As the Debian project works on the remaining Bullseye effort and transitions to the upcoming Bookworm effort I recognize that some changes will probably need to be made that will almost certainly leave some old systems behind. Debian has always done a very good job of supporting many different architectures. Over the past five years or so, I know that some efforts have been made to analyze and see what's actually being used, and to what extent. I happen to know of a few derivative projects that have been using Debian technology that have brought new life to some really aging equipment and some people in either Third World countries or in communities with low incomes and either limited or non-existent access to modern equipment. One such effort, the antiX distribution, has been effective in reaching poor communities in Brazil recently, and has long been able to reach people with scaled down Debian technology all over the world. I'm wondering if there is some way to provide a "hook" or a way for some of these ten to twenty year old systems to remain functional for those who may not otherwise have a way, other than to run insecure, out of date systems. If there is a way, even a "side project", I hope that the Debian community can help a few of these derivative distributions assist people worldwide to have access to modern technology, even from systems that are barely "modern" any more. Thanks for your consideration.
-- Brian Masinick masinick at yahoo dot com
