One of the earliest uses of GNU/Linux was in the reuse of older hardware. Do you have an old 386 computer hanging around that's too slow for your new version of Microsoft? Put GNU/Linux on it and turn it into a router or a DNS server. Later, there was a movement for recycling old hardware, stripping it down, cleaning it up, reconfiguring it, and creating systems either for people that could not afford a new computer or for school labs using the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) to run them. This approach was particularly effective when new desktop computer systems were selling for thousands of dollars. Additionally, some of the harsh chemicals that were in computers made it better to recycle the computer than to throw it into the landfill and buy a new one. Naturally, too, Free Software was a fit for these machines because the license was gratis and the new owner would not have to pay for the software on their "new" machine.

Although there are still people who cannot afford a new computer, some of the costs of reusing these machines warrant re-evaluation of reuse decisions. For restoration, the machines need to be gathered up and transported to a place they can be reconfigured. Sometimes, they are donated by a large company that will pay for transportation to the point of reconfiguration. Then, the machines typically need to be taken apart and reconfigured  – or at least tested for usability: Is there enough working memory? Are the fans still good? How much disk space does it have? Then, the software must be loaded and configured. Although this work is often done by volunteers, it still costs time and money.

After the machine is ready, it has to be deployed to the new owner. In some cases, this new owner might be overseas, which means the machine needs to be packed for transportation. Then, at the receiving end, import duties may be applied to these computers that would otherwise have been thrown in the dump.

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