You’re looking for what’s called a “pigtail”. Ps/2 seems to be another name for 6-pin “mini-din”, which is a standardized connector format.
Here’s an example.
https://www.amazon.com/AIMLYF-CONNECTOR-PROGRAMMING-BREAKOUT-CABLE/dp/B0D9BD64QR/
You can try searching anywhere that would carry that kind of equipment like mouser.com or digikey.com.
Launch Partition Manager and find out. It’s probably boot or efi.
I found this listen to be a good explanation of the connection between an American developed technology and the Dutch company that employs its use.
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/13/1212604208/asml-euv-extreme-ultraviolet-lithography-microchips
Maybe this might help frame the context for the posted article, if you’re interested.
Edit^
Nah, uh, uh. You didn’t say the magic word!
If you plan on using the device for school, it might be worth your effort to check with the school to see if your program of study will be accommodating, allows for, or otherwise specifies directly what os to use. Some institutions offer free or reduced cost licenses for what os is required. I know that there may be some coursework that can require a specific os for the applications you’ll be required to use. Test monitoring software is the first, and probably most extreme, example that comes to mind.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Laptop/Lenovo
^here’s a good place to look for compatibility and hardware support.
You said your parents believe it to be a poor choice because of the machine age. Do you mind me asking what you purchasing it primarily for?
So for any one else wondering, I went looking for receipts and it seems to check out. Source material claims to be affiliated with the University of Oxford. The database is difficult to navigate, but i was able to find this link to the 4.08.16 english text.
Even as someone who is way out of depth, the database is interesting to explore.
If hiking and cycling interest you, have you considered mountain biking? Do you live in an area where trying out mtb might be a possibility?
I’ve had this happen on a newer Dell laptop and an Asus atx build. For both machines, a BIOS upgrade to the latest from their respective OEMs immediately restored functionality.