Re: [Fsuk-manchester] Chorlton's Big Green Festival

[Richard Smedley]

Leslie I'Anson wrote:
> > > Surely Gnu/Linux being
> > > slightly more power efficient than windows doesn't count?
> > There's the argument that embedded Linux is significantly more efficient
> > than
> > other embedded operating systems on small hardware.

Particularly as the full version of Windows won't run
on Arm. We have installed servers for file, print &
openvpn that draw less than 5 watts :-)

> > There's also an argument that GNU/Linux runs better on older hardware,
> > prolonging its life - I know that I have old Pentium etc. systems which are
> > still perfectly usable with GNU/Linux.
> >
> > There's a counter-argument that new hardware is more power-efficient so is
> > environmentally better; but there's a counter-counter-argument that that
> > increased efficiency is offset by the energy cost of building the new
> > hardware.

This is the key one for me - not just cutting power
wasted in manufacturing new machines that aren't
really needed (or wouldn't if MS hadn't brought
out a new, incompatible version) - but also the
heavy metal pollution caused by disposal of old
machines (and in mining & processing new materials).

The 3 millions PCs thrown away in this country
each year are a resource, too - that could lead
to schools having one PC per child (if that was
desirable), and to every village hall & community
venue having a cyber café & teaching suite.

Lastly, as with not scrapping old cars, maintenance
(including maintaining old code) can keep jobs
much more local than the manufacture of replacements...

 - Richard


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