Skip to content

Hardware Pipeline

From donated device to awarded device in seven stages. Each device flows through the same pipeline and is logged with a unique device ID.

flowchart LR
  A[01 · Collection] --> B[02 · Triage]
  B --> C[03 · Repair]
  C --> D[04 · Data Wipe]
  D --> E[05 · OS Install]
  E --> F[06 · QA & Log]
  F --> G[07 · Award]

01 · Collection

Schools, businesses, and individuals drop off devices or schedule a pickup. The highest-yield pipeline is corporate IT departments doing periodic laptop retirement — they get tax-deductible donation receipts and a documented wipe certificate per device.

Inputs accepted: laptops first; tablets and desktops case-by-case. Wanted: working or repairable units, charger if available, no requirement for OS or drive contents. Not wanted: monitors-only, printers, unrepairable mechanical damage.

02 · Triage

At the makerspace partner site:

  • Boot test
  • RAM and storage check
  • Screen and keyboard assessment
  • Battery health read
  • Grade assigned: A (full-spec, full life), B (working with minor issues), C (parts donor or specialty use)
  • Flagged for repair, parts harvest, or responsible recycling

03 · Repair

Volunteers and trainees on-site perform:

  • RAM upgrades where the platform allows
  • SSD installation or replacement
  • Battery assessment and replacement when economical
  • Keyboard / screen / hinge repair when economical
  • Cleaning and cosmetic restoration

This is also the hands-on training stage for the Hardware Technician Trainee workforce role. Trainees earn CompTIA A+ study materials and a documented portfolio of repaired units. See Workforce Development.

04 · Data Wipe

Each device is sanitized using drive-type-appropriate methods drawn from the ShredOS open-source tool stack (nwipe, hdparm, nvme-cli, sedutil) and issued a unique wipe certificate logged against its Second Boot device ID. The procedure is designed to align with NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 (finalized September 2025) and IEEE 2883-2022.

Full data sanitization & wipe certificate program →

Validation note

Alignment with NIST 800-88 Rev. 2 is claimed only after the program documentation has been reviewed by a qualified information-security professional. Until that review is recorded, Second Boot describes its procedure as "secure overwrite or cryptographic erase with per-device wipe certificate." [HYPOTHESIS] until [EXPERT REVIEWED]. See Data Sanitization for the full standard mapping and the gap.

05 · OS Install

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS via bootable USB
  • User account configured (no preset password — set at award ceremony with participant)
  • Accessibility defaults: high contrast, large text, screen reader available
  • Curated software stack installed
  • Second Boot Welcome App preinstalled (Phase 4 deliverable; not present today)

06 · QA & Log

Final checklist before a device leaves the makerspace:

  • Boots cleanly to login screen
  • Wi-Fi connects
  • Browser loads a known page
  • LibreOffice opens, creates, saves, reopens a document
  • Audio plays
  • Webcam captures (if present)
  • Battery holds charge through the QA pass

Each device gets a unique ID, specs logged in the inventory database (Phase 4 deliverable; spreadsheet today), and a tag indicating which program track it will be deployed to.

07 · Award

Presented to a program graduate at a cohort ceremony when possible. Paired with:

  • An orientation walkthrough on the device
  • The participant's account and password set with them, not before
  • A printed quick-start with help desk and community chat info
  • Optional: backpack and accessories per track (see Award Program)

The ceremony itself is one of the program's most powerful fundraising and awareness moments. Quarterly ceremonies are a Phase 1 goal.

Devices that don't make it

Not every donated device becomes an award unit. Common outcomes for the rest:

Outcome Disposition
Parts-donor (Grade C) Harvested for RAM, SSD, screens used in repairs upstream
Specialty use Test bench, makerspace loaner, training unit
Non-recoverable Responsibly recycled via certified e-waste channel — never landfilled

A donor's wipe certificate is issued for any device that contained data, regardless of the device's final disposition.