[ILUG] Old distro CDs

[Brian Foster]

  | Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:38:22 +0100
  | From: Michael Watterson <watty at eircom.net>
  | 
  | Ian Spillane wrote:
  |  > Strange question maybe; but I'm doing a clean up of CDs.
  |  > I have a terrible instinct against throwing things out.
  |  > Is there any purpose to old editions distro CDs and DVDs?
  |[ ... ]
  | Sometimes it's hard to find the download and they are needed to install
  | drivers etc and test drivers prior to migrating the driver to a new kernel.
  | 
  | Also embedded devices often use older kernels and sometimes these can't
  | be updated. It might be useful to have the PC version.
  |[ ... ]

 in addition the reasons Michael gives, it is,
 historically, wise to keep the install media
 which correspond to any backups you keep.
 i.e., if a backup was made on version X.Y of
 some *ix distro Z, then keep the Z *ix vX.Y
 install media.

 whilst it's been awhile since I've run into
 newer systems not grokking either the backups
 themselves, or the files which are backed-up,
 it has happened (and still can happen); this
 when the ability to retrieve the older software
 (and/or source/documentation) which wrote / can
 read the whatever is obviously a useful option.

 I still have some 9-track reel-to-reel tape
 backups containing files never transferred to
 other media.  hence, I _also_ still have the
 relevant *ix installs (also 9-track), albeit I
 rather doubt any of the tapes are readable now.
 (which perhaps suggests there's no reason for me
 to hang on to those old backups and installs?)

cheers!
	-blf-
-- 
▶ ▶  I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A JOB!  ◀ ◀ | Brian Foster
Experienced (>25 yrs) software engineer:    |        Montpellier, FRANCE
 • Unix, Linux, embedded, design-for-test;  | Stop E$$o (ExxonMobile)!
 • Software/hardware co-design, debugging;  |     http:/www.stopesso.com
 • Kernels, drivers, filesystems, &tc;    Résumé (CV) & contact details:
 • IDL, automated testing, process, &tc.   http://www.blf.utvinternet.ie