Inventorying Miscellaneous Computer Junk? 113
drewhearle continues "Ideally I'd like an open-source solution with the following features:
A web-browser-based system (or something else with LAN connectivity) that would allow me to access the inventory from multiple computers
Something to indicate where each part is, i.e. "under bed" or "behind bookshelf" :)
A way to attach one or more photos to each item
Category organization, like "hard drives," "memory," or "cables". Subcategories would be nice too.
A "notes" field for each item, to save misc. information
Search functionality, so I could search by category or text-search any field.
I'm probably asking too much, but if there isn't [widely available] software out there like this, maybe somebody has developed something similar for themselves and would be willing to share."
First Post (Score:5, Informative)
Not to sound snide or anything... It's just, if you are a geek, then you should know how to work one of those thing-a-mabobs.
It's blindingly obvious (Score:1)
Hmm.
Re:I call what you're looking for a spreadsheet (Score:2)
Don't overlook using the barcode on many items. Knowing which IBM drive was removed from service due to random loss of formatting is good. If you are like me, you might have a few marginal parts that you just can't seem to part with because they mostly work.
Keep a comments section in your database. Notes like temporary loan to patch XXX helps recover lost inve
Re:I call what you're looking for a spreadsheet (Score:2)
I prefer the Brother labeling units. The per-unit cost of the labels is cheaper than the Casio models -- same razor/blades and printer/ink argument.
Re:I call what you're looking for a spreadsheet (Score:2)
I saw the razor/blade model and decided to use Labels Unlimited and Avery labels. I can add my own graphic from my clip art collection and can print all the popular barcodes. I can print labels up to full sheet in size. I can create an inventory list and do a batch printing job. I can create my own layout for any un-supported label stock I find surplus. Th
Re:First Post (Score:2)
Re:First Post (Score:1)
Re:First Post (Score:2)
Excel doesn't run on Linux... and, I run Linux.
Re:First Post (Score:3, Informative)
Then you can use somthing like PhpCodeGenie [sourceforge.net] to create some simple webforms for view/change/delete etc.
Maybe tinker with them a little so that they do the job...
But obviously, this is far from trivial (although not at all difficult for a Geek).
works for me.. (Score:5, Funny)
explaining it like "a green thing, with metal on one end, and little things sticking out of the green part" would gets me close to a nic/video/sound card, i can do the rest myself
Re:works for me.. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:works for me.. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:works for me.. (Score:2)
Re:works for me.. (Score:4, Funny)
In your case, am I right in guessing that the default "location" field would be "I'm about to throw this damn thing out if you don't move it right now"...?
And for me... (Score:2)
It sure is nice having obsessive compulsive "neat" women in your life so you can feel free to be carelessly messy, isn't it?
Re:works for me.. (Score:1)
My wife helped me to catalog a lot of my old computer equipment when we moved. Err, wait.. no that's not the right word... trash. Yes, she helped me to trash a lot of my old computer equipment (and comic books) when we moved. I get those two words confused when dealing with her and my fond memories of being a bachelor.
hardware solution (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:hardware solution (Score:1)
Re:hardware solution (Score:1)
I have a simple solution. (Score:5, Funny)
Now I have only to take my own advice. Anyone need a hundred ISA cards? v.32bis modems, AUI NICs, coax repeaters? How about power cords? I have about 50. Phone cords? 10 year old LaserJets with some toner? No?
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:5, Funny)
920 Delaware St. #3003
Minneapolis, MN 55414
That goes for anyone else too. Also, this would solve the problem posed by the submitter. Where's your stuff? I have it!
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Chop
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:3, Informative)
And even if only 1% of the guys'n'gals here are crazy enough to take you up on your offer (which I would say is a very conservative estimate),well let's just say you're going to get to know your postman very well!
On second thoughts, it would be quite handy, I know I have tons of stuff I don't use any more, but I hate throwing stuff away, I would be glad to donate
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
When you need an old piece of hardware, its nice have it on a shelf. 256mg harddrives are good for firewalls, so are those older 486's. And of course those 486's need memory and maybe a couple ISA nic cards.
Or maybe you want a old 486 with a soundblaster card, old modem, and printer to be a fax machine.
BTW, box of 3 foot phone cords dont do much, but with a couple extenders can become a time saver. Even something as simple as an old floppy drive can be a project saver.
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Anyone who has a spare 486 is also likely to have a spare Pentium, P2, P3, Duron, or something with a bit more horsepower.
If you have a 486, donate it to someone who needs it, or get rid of it.
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Nah, it does get slower. The only time a 486 remains a 486 is when your brain isn't aware that there's anything faster out there
Power cords! (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:2, Funny)
Be careful with those little buggers. They multiply if you keep them in a box together. I always seem to have about 10 times as many power cords as I do equipment which needs a power cord.
But it's never the good ones. (Score:3, Interesting)
If you buy a rack from Sun, it comes with power in it... but they insist on sending you one or two power cables for each item that goes in it. So you buy a 36U rack, you're probably going to be getti
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
Re:I have a simple solution. (Score:1)
If you live in the SF Bay Area, there's always the Computer Recycling Center [crc.org], with drop-off points in Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Petaluma. Yes, they will take those cables and cards, and maybe in the end someone will be able to make use of them (donation list [crc.org]).
(Although I have a hunch they don't really want my S-100 bus
should be modded insightful (Score:2)
OpenOffice (Score:3, Insightful)
Myself, I have a metal rack I bought. I keep a few boxes with cables on the middle racks, separated in 3 boxes by power/converters, misc, computer cables. Bottom rack has computer cases, routers. Top rack has HD's, CPU's, add in cards, modems. Works for me. And the rack only cost me 75 bux at the hardware store. Openoffice is free, so was the boxes.
Come to think about it, doing something native in Openoffice would be cool. Maybe use it's mysql db interface with openoffice. Could be quite the little learning experience.
Use a Wiki (Score:2, Insightful)
The inventory management, though, is rather easy. Use a wiki! That's what I do.
I have a drawer in my desk for all the small stuff (HD or smaller) and a big box in the attic. Then I use my family's TWiki site to maintain a table of what I have and where it might be -- along with a rather long list of who in and outside my family have which computers, and
Simple (Score:2, Insightful)
If it would be for a business, a little mysql database with php would still be real simple to implement.
I'm a karma whore! (Score:5, Funny)
*Here's hopin the mods have a sense of humor today.*
Re:I'm a karma whore! (Score:1)
I'm trying to be completely paper free
Re:I'm a karma whore! (Score:2)
Um, yeah, good luck with that. I'd love to see a student refuse to accept a paper handout from a prof, followed by the student "requesting" an electronic version of the document. Twenty bucks says he'll be "requesting" you to leave the class.
Re:I'm a karma whore! (Score:1)
If I were him, I'd just accept the paper, scan it into a computer, and recycle the original. End result is the same, and you don't end up being known as the whiny student who wants everything his way.
Re:I'm a karma whore! (Score:1)
You ever tried writing in the dark? :)
Re:I'm a karma whore! (Score:1)
I have just what you need (Score:5, Funny)
TrashCan[tm], made by DumpsterCorp(r), enables you to quickly and easily file away each and every one of those things you think might have some use in the future, but never actually do. Retrieval, unfortunately, is a little bit difficult, but I hear they are working on that.
Marriage[tm], from your friendly neighborhood software house, "Wife, Inc.", also helps you sort your old stuff by using a rule-based decision support system with natural language support:
" IF (you havent needed it for the past 5-10 years)
AND (you dont want me to file for divorce)
THEN (you must get rid of your silly junk)
AND (make room for sissy, pastel-colored baby gear)"
I have found that after using these two great pieces of software to help organize my inventory, I have recovered such an amazing amount of space, it's as if I never had an inventory to begin with!
Re:I have just what you need (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I have just what you need (Score:1)
Come on, you know Marriage is not available for purchase - it's available for licensing only. Note that even though the license is often advertised as perpetual, my experience has been that it must be renewed on a regular basis. Critical updates are labeled "birthday" or "anniversary", and these are not installed automatically, so there is a high likelihood of software crashes if you ig
Why spreadsheets? (Score:5, Insightful)
Spreadsheets == handling of numbers
Databases == handling of data
Spreadsheets are not originally designed for searching or indexing. Spreadsheets have no good concept of interrelations.
Use the right tool for the job, for a change.
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:5, Informative)
* There are no complex interrelations to the data. Not complex enough to normalize. Maybe just a bunch of key/attribute relationships.
* Many databases are client/server with a server always running in the background. Why run yet another service when you do something infrequently.
* The user interfaces to many databases are not user friendly. Spreadsheet allow for ease of entry without any coding. Many will auto-expand what you type with similar text above it. Many will provide pulldown menus to do basic queries.
Use cardboard boxes! (Score:1)
She just used the simple database program that came included with her Mac.
You don't need to learn SQL to set up a little database for things like this! Use spreadsheets for numbers!
Okay, so I'm a little bitter after having to convert hundreds of ever-so-slightly differently
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:2)
I guess from now on I'll have to use <funny></funny> to give the mods some more clues.is
BTW, this isn't meant to be funny or flamebait. Maybe "insightful"
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:5, Insightful)
What front-end software would you suggest be used for a home-oriented inventory control system?
Or is learning Perl, Tcl, PHP, HTML, and/or C, along with SQL and the different various features of available engines a prerequisite for organizing one's computer cruft? What a weighty project to undertake.
I maintain a good bit of inventory/stuff at home. Here's how I do it:
A cheap medium-size (~4 foot) rollaway toolbox. Individual components (resistors, caps, LEDs), in one drawer. Fasteners get their own drawer. Bundled cables in one. Small PC-card based items like RAM and CPUs get their own drawer. Add-on cards in another. Large items (fans, odd case hardware) get their own drawer. Power supplies and the like end up in the cabinet in the bottom of the box.
When I run out of space in one of these compartments, I start throwing things away, in order of age. An interesting side effect of this is that other things tend to disappear at the same time - a 12" amber monochrome monitor is a lot less useful after you toss the 15-year-old full-length ISA control card for it.
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:2)
Linux is cool, but it's almost useless by itself. Are we supposed to grok cryptic commands every day just to fix stuff that ought to work?
Databases are like UNIX, they are powerful for those who understand them, magical (or even scary) for those who do not. And yes, there are GUI interfaces to help manage both, but it's still the apps that make it really useful.
Bu
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:3, Insightful)
Spreadsheets store data. Databases store data. ASCII text files store data. Use whatever you want, but don't go overly complex just for something as simple as cataloging a list of old crap. Tons of my "databases" are ASCII text files that I've just added onto over the years and search through with grep. Databases are a PITA to setup properly and a poorly setup database is no more ef
Re:Why spreadsheets? (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally, though, if there is no calculation to be done on the data I am putting in my flat file, I use the tables feature of whatever my word processor happens to be. Or just commas, se
Check SourceForge (Score:5, Informative)
This wouldn't be all that hard to put together with PHP and MySQL, and I've got a lot of code laying around that could be reused to put this together pretty quickly. Anyone want to help with development? Contact "chris at efinke dot com" to pitch in.
Re:Check SourceForge (Score:2)
Me too. Except I'm not sure where I put all of it. I was thinking of getting together some kind of inventory system to help me keep track of it... Oh, wait...
The low tech solution... (Score:1)
Re:The low tech solution... (Score:1)
quite ironical indeed
after some time you would need the archive your archive organizer too
hummm (Score:1)
as for book keeping over the computer stuff that you own, i believe a good shelf system in the attic is one of the best choices. as for companies, i think they should give up the old hardware to opensource programmers who are quite often in need for a
Interesting (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd say most hardware types, myself included because I have this problem, would only keep enough stuff that a bit of organisation would do wonders for.
Get all your ISA cards and put them in one drawer, and label it "ISA Cards". Same for the stack of old IDE hard drives. Repeat until done. What I find handy is to also label each drive with a set of parameters in one uniform place (don't cover the little airhole thingy).
Neaten up the cables you want to keep and wrap them in masking tape. Write the specifications on the tape if you like - "CAT-5, 5M". Put them all into the one drawer/bucket/cupboard.
Making a database or using an application to handle the database sounds like a pretty complex operation, I think it would just be one more thing to worry about. Better to keep your stuff organised logically, which in turn would make you more organised. Adding a database into the equation will just complicate things even more.
Sometimes the low tech fix is the best fix.
Re:Interesting (Score:1)
I find that using sealable freezer bags to bundle similar cables/plugs together helps to avoid stuff being lost/tangled up.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
Also cable ties have worked out nicely for me, the wire ones with the flat plastic coating. Neat bundles for all the kettleplugs helps them fit into a nice box.
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
I also tried the tie-wraps but if you need to get to a cable and you don't have your utility knife/boxcutter (*shudder*), your cable will be limit
Re:Interesting (Score:2)
wire ties are also excellent however for keeping cables in bundles.
Elastic has a habit of cracking after a long duration. The hair ties might do better because they have the cotton around them.
As already noted... (Score:4, Interesting)
It's ok if you are going to do a pure text data entry, but don't store it as a workbook, export it to a cvs file that you can import into a database that you build to handle the things that do not work well in a spreadsheet. You know, things like the photos of the equipment in question.
Spreadsheets also do not handle web access very well. There's two big requirements that are unmet by the spreadsheet method.
You could probably throw together a quick gui in glade or qt to access a posgres, mSQL, mysql, or other database for stuff like this, or throw together a vb interface as well. Nothing wrong with any of that except that on their own they do not meet the web accesability requirement. For that you are probably going to want to use either perl or php.
Nothing radical here, at the same time, nothing really generic enough to be a large enough project for most people to want to use.
Questions to ask are do you want to keep track of purchase date, serial number and prices for warrenty information? Are you going to keep the receipt filed someplace else? What are you going to say when your SO reads that your webcam is stashed under your last girlfriend's bed? Are you going to code remote locations some way different from the closet? How about a storage container, or garrage?
How easy will it be to update? The nic you pulled out of that system you retired a year ago was in the garage under the workbench until you installed it in that system you built for your neighbor last week. Is the database updated with it's new location? Or will you be looking under the workbench next month?
But then you are probably aware of all those questions, so forget I ever asked...
-Rusty
overkill (Score:1)
Just keep the list in a plain text file. That's how I manage contacts, appointments, movie db, and many other data.
For web access, just keep the
All other requested features are there already! It's just a matter of organizing the text and using a simple text sear
The ideal solution would be... (Score:4, Interesting)
If a bunch of us could cart all our crap over to this hypothetical garage, and we had a gentlemen's agreement between all of us that we were all free to dip in to the big pile at any time for any reason, that would be ideal. I wouldn't particularly mind if someone nabbed one of my 14.4k modems, as long as I was free to nab one of their Soundblaster AWE-64 cards in exchange.
We may need to get a bunch of big boxes and label them "modems", "LAN cards", "memory chips", "sound cards", "power cords" and so on, but that's the limit of the management that would be required.
Re:The ideal solution would be... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The ideal solution would be... (Score:2)
Christ on a Cracker (Score:3, Interesting)
If you have so much excess old hardware that you want to stuff it into some sort of database, and you're not an eBayer or a retailer, you have issues. Big, expensive issues.
And not only because you feel the need to turn to a computer for what could be a very simple solution; two piles. One labeled "stuff I will never use or will likely never use" and one labeled "stuff I might someday use." Feel free to have several boxes! Maybe one is for cables, one is for HDs, one is for FDs, etc.
I've have never engaged in the "this question is too stupid for Slashdot" flamewars but I tell you, I don't mind if I start right now because if any post ever deserved it, it's this one. If you have so much outdated, unmarketable stuff that you need a db, a db isn't your solution. A garage sale or eBay is. If that doesn't work, try the trash.
I'm sure 95% of the replies are going to be in this vein but Christ, I really don't mind driving the point home Just That Little Extra Bit.
Re:Christ on a Cracker (Score:2)
Whatever's not in there that I need, I simply go to our local Goodwill Computer Store, and roll the dice in hopes of finding something that works for they have no systems to test with an a NO RETURN policy - the bastards. For
Paper and ink (Score:1, Funny)
eBay!! (Score:3, Funny)
Plone product (Score:4, Informative)
* A web-browser-based system (or something else with LAN connectivity) that would allow me to access the inventory from multiple computers
- plone works through the web, so thats no prob.
* Something to indicate where each part is, i.e. "under bed" or "behind bookshelf"
- you just define your Archetype with 'location' as a field - it can either be a free text field or you could make it a choice of items.
* A way to attach one or more photos to each item
- that's just an Image field in the Archetype.
* Category organization, like "hard drives," "memory," or "cables". Subcategories would be nice too.
- that's another simple 'choice' type field.
* A "notes" field for each item, to save misc. information.
- a text field - do you want structured text, plain html, ReStructured text, or uploaded files? Easy.
* Search functionality, so I could search by category or text-search any field.
- plone catalogs the content and there's a search box.
With Plone and Archetypes, all the forms for editing and adding content are built for you. You can use the default view, or write your own view templates.
www.plone.org for all your plone needs. Python skills useful.
Baz
Semistructured data? Use a search engine. (Score:4, Informative)
A simpler, scalable solution is to see all of this stuff as semistructured or even unstructured data - and point a search engine at it. (lots of people are heading this way - see eg ReiserFS [namesys.com], WinFS [microsoft.com].
To create your data, just make web pages and get the search engine to index them. You can even make the whole process very simple by using a Wiki with built in full text search like MoinMoin, or just go for a proper search engine like lucene [apache.org]/
There are disadvantages. In the most basic setup you will not be able to search for "green things" because until you move from unstructured to semistructured data, there are no properties for the search engine to pick on. Even once you do add properties, you won't be able to ask "add up the cost of all my junk" which is easy in SQL. But the speed at which you can add stuff to your inventory is some compensation.
Alright now.. (Score:3, Funny)
The first step is admitting you have a problem.
The garbage can rule (Score:2)
Don't organize, obliterate!
Beyond the normal trash, broken, and consumed stuff that should be thrown away anyway...
We're talking the big can that you drag to the curb. It might even have rollers on it.
Looks like you, like me, are over due. Maybe make it 2 cans of just equipment?
Where does it go? To your friends, your local LUG, sell it on Ebay, in second hand stores, library book drive, or toss it in the rec
Freemind (Score:1)
try (Score:2)
- take a photo of each layer (i.e. digital)
- seporate each layer with card
Purge, my son... (Score:2)
The day I need a database to keep track of my crap is the day I call the dump and rent a 2 ton bin again.
If you haven't touched it in a year or two, ask yourself if you really even need the stuff, and give it away or donate it to a charity for a tax break if you don't.
Personally I just:
Box of sh1t #1: label it cables
Box of sh1t #2: label it cards
Box of sh1t #3: label it hard drives/etc.
Box of sh1t #4: label it "???"
Box of sh1t #5: label it "trash" and toss i
Better yet (Score:4, Funny)
Get married. She'll tell you what to do with it all.
Re:Better yet (Score:1)
Parents' House (Score:2, Interesting)
Last summer I went to California for 8 months to intern. While I was gone, my father inventoried all my old hardware for me. Sent me spreadsheets full of listed items so I could decide what to keep, what to sell, and what to donate. All t
Re:Parents' House (Score:1)
Re:Parents' House (Score:1)
So a single Soundblaster is able to breed!? Or did it mate with some 3Com NIC and they had babies. Like 2 Soundblasters and 3 NICs... Maybe it's even possible to breed entirely new cards this way. I could use an extra MIDI port on my NIC...
and what would happen if you put ISA's and PCI's together in one box?
large plastic bags (Score:1)
Label the large plastic bags ("RCA", "mini-jack", "ethernet", "keyboard adapters and extensions", "serial", "ribbon").
Place large plastic bags (like those kinds that hold comfortors when you buy them brand new) in large cardboard boxes.
Very easy.
Donate it all instead! (Score:1)
Some folks I know have a charity that builds and sends PCs to education centres in the developing world. I won't give you the whole blurb on the organization because I won't do it any justice but you can check it out for yourself here [uconnect.org].
Their information about hardware donations is a bit vague on the website but
None of the above (Score:2)
Solution Developed (Score:2)