2025-03-17

Dedicated Computer

One of the things that worries me the most is leaving everything well organized on a technological level. Obviously, I’m not indispensable, but there are things I’ve always handled, and in my absence, they could pose difficulties for my family. Undoubtedly, these would be manageable difficulties, but why not make things easier?

Besides, I’m a bit paranoid when it comes to cybersecurity.

At home, we use several computers:

• Carmen has her work laptop.
• David has his school laptop, as well as a desktop computer where he plays and does his own things.
• In my case, I have a desktop computer, a (obsolete) laptop, a NAS, and a MiniPC that acts as a server for some things at home. Despite having all these computers, the truth is that, once I’m no longer here, we don’t have a secure computer to access certain things. Until now, my computer has been the secure one.

Neither Carmen’s laptop nor David’s is really suitable for this purpose, as they are dedicated and controlled by third parties (her job and his school, respectively). David’s desktop computer is used for everything, from gaming to testing all kinds of programs. It wouldn't be the first time he has reinstalled it from scratch. And I think that’s great because experimenting is how you learn things. But of course, this is not a secure computer where I can leave anything important.

My main computer is highly customized to my needs, which means it’s not feasible to use it as is. I could repurpose this computer, but for now, I still need it.

In short, I’ve decided to buy a MiniPC, whose sole function will be to provide access to certain things. Once configured, nothing else will be installed on it, nor will it be used for any other purpose.

I’ve installed two drives: one with Windows 11 and the other with Ubuntu. The computer can boot into either of them. The idea is that, even if one of the drives fails in the future, they will still have access to the same data from the other. The other reason for using both Windows and Linux is the same: if one system gets corrupted for some reason, the other can always be used as a backup.

Some of the things that will be on this computer:

• My 1Password account configured. Any management they need to do on my behalf will be easier since they won’t have to set up my 1Password account on their own computers.
• Direct access to my email accounts. Direct access to banks and other important websites.
• Documentation and access to business-related matters.
• A backup of all family photos and videos.
• Guides on household matters, such as how the boiler works, how the home network is set up (and how to simplify it if necessary), solar panels, the car, a list of subscriptions and recurring payments.

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