux.
Henke said to use the online portal to arrange a date for him to meet, so he can verify that computers meet the requirements. They need to be able to boot up, and have an un-cracked screen, for example. Computers will be completely wiped and then restored, so any important files should be stored separately like on a flash drive.
Henke encouraged anyone who knows people or businesses with old computers to apply.
Residents can use the laptop at the library to demo Linux for themselves, and Henke said they are planning on offering training for LibreOffice for people who are used to Word or Excel, or other apps.
“We are hoping to have a deluge of computers,” Henke said.
More information can be found at this link or on the Ozark Regional Library website.
