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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. A grade is assigned — A (full-spec, full life), B (working with minor issues), C (parts donor or specialty use) — and the unit is 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, and 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 from the ShredOS open-source tool stack (nwipe, hdparm, nvme-cli, sedutil) and issued a unique wipe certificate logged against its Boot Up device ID.

Validation note

[HYPOTHESIS] The procedure is designed to align with NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 (finalized September 2025) and IEEE 2883-2022, but alignment is claimed only after the program documentation has been reviewed by a qualified information-security professional. Until that review is recorded, Boot Up describes its procedure as "secure overwrite or cryptographic erase with per-device wipe certificate." [HYPOTHESIS] until [EXPERT REVIEWED].

Full data sanitization & wipe certificate program →

05 · OS Install

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

06 · QA & Log

Final checklist before a device leaves the makerspace: boots cleanly to login; 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, and 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.