Written 23 Aug 2026. This is a how-to, not a product card.

Your first weekend

Install the OS, give it a name, plug it into the wall, and make sure you can reach it from the couch.

This is a weekend, not a shopping trip. You already have the computer. You already picked an OS, or you can pick one on what OS to put on it. The job is to get it on, named, and reachable.

1. Backup anything you care about

Copy off photos, school papers, or a game save you still want. Full walk: copy your files off before you wipe. If the computer is empty, skip this step.

2. Make a USB installer

Download the Ubuntu Server or Debian ISO from the official site. Write it to a USB stick with balenaEtcher or Ventoy. An 8 GB stick is enough. You probably already have one. Step-by-step flash: make a boot USB for the install. Boot menu keys: boot the old PC from the USB stick. Got it from Marketplace? Wipe first: wipe a Marketplace PC before you install.

3. Boot it from the USB

Most PCs: tap F12 or F10 at power-on and pick the stick. Brand keys and stuck-stick fixes: boot the old PC from the USB stick. Install to the internal disk. One disk is fine. Take the defaults.

4. Give it a name and a user

Pick a name you will remember: lab, closet, office. Create a user. Don't skip the SSH server checkbox if Ubuntu Server offers it. SSH is a way to type commands on that computer from your normal one, over the network.

5. Plug ethernet if it has a port

Wi-Fi is fine. Plug a cable if the computer has a port. It drops fewer connections overnight. No cable nearby? The walk is put the old PC on house Wi-Fi.

6. Find its address

Look on your router’s device list, or on the computer itself (hostname -I, or the installer summary). You don't need a fancy static IP yet.

7. Connect from the couch

From your normal computer, connect. Windows: Windows Terminal or PowerShell, ssh you@that-address. Mac or Linux: Terminal, same command. The first time it will ask to trust this machine. Say yes.

8. Update

On Debian or Ubuntu, run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. Reboot if it asks.

9. Leave it on

That is the lab. Don't buy a rack, a switch, or a NAS this weekend.

What next

Find its number on the house network first. That is find it on the house network. Then SSH from the couch. If it is a laptop, keep it awake when the lid closes: don't let the laptop sleep. Later, put a small useful thing on this same computer. The ad-block one is the first useful thing. A file share can wait a week. Next week, keep the computer updated. Not a shopping trip.

Skip

Skip Kubernetes until it has been on a week.
Skip Docker Swarm until it has been on a week.
Skip buying a new mini PC until it has been on a week.
Skip a 10G card until it has been on a week.
Skip a UPS until it has been on a week.

Sources

Ubuntu Server download. Debian download. balenaEtcher. Official pages only. For the computer, see start with what you already have. For the OS choice, see what OS to put on it.

Also on this topic

When the old PC won't bootNo fans, black screen, or stuck on the logo. Check power, the monitor, a hard power cycle, then try the installer USB before you buy a new board. Optional: track the weekend pathLab plan at plan.labthrift.com. Username and a passkey. No email. Skip it if you just want the install done. Keep a lab plan with a passkey, not an emailOptional checklist on plan.labthrift.com. Username and a passkey. No email recovery. Add a second passkey. What OS to put on itDebian or Ubuntu Server if you can dedicate the old PC. Leave Windows if you still use the laptop as a laptop. Start with what you already haveDon't buy anything yet. Old laptop first, or a retired OptiPlex from Marketplace. Copy your files off before you wipePull photos, papers, and downloads onto a USB stick before the installer erases the disk. Skip if the computer is empty. Then wipe. Make a boot USB for the installWrite Ubuntu Server or Debian onto a USB stick so the old PC can boot the installer. Use Etcher or Rufus. Don't drag the ISO into a folder. Boot the old PC from the USB stickPlug in the installer stick, open the one-time boot menu, and pick the USB. Dell F12, HP Esc then F9, Lenovo F12. Don't dig through every BIOS screen tonight. Put the old PC on house Wi-FiUbuntu Server on an old laptop often has no cable nearby. Join house Wi-Fi so SSH and Pi-hole can work. Skip this if ethernet already works. A tiny computer you can leave onLater. An old laptop or a Marketplace OptiPlex is the first box.