The Happy Ordi Project
Happy Ordi is a social, economic, ecological, and solidarity-based project. Its core component is an open-source software designed to help reuse second-hand computers. Its main goal is to massively increase the number of devices put back into circulation.
Refurbishing can be time greedy, this is why it is also a broader concept that implements a set of actions aimed at optimizing the time spent on the refurbishment of decommissioned computers.
As such, it aligns with several targets of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. It particularly relates to targets 12.5 and 12.8: on the one hand, to reduce waste generation through reuse, and on the other hand, for its educational aspect, by raising awareness among users and professionals about the challenges of reuse and giving them new means to act.
The Happy Ordi project also identifies with goals 13 and 15, for the reduction of the carbon footprint and CO2, as well as for the protection of life on land. Goal 15 concerns the protection, restoration, and promotion of the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems: the mining required for the manufacturing of chips, batteries, and other computer components degrades soils, destroys natural habitats, and pollutes ecosystems.
You will also find information sources on these 17 United Nations goals in the webography at the end of the page.
Designed by Joyce MARKOLL, and co-developped with Fabrice THIROUX, the project is currently in its early testing phase. It is going to be distributed under a free license and will be available in Live (nomadic) mode only.
How it works in detail
Without prejudging what our readers understand about the world of computing, those who are unfamiliar with terms such as Operating System, or Linux Distributions, will find at the end of this page, a small glossary with some frequently used computing terms.
The software lets you list a computer’s components. By using this tool in “Live” mode, it provides a quick way to assess the machine’s potential use. It is intended for any person, organizations or individuals, mindful of the economic and ecological stakes, and interested in reconditioning computers to extend their lifespan.
The project aims to save computers from being scrapped, ensuring they can be used for everyday needs for several more years. This helps to both save money and reduce environmental impact.
Happy Ordi consists of a Linux operating system with a main (windowed) graphical program, which provides the functional status of the computer and precise information on its potentially replaceable components.
We also plan to add an application to test the storage devices and another one to test the system memory.
Documentation will be provided with the software. Additionnally, we will offer remote assistance to help you with its use, and to choose or research the best replacement components for hardware optimization.
Why Linux?
We make use of Linux distributions for our day-to-day needs as well as for testing computers of all ages, even those running Windows XP.
This can lead us to process computers of various ages, up to 20 years old when they are good brands and models.
GNU/Linux live systems
GNU/Linux distributions, in demonstration mode, can be used as a temporary system, called “Live”, and can eventually be installed later.
Being able to demonstrate an Operating System on a target computer is always interesting, it can allow one to assess its snappiness while in use.
From there, several projects thought it would be a good idea to use it in Live mode for testing, troubleshooting, and diagnostics, and several projects have provided ready-to-use Linux distributions with large numbers of applications included for these purposes.
Why create yet another tool
Its creation is a simplified version of the approach we’ve been using for years to determine the potential of our customers’ computers, and the idea revealed itself on the basis of a few observations:
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- Most breakdowns are caused by the storage device and or the operating system
- Many computers are stored away waiting to be thrown away, due to slowdowns
- Users are often unaware that their PCs can be upgraded to higher-performance components, often at low cost.
- Users often lack training in the basics around usage and maintenance of their computer hardware
- Knowledge related to command lines and the use of a terminal is not widespread
- Reconditioning facilities are overloaded and send a large number of computers which can still be reused for dismantling
- Not all facilities can afford expensive diagnostic software licenses
Advantages of Live systems for diagnostics
When diagnosing a computer, a live USB or a live CD equipped with a GNU/Linux system lets you test a computer without having to boot the installed operating system. This provides the major advantage of isolating potential issues related to the system or the storage drive itself.
What allows us to create or rebuild a custom GNU/Linux distribution is the free/open source license that comes with it.
Thanks to their free (open source) license, GNU/Linux systems offer extensive rights: we can use them for any purpose on any compatible computer, modify the code to adapt it to our needs, and redistribute it freely.
Furthermore, these systems have reached a high level of maturity. Their stability and security make them reliable and pleasant to use for everyday tasks.
We produce too much we throw away too much
The main project is therefore to help individuals and organisations alike to slow down the need to purchase new computers and increase the significantly the number of machines saved from destruction.
On one hand, our Earth planet is now crowded with junk, in which electronics, among which computers is not the least part.
On the other hand, the computer industry has reached a level where almost everyone has at least one computer at home, and often more. Yet, every day thousands of new PCs continue to be built (according to Canalys, 62.7 millions of laptops – netbooks and else – were shipped during the first quarter of 2025, with an additional number of 13.3 millions desktop units), causing ever more pollution through upstream manufacturing, downstream recycling, which is very imperfect and also polluting, when it exists, and the accumulation of waste in open dumps in various countries around the world.
It also happens that organizations continue changing computer hardware which is still in very good condition or can be brought back to good use, and we need to stress this point: meanwhile, the pollution coming from mining and the pollution added to landfills continues to increase.
The Happy Ordi way
Happy Ordi makes it easy to carry out diagnostics on computers, unlike most of the other tools available. It is easier to use than most diagnostic software.
The small number of test programs, meeting most of the needs for a successful reconditioning, is targeted and will be provided with documentation. Conventional software available on the Internet, on the other hand, often provides a wide range of tools, too broad for the intended need.
A practical and educational tool
Happy Ordi has limited features, and sometimes it won’t allow us to resolve a malfunction: its first purpose is it to allow checking the general state of health of a computer. When the computer is actually able to start up until the desktop appears on the screen, it is clear that it is working.
From this point on we can easily obtain information about its main components, which in turn allows us to discover possible hardware optimisations.
The hardware detection software retrieves just the information needed for hardware optimization purposes, and nothing more. This allows for an access to essential information at a glance. In the example above, in addition to the specifications for the motherboard, processor and RAM, the program also provided information on the sound card, network card and storage peripherals, which is generally enough to test the most important features.
Once we know what hardware optimisations are possible, it is also easier to advise or supply a GNU/Linux operating system among the ones most suitable for the computer tested and in accordance to the user’s needs, always with the durability and ease of use in mind.
A concrete example
The before/after table of a computer equipped with an MSI 770T-C45 motherboard:
3.00 GHz (TDP 65w)
- AMD Phenom X4 9500 2.2 Ghz (TDP 95w)
- AMD Phenom X4 9650 2.3 Ghz
- AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2 GHz (TDP 125w)
- Bento antiX, MX Linux
- Bento Openbox, Lubuntu
- Xubuntu, Ubuntu Mate
In this table we have added two lines of information for the USB boot method, which may be useful to share.
The processor had 2 cores, now it has 4 cores, and the system memory supplied with DDR2 modules, now more than deprecated even by refurbishers, has been increased from 4 GB to 8 GB. The list of suggested Linux distributions takes into account the relative power of the computer and the preferences of the specifiers and their users, who will be able to test them and choose from several styles of environments.
The table does not include a graphics card, as the motherboard does not have a graphics chipset (those who are more curious can consult the manual containing the technical information available at this address: M7388v3.1.zip). An external AMD Radeon HD 7870 graphics card (connected to the PCI-Express port) has been added.
This motherboard came out in 2009, so it’s over 15 years old.
Although considered obsolete, the computer it’s installed in works perfectly for the common uses listed in this table. Upgrading the RAM and processor, replacing the hard drive for a SSD and installing a lightweight Linux distribution are the ingredients for its successful revival.
So wether the operator of the Happy Ordi system is an experienced DIY enthusiast, a technician working in a repair or re-use structure, or a repair café facilitator, he or she will be able to acquire the basics needed to address the most commonly encountered problems.
Or in the case of experienced technicians, they will take advantage of a system designed to simplify this check and research stage.
Depending on their needs and wishes, they will then be able to go further in the search for the causes of faults and malfunctions with other, more complex software.
To process more computers
Happy Ordi helps us deal with the most frequent cases: corrupted file systems, storage devices that are failing or starting to fail, fragmented hard disks on old computers, and insufficient system memory or processor power.
Observing the behaviour of even relatively old computers, but running a functional and optimised operating system, provides in just a few minutes a key indicator of the value in use of the hardware in question.
Combined with the additional knowledge of possible hardware optimisations and their cost, this provides one more indicator for getting computers back into good working order, even those over 15 years old.
By providing software that can be used by individuals and organisations to carry out quick and easy diagnostics on as wide a range of computers as possible, whatever the operators’ level of technical know-how, we aim to help reduce the need for new hardware and help organisations make their equipment last longer.
What about reconditioning companies?
The majority of refurbishing centres sort computers according to restrictive criteria such as the age of the hardware, the version of Windows that ran it, or even the RAM modules before DDR4, and send computers that can still be used for years to be dismantled.
Dismantling for recycling is known to have a much greater impact on the environment than reconditioning, which is designed to make hardware last.
Not all equipment is eligible for refurbishment, and for those that are, recycling is essential.
On the left recycling – On the right refurbishing
Here are some figures. We cannot guarantee their accuracy, but they provide an order of magnitude:
Recycling
Greenhouse gas emissions: 1.4 kg carbon equivalent / Unit
Energy consumption: 1.2 kWh / Unit
Not all recovered materials can be recycled.
Reconditioning
Greenhouse gas emissions: 0.3 kg carbon equivalent / Unit
Energy consumption: 0.5 kWh / Unit
Computers can be used for several more years.
Providing a solution that can be used by everyone, and in particular by associations and repair cafés, is one of the ways in which we can help to significantly reduce waste.
This is about, as much as possible, getting the computers that are gathering dust in closets out and about, and preventing some of them from ending up in recycling streams when they could still be used as second or third-hand devices.
Test and inventory a computer’s components
How it works
The program is installed on a bootable disk, such as a Live USB key, or even a Live CD, to boot the Linux operating system in which it is installed. Once the desktop is displayed on the screen (screenshot above), if the computer does not freeze or slow down, you can continue and double-click on the Tools icon.
This produces a file containing the information collected on the computer’s components.
Let’s remember that the system operates autonomously, without interfering with the computer’s internal system. It uses the system memory (RAM) and processor functions, from start-up to shutdown.
At no time does it require the installed operating system to be started.
A few user cases
You are an individual or a non profit organization
After double-clicking on the Desktop Tools icon, the window will prompt you to provide information such as your name and email address.
Then you will be invited to open a link to a web page from which you can send us the file containing the information produced by the program, in order for us to perform a search on possible hardware optimisation.
We will then get back to you with the information needed to upgrade the hardware with new components, depending on the make and model of your computer.
You are in an area off grid
Same as above, but you don’t have an internet connection at the moment. You can just add your name and mail address in the box, and close it before copying the “hardware.txt” file to another USB drive, so you can send us the file by mail later.
You are a repair cafe or a refurbisher
You want to use the information by yourself, thus you can rename your “hardware.txt” file with the name of the brand and model computer, or add any information relevant for you in the windowed box. Then you can retrieve the file using your local network, or another USB drive, as needed.
You wish to use it in another context
The program is free software under licence (GPLv3 , or aGPL). Therefore you can adapt it to your specific need, or ask us to do it for you, and we can study your request.
Glossary
Having often encountered these questions, I’m offering some definitions for a few computer terms used in this presentation.
- Operating system: A set of programs to make the computer work.
- Applications: The programs installed in the operating system allowing users to work, communicate, play, and create various products.
- Linux distributions: Operating systems, alternatives to Windows and macOS. Most often bundled with numerous applications, we name them “distributions.” They power most of the world’s servers and most of the internet and web infrastructure.
- Software: A generic term designating any intangible component that is part of an operating system, or functions within it, such as applications.(See also the definition of “Software” on Wikipedia.)
- Peripheral: in computing, a piece of hardware external to the computer, which can be connected to it (USB keys, printer, keyboard, etc.)
Resources (Webography)
Here are some references on the issue of electronic waste, recycling, and repair.
- Un 17 Sustainable Development Goals
- Why Reuse is Always the Best Option for IT Equipment
- The Environmental Impact of Repairing vs. Replacing Electronics
- Carbon Aware Computing vs Repair and Reuse: Which Is More Sustainable?
- Assessment of the environmental impact of a set of refurbished products
- Electronic waste (e-waste)
- Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling
- Nexuses of critical minerals recovery from e-waste
A video report (in French) on the extraction of coltan (which is one of the strategic metals needed to manufacture electronic products), in a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Kivu : descente dans les mines de coltan (Kivu : going down in the coltan mines)
Figures and percentage growth of the number of computers shipped since January 2025
- Worldwide PC shipments up 9% in Q1 2025
- Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 4.8%
- Global PC Shipments Up 6.7% YoY in Q1 2025
Licence
This page is published under the terms of the Creative Commons licence BY-ND 4.0.