On 12/17/23, Andy Smith wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 06:10:49AM -0500, Timothy M Butterworth wrote:
>> On Sat, Dec 16, 2023 at 7:45 PM Tixy wrote:
>> > Just announced today [1] it looks like Debian will drop i386 installs
>> > for the next release.
>> >
>> > [1]
>> > https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2023/12/msg3.html
>> >
>> Goodbye i386, you had a good run.
>
> I expect it to be decades before it's gone! 32-bit binaries will
> keep on being run under amd64.
There's always some place like Linux Collections out there, too. This
isn't an ad, it's a happy customer gush. My CDs and DVDs from them are
4 years old, and all still work great when emergency access is needed.
Wasn't a random purchase. I test drove LC because they're listed here:
https://www.debian.org/CD/vendors/#us
That points you to an amazingly long list of Debian releases:
https://linuxcollections.com/products/debian/debian.htm
Some poking around finds this which moves away from being solely Debian:
https://linuxcollections.com/products/buildcollection.htm
DISCLAIMER: My very old i386 CDs used to work on everything. The ones
I purchased from them did not. It's possible that the difference is
that I'm using much more modern hardware these many years later, but I
won't swear to that being the only difference in that equation.
That "build collection" option is how I picked out my stack of about
15 CDs and DVDs for maybe $35 four years ago. Prices are still within
my range with some looking like they haven't changed any from before.
Yeah, you can still SOMETIMES find similar archive files to download
and burn your own.. but not always, especially if you're seeking an
operating system's entire history while waxing nostalgic.
For example, Linux Collections lists ArtistX whose online presence is
disappearing. ArtistX has a PHENOMENAL number of visual and audio
creator type programs. A lot of them may not exist anymore. I LOVED
that DVD literally to its death so a heartfelt thank you to the
diehard fans who keep very old projects accessible today.
Wandering off now remembering that stack of 31 Debian CDs I bought
from that guy who also used to be referenced on Debian dotORG but who
closed his business a few years ago. Never even got CD #1 to work
because I was so brand new to Linux at the time.
That thought caused me to roll down the page to the bottom of Linux
Collections' Debian offerings. There is a "donate" option that I
forgot they have. I fully trust their promise to pay it forward...
because I can still find them listed on that Debian dotORG webpage.
Beyond that, they sure are not gouging on those prices... $2.39
still.. wow.
PS No, I didn't find specifics about them shipping international.
While test driving their "Add To Order" button, I ended up at their
shopping cart. That page does reference international orders so that's
hopeful.
PPS When playing with old distros, don't forget their security support
shut down sometimes decades ago.
PPPS They got DSL, Damn Small Linux. That's the distribution that
triggered my addiction to minimalist debootstrap.
When I encountered those 3 years or so of permanent GPT-induced GRUB
boot fails recently, I tried to find a replacement operating system
because others were still booting just fine from LiveDVDs. Never
stumbled on anything as cognitively friendly as debootstrap.. and so
here we still are. Thank you, Developers!
Cindy :)
--
Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA
* runs with her Happy New Year's Linux wishlist champing at the bit *
