Calling geeky things “sexy” feels like trying to justify liking the geeky thing by giving it a different name. I understand why you do it. What I don’t know is

Calling geeky things “sexy” feels like trying to justify liking the geeky thing by giving it a different name. I understand why you do it. What I don’t know is how your project relates to both older computers and older operating systems, because this sounds like something ideal for an operating system much more modern than the popular Windows 7 that is used a lot today: Centos 7. Setup for that purpose, fast and powerful, while being perfectly reliable and having modern ease of use through systemd. I have a similar idea going on another laptop with a minimal Debian 9 installation (takes a little more setting up, but I can install more CLI programs outside your SSH use case). And from that comes me wondering why you think the older hardware has a benefit. I sure find the lack of IPS screen noticeable even when the screen for the most part just displays text on a black background. Since the CLI has the best HDPI support out there (increase the font size), you could even take advantage of a high resolution screen. What I do find especially good in your case is how you show how long hardware can last when not skimped on. An old thinkpad has great build quality, and for the most part there is no reason to stop using it. The best way to reduce waste is to not waste at all.