this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2025
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What would you do with a device like this (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by ayyo@sh.itjust.works to c/linux@lemmy.ml
36 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Was given this little wintel box by a friend fairly recently, but I haven't yet even powered it on. I don't have a power cable for it unfortunately but when I do, what do you think I should do with it? What would you do with it?

I think it could potentially be just a basic lightweight desktop for web browsing and such, maybe a little smart tv box or something like that to replace the Chromecast I'm ashamed to admit I use, maybe run some basic self hosted stuff like pihole or home assistant? Could probably be a little emulation machine for retro games but I doubt it would be capable of much more than that. But I'm not sure there's too many ideas! I need suggestions people

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[–] bismuthbob@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 hour ago

I used one of these (might even be the exact same model) as a little music player attached to an old soundbar. I could connect via ssh and play music through the speakers. The main challenge was finding a distribution that worked well with the internal sound card, since I wanted to use the aux output for sound. I don't think that I ever tried connecting a monitor to it, but it worked well for what I used it for, right up until I needed the sound bar for something else.

[–] medem@lemmy.wtf 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

NetBSD. This box seems to have a vanilla x86 processor and it has plenty of resources (for NetBSD, that is). You can't use this as a daily driver, but it should be good enough to learn UNIX and/or self-host some stuff.

[–] racketlauncher831@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 hours ago

Sell it. Put your money earned to buy a general computer to tinker with instead.

If you have the skills you've already been tearing it down, soldering some pins, and compiling your modified uboot/EFI firmware and flashing it. The hack above has only like twenty people in the whole world who know how to do.

If it was a TV box and still functioning, there are people out there genuinely have a valid use case for it, to watch TV of course. Don't ruin it.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 77 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You could put your weed in there.

[–] ayyo@sh.itjust.works 44 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is the answers I come to Lemmy for thank you bestie

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Sorry, I didn't mean to be an ass. It's a dumb movie quote. I hope you get some proper answers fam.

[–] ayyo@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 hours ago

Lol you're fine, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic here it was a genuine response I thought it was funny :)

[–] mike_wooskey@lemmy.thewooskeys.com 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Movie quote? I recognize it from a recurring Rob Schneider character on SNL. What movie was it in?

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I had to look it up because I didn't remember. Aparently "the hot chick" from 2002:

https://youtu.be/BWMfj_wZ9Ec

SNL might have been first but not being from the US I've never watched that.

[–] mike_wooskey@lemmy.thewooskeys.com 2 points 1 day ago

Yup! Though that's Adam Sandler doing the bit in the Rob Schneider movie, the original bit on SNL was done by Schneider (originally in 1993 i think). 🙂

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 34 points 1 day ago

4GB RAM? That's a whole vanilla Minecraft Java edition server right there, for free! :)

[–] alibloke@feddit.uk 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Install home assistant on it

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

+1 for Home Assistant, and then with Add Ons it can also do other useful home network stuff (network ad blocker, VPN, *arr, etc).

[–] GeraltvonNVIDIA@lemmy.ml 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

You could check for Linux support. I suppose it runs on an Arm-Processor.

Maybe it runs PostmarketOs.

Edit: If you can run Linux on it:

Selfhosted:

  • Gitea (If you are a programmer)
  • Stash (Organized NSFW-Content ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )
  • Nextcloud
  • Simple-Server ( NAS/SFTP/SSH)
  • MeTube (Youtube-Downloader)
  • Kitchenowl/Mealie (Kitchen-Organization / Mealprep)
  • Lute (Selfhosted Alternative to Duolingo)
  • Speedtest (Monitoring Internet-Speed)
  • wishlist
  • Hortusfox (For managing your Plants)
  • MotionEye (Security-Cam-Monitoring)

On-Device:

  • Libreelec/Kodi (Media-Device)
  • Retroarch (Retro-Gaming-Station)
[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago

I suppose it runs on an Arm-Processor

It would be odd if a device labeled "Wintel Pro" had an arm CPU.

Wintel means Windows on Intel, or more broadly Windows on any x86 or x86_64 processor.

[–] Strit@lemmy.linuxuserspace.show 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Seems most of these Wintel boxes are Intel Celeron/Atom based, so it should be able to run just about any Linux OS.

[–] GeraltvonNVIDIA@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago

Well than the possibilities are endless for OP. Let The Linux-Party begin :P

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Well the portemanteau suggests it's WINdows on inTEL, so that makes sense.

[–] thatonecoder@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Forgejo > Gitea, though.

[–] GeraltvonNVIDIA@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Looks interesting. But i am used to gitea. I use it for Years now on my workplace and in my homelab.

Maybe i will try Forgejo in The future.

[–] Coolcoder360@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

For what it's worth I was able to migrate my docker of gitea to a docker of forgejo by just changing the image to be forgejo and remaining some if the environment variables. It uses the game data and database so it's basically a drop in replacement that they have instructions for on their website.

Makes trying it out pretty simple, not sure about migrating back to gitea from forgejo though.

[–] utopiah@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because it's low end I'd put :

  • headless Debian pre-configured with WiFi and sshd to then add
  • CopyParty via its single .py file
  • apt install minidlna to serve media files back to add devices on LAN, e.g. VLC on desktop and mobile devices
  • mount a large microSD for data
  • I'd add a WireGuard VPN configuration file and make both accessible outside the LAN but only on my devices

All that is relatively quick if you have done it before (maybe 30min total) and can run 24/7 for years requiring very little power.

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
  • I'd add a WireGuard VPN configuration file and make both accessible outside the LAN but only on my devices

I don't understand this part. Wouldn't this device be on your home network already, or am I misunderstanding your meaning?

[–] utopiah@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Indeed but by doing so I can connect from the outside World too, e.g. if I'm at the dentist waiting for an appointment, I just connect to the VPN over my 5G connection, no login required.

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You only need one VPN peering point inside your network. You do not need WG on other internal devices, just routing between intermediary subnet and LAN.

Am I misunderstanding your scenario?

[–] utopiah@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I setup WireGuard only last week so maybe I'm the one who misunderstand something : on your LAN assuming you are NOT using your router (or switch, or a networking device) to be a peer of the VPN, don't you need to add each machine as a peer to the VPN? Also doesn't that leave the most granularity so that the (root) user of each machine can chose to be on/off and more, e.g. split tunneling?

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 3 points 12 hours ago

What you're saying is true, however VPNs connect both hosts and subnets. If you have a VPN server on your subnet, you can easily allow any client that connects to it to have access to your LAN.

VPNs are simply networking over encrypted tunnels. What you do with that tunnel is up to you.

[–] BCBoy911@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

You could install Batocera and use it as a home theatre PC and retro gaming station.

[–] simonced@lemmy.one 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I would use that to make it a vpn passthrough for my work so I could windows 11 for good and use Linux on my main rig.

[–] artiman@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago

homelab

[–] Witziger_Waschbaer@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

I got some old Futro S920s recently. Put in WiFi/BT, loaded them up with Batocera and some Retro ROM's and gave them to friends to game on. Setup was super easy.

[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago

LibreElec (Kodi pirating box)

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago

Pretty much only good for a headless debian file server

[–] CovfefeKills@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Noice run a local LLM on it! /s or /as idk

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

There's probably some lightweight Linux distro you can get to run on it. It could be used for some edge computing, like Pihole.

[–] monovergent@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

I have something like that set up as a discrete print server. Also one as the mini file share for the guest/untrusted devices network.

I have pihole lumped in with a more substantial machine, but these little guys are always nice for retro gaming up to the N64/PS1 era.