So I finally bit the bullet and ran my first Linux Repair Cafe in Melbourne last weekend, Sunday 21st June 2026. Or at least, the Linux corner of an existing Repair Cafe. For the Linux-uninitiated, it is an alternative OS that can restore acceptable performance on hardware that struggles with the latest Windows. I previously wrote about it here. I came to the Repair Cafe prepared with posters and flyers that were provided by Repair Cafe International Foundation, an organisation that facilitates repair cafes across the globe (I was inspired by their annual webinar the week before). I had envisaged bringing some sample Linux laptops, but was informed that there was limited space, so I selected two of my Linux boxes, a 2016 HP All-in-One 20-c000 (running Google Chrome OS Flex) and a 2013 MacBook Air (running Linux Mint Xfce). I chose the HP for its big screen so I could display Repair Cafe International’s Linux slideshow, and the MacBook Air, because people always seem surprised to see an Apple (computer) not running Apple (macOS). I find people are not as surprised to see a Windows device not running Windows (perhaps because there are so many variants of devices running Windows, each slightly tweaking it to their brand, while there is only one Apple macOS).

2016 HP All-in-One and 2013 MacBook Air

Aside from my regular Repair Cafe IT help duties (helped someone connect his Bluetooth headphones to his smartphone, advise on reading Mac floppy disks, figure out how to put an M.2 NGFF SSD into an enclosure), I did actually have someone walk in with a Linux problem. Not that she knew it was a problem Linux could solve at the time. Jane (not her real name) came in with a 2011 Lenovo G570, and wanted to retrieve some files from it (so not a full backup) and get it running well enough to watch YouTube. Windows 11 was out of the question on a 2011 laptop, so installing Linux was the perfect solution for this. Luckily I had the 2013 MacBook Air on hand, so I could demonstrate how a 2013 device could be brought back to life with Linux. This made it easier for her to believe her 2011 Lenovo could also be rejuvenated. In the past I’ve brought back a 2007 Fujitsu laptop from the dead, so if Linux works as expected, Jane’s 15 y.o. laptop should once again be capable of web browsing, email and YouTube. Unfortunately, she had lost the power supply. So I gave her instructions on how to find a power supply either at Centre Com or eBay, and asked her to come back to me another day.

So no crowds (like the one in Westerville Ohio last month), no queue stretching out the door, no dramatic laptop rescues (the host Repair Cafe chose not to publicise my little Linux corner, as they were apprehensive of inundation and a lack of on-hand Linux expertise other than myself). That’s understandable, new ideas take time to find their footing. But a 2011 Lenovo may soon get a new lease on life, and every old computer that remains in use is one less device headed for recycling/landfill, one less replacement needing to be manufactured. For a first outing, that’s enough for me. I’ll continue flying a flag with Tux on it, and will explore establishing a dedicated Linux Repair Cafe at Burwood Neighbourhood House, where I work.