> turning an old pc into an ubuntu server
Repurposing legacy hardware into a headless Linux server for homelab services and experimentation.
Overview
This project converts an old desktop PC into a stable Ubuntu Server instance. The goal is to build a reliable, always-on system for networking tools, containers, and lab experiments.
Hardware
- Old desktop PC (x86_64 CPU)
- 8–16GB RAM
- SSD (recommended upgrade from HDD)
- Wired Ethernet connection
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Prepare installation media
Download Ubuntu Server LTS and flash it to a USB drive.
Download ISO from: https://ubuntu.com/download/server
Use Rufus (Windows) or Balena Etcher (Mac/Linux)
Flash USB (8GB+ recommended)
2. Install Ubuntu Server
Boot from USB and run through minimal installation.
Select "Ubuntu Server Install"
Choose minimal packages
Enable OpenSSH during setup
Set hostname: ubu-srv01
Create admin user
3. Update system
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo reboot
4. Configure static IP
Edit network config file:
sudo nano /etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml
Then apply changes:
sudo netplan apply
5. Install core tools
sudo apt install docker.io -y
sudo apt install ufw -y
sudo systemctl enable docker
6. Secure SSH access
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable
sudo systemctl enable ssh
Use Cases
- Docker container host
- WireGuard VPN endpoint
- File server experiments
- General Linux sandbox environment
“Old machines don’t retire — they get reassigned.”
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