Review of a donated laptop

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Looking through a donated laptop

In order to start Labtix or Labdoo, settings in the UEFI may need to be changed. UEFI has replaced the old BIOS system, but can usually still be used in the same way as the old BIOS interfaces.

UEFI Settings

On some laptops it is necessary to change UEFI settings:

BIOS settings
On some laptops it is necessary to change BIOS settings:

BIOS Settings	Explanation
Secure Boot	Must always be turned off (disabled). Sometimes an administrator password must be set in the UEFI to deactivate Secure Boot. The admin password can then be removed again. Labtix does not start in secure boot mode but shows secure boot mode in the boot menu. In rare cases, however, an externally installed Labdoo installation boots on a computer with Secure Boot activated.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM)	TPM is a security chip that secures a computer. Ubuntu-Mate, which forms the basis for Labdoo images, is TPM certified. TPM should only be switched off if Labdoo does not boot.
UEFI	Up to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS It is recommended to disable UEFI and enable Legacy/CSM. However, there is also a concept for a UEFI-based installation developed by Labdoo helpers for 20.04 LTS. From Ubuntu 22.04 LTS a separate concept was developed for Ubuntu so that both UEFI and legacy/CSM installations are possible. Note: On some computers, Labtix starts and the image installation goes smoothly. But when you restart the laptop you get messages like "Invalid Partition table!" or similar and the laptop doesn't boot up. Then please set the UEFI mode or both (UEFI and Legacy) in the BIOS. In very stubborn cases, the tool uses SuperGrub2Disk (https://www.supergrubdisk.org) to start Labdoo. The bootloader Grub can be reinstalled using the terminal command “sudo grub-install /dev/sda”. An internet connection is required to download the required files!
Turbo-Boost	If Turbo Boost is activated, the processor may become significantly too hot when operated under load. In Labtix you can tell that under full load (e.g. with the Stress_Cpu tool) the clock frequency is in the 3Ghz range or higher. As a rule, the CPU temperature then rises well above 70 degrees, which can lead to long-term damage to the CPU. That's why it makes sense to switch off the turbo boost as a precaution. If the turbo boost cannot be deactivated or the temperature is still too high, the Cpupower-Gui tool in Labtix can temporarily help. In Labdoo, the maximum CPU frequency must be permanently limited using the script temperature_workaround.sh in the /scripts/temperature_workaround folder on the desktop!

Check the hardware with Labtix

System requirements (currently on https://www.labdoo.org/deu/en/faq#FAQ04)

min. 120 GB disk capacity,
min. 3 GB RAM, better 4 GB,
if the laptop is max. 12 years old, it should fit (usually with Windows 7 / 8 / etc. seal.

Does the donated device meet our minimum requirements (3-4 GB RAM, max. 12 years old, min Windows 7 or higher upon delivery)? https://www.labdoo.org/deu/en/faq#FAQ04

You should look through a donated computer before installing it. It makes no sense to give a laptop that overheats in cool regions to hot countries. Or if the hard drive is already "crumbling", how will it survive transport and operation in hot regions? That's why Labtix comes with useful tools for not only the hard drive, but also speakers, temperature curves under load, and much more. more to check.

Recommended hardware checks

Tool	Check
GSmart / DiskCheck	The “Disk_Check” icon on the desktop opens the GsmartControl tool. Checks the status of the target hard drive, usually “sda”. The more “red” notices or icons and the darker red they are, the sooner the hard drive should be replaced.
StressCpu / psensor	The maximum temperature should be around 55 to 65°C under normal load, depending on the CPU/GPU type and the ambient temperature. To put load on the CPU, the "Stress CPU" script starts on the desktop (triggers "stress --cpu -8" in a terminal). Watch the temperature display of the CPU sensors in psensor. Stress CPU starts after 10 seconds and runs at full CPU load for 60 seconds in order not to damage the CPU and cooling system. Under full load the temperatures often rise to over 70°C, less would be better. Many manufacturers specify an acceptable maximum temperature (CPU under full load) of 75° degrees. If temperatures rise to 80°C or higher under load, Stress CPU stops immediately to avoid damage to the processor and cooling system. Then the cooling system definitely needs to be revised (e.g. clean the fan or replace the cooler paste/cooling pads). An overheated cooling system can also be recognized by the fact that the copper-colored heat conductor has turned bluish. Unscrew the cover from the fan area. Shine a lamp into it and check whether you can see the light clearly from outside through the fan. Then air can get through easily :) If not, the fan and ventilation system should be cleaned. Sometimes it's enough to blow through the ventilation slots from the outside to the inside. The fan should be blocked with a nail or screwdriver so that it does not rotate. Additionally, dust flakes can be removed through the suction hole with a curved needle or soft brush. If necessary. The thermal paste/film on the CPU cooler must be replaced. On some devices with Intel i3/5/7 processors, it is helpful to switch off the "Intel Turbo Boost" (it can also be called something else on some devices!) in the BIOS/UEFI in order to get the temperature below 75° degrees during full load. If the device is running in Turbo Boost mode and this cannot be switched off in the UEFI (recognizable by the fact that the clock frequency of the processor is in the 3 GHz range or higher), the clock frequency can be temporarily reduced using the Cpupower-Gui tool (in the top panel of Labtix). become. Values around 2.5 GHz have proven to be useful. After installing Labdoo, the maximum CPU frequency must be permanently limited in Labdoo using the temperature-workaround script.
Speaker Test	Alternately checks the left and right speakers.
CD/DVD Test	Play an audio CD using Audacious.