ABOUT THIS DIRECTORY

This directory documents physical computing and electronics
hardware associated with the Snakepit.

Potential contents include:

  > COMPUTERS
  > SINGLE-BOARD COMPUTERS
  > MICROCONTROLLERS
  > RADIOS
  > SDR HARDWARE
  > NETWORK EQUIPMENT
  > POWER SYSTEMS
  > STORAGE DEVICES
  > TEST EQUIPMENT
  > INTERFACES
  > LEGACY HARDWARE
  > THINGS FOUND IN BOXES WITH NO EXPLANATION

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HARDWARE INDEX

No public inventory entries currently indexed.

Future records may include:

  [SYS] COMPUTERS
  [NET] NETWORK EQUIPMENT
  [RF ] RADIO / SDR
  [DEV] EMBEDDED HARDWARE
  [PWR] POWER
  [STO] STORAGE
  [TST] TEST EQUIPMENT
  [LEG] LEGACY SYSTEMS
  [UNK] WHAT THE HELL IS THIS

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root@snakepit:~/archive# cat hardware/METADATA.txt

HARDWARE RECORD FORMAT

DEVICE:
MANUFACTURER:
MODEL:
SERIAL:
APPROXIMATE DATE:
CATEGORY:
INTERFACE:
POWER:
CONDITION:
STATUS:
SOURCE:
ACQUIRED:
LAST TESTED:
DOCUMENTATION:
PHOTOS:
NOTES:

Unknown fields should remain:

UNKNOWN

Guessing does not improve the inventory.

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STATUS FLAGS

  [ONLINE]  CURRENTLY OPERATIONAL
  [TEST]    FUNCTIONALITY UNDER TEST
  [REPAIR]  REPAIR / RESTORATION REQUIRED
  [PARTS]   COMPONENT DONOR
  [STORE]   STORED / NOT CURRENTLY DEPLOYED
  [UNK]     CONDITION UNKNOWN
  [DEAD]    RELEASED THE MAGIC SMOKE PERMANENTLY

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root@snakepit:~/archive# ./identify device

CONNECTING...

POWER ................. UNKNOWN
INTERFACE ............. DB-25
LABEL .................. MISSING
CASE ................... YELLOWED
WEIGHT ................. SUSPICIOUS
MANUAL .................. NO
MEMORY OF BUYING IT .... NO

IDENTIFICATION:

PROBABLY IMPORTANT.

ACTION:

PUT IT BACK IN THE BOX.

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LEGACY HARDWARE

Age alone is not a failure condition.

A machine may remain useful because it is:

  > RELIABLE
  > REPAIRABLE
  > WELL DOCUMENTED
  > INTERFACE-RICH
  > OFFLINE CAPABLE
  > PURPOSE BUILT
  > INTERESTING
  > ALREADY PAID FOR

"OLD" and "USELESS" are not synonyms.

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STORAGE RECOVERY

Old storage hardware may be inventoried separately from the
data recovered from it.

Typical workflow:

  [01] IDENTIFY MEDIA.

  [02] DOCUMENT CONDITION.

  [03] AVOID UNNECESSARY WRITES.

  [04] IMAGE WHEN PRACTICAL.

  [05] HASH THE IMAGE.

  [06] EXPLORE A COPY.

  [07] CATALOG INTERESTING ARTIFACTS.

  [08] PUT THE DRIVE SOMEWHERE "SAFE."

  [09] IMMEDIATELY FORGET WHICH SAFE PLACE WAS USED.

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root@snakepit:~/archive# ./hardware-test --all

TESTING...

device01 ............. PASS
device02 ............. FAIL
device03 ............. PASS
device04 ............. NO RESPONSE
device05 ............. MAKES NOISE
device06 ............. GETTING WARM
device07 ............. WHY IS THAT LED BLINKING
device08 ............. ABORTED

SUMMARY:

3 DEVICES FUNCTIONAL.
2 DEVICES QUESTIONABLE.
3 DEVICES REQUIRE ADULT SUPERVISION.

root@snakepit:~/archive# whoami

ACCESS DENIED.

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HARDWARE PHILOSOPHY

Use the right tool.

Understand the interfaces.

Keep the documentation.

Repair what makes sense to repair.

Preserve what deserves preservation.

And never throw away a weird adapter until you are absolutely
certain what it does.

Then wait another five years.

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root@snakepit:~/archive# ls adapters/

serial/
parallel/
usb/
coax/
audio/
power/
unknown/
unknown2/
unknown_final/
unknown_final_REAL/

root@snakepit:~/archive# _

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[ RETURN TO ARCHIVE ]
[ RETURN TO ROOT ]

root@snakepit:~/archive#