Turn an old laptop into a home server

That laptop in the cupboard isn't dead yet. Give it a useful second life.

Do it

1. Find an old laptop that still boots and back up anything you need from it.
2. Install a current Linux server distribution from a USB installer.
3. Connect it to your network and give it a predictable local address.
4. Enable SSH and test remote access from another machine.
5. Choose one useful job for it: file storage, a development server or a small self-hosted service.

What next?

Finish it properly. Then go back and find something else to do.