A huge upshot to using a laptop is you have a built-in UPS and KVM.
it only works as a UPS if you periodically discharge the battery. My first “server” was a compaq laptop, I had used it for years and then reprovisioned it to Ubuntu Server, after 2 or 3 years of 24/7 if you unplugged it at all it just instant died because keeping it 100% charged all the time killed the battery.
Naively I assumed that anything in the last decade or so with a battery already has some sort of battery management system that regulates this stuff to help prolong battery lifespan, but maybe I’m wrong.
Yea, which is a fair expectation, but it’s not a safe assumption. Verify it does before prolonged use. Make sure its well ventilated(heat is killer to batteries as well), and that some form of BMS is present on the system, and that it’s enabled because some have the system but have it disabled by default.
If you’re curious what I’m running on here, it’s mostly containers plus one VM for Docker. (I’ve made my dislike for Docker as a distribution platform known elsewhere on here and this is why).
Most are various wikis that I’m testing, MediaWiki, Bookstack, DokuWiki, PmWiki, An Otter Wiki, DocMost.
I had one active a good while back. To quote Buddy Guy ‘…ain’t nuthin’ wrong with that.’ Hell, I have a 15 year old, self build computer. I use it daily. It works, and pretty well too.
If you haven’t already, I’d see if you can run it sans battery, just power cord. Reason being, old laptop batteries can be a hazard. They can swell and burst, they can over heat,. In some cases, they can become a fire hazard. Best to be safe.
If you’ve already done so, then awesome , and ignore the second paragraph. Is this your first foray into selfhosting?
Which model toughbook?
CF-53
I bought it used from Amazon about 5 years ago, so it hasn’t been in my possession the whole time. It was likely used enterprise/industrial stock. Judging by how one of the modifier keys is stuck it was well-used. The seller replaced the original hard drive with an SSD and the battery may have been replaced as well.
Prior to becoming my home lab it was my ham shack computer running win 10.
