467
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by Novocirab@feddit.org to c/unix@sh.itjust.works
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[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 98 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

While cleaning a storage room, our staff found this tape containing #UNIX v4 from Bell Labs, circa 1973

Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist: https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition

We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum

[-] Fmstrat@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

If you ever get a chance to goto the CHM, do it. Super cool.

[-] BartyDeCanter@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 11 months ago

Instructions unclear, goto considered harmful.

[-] Zachariah@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago
10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD"
20 GOTO 10
[-] krooklochurm@lemmy.ca 7 points 11 months ago

That's the most functional and elegant code I've ever seen.

[-] nightlily@leminal.space 6 points 11 months ago

Me after a month of employer induced LLM usage

[-] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 64 points 11 months ago

I hope they're able to extract the data. I'd love to see it boot up.

[-] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 16 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Magnetic storage is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to massive amounts of long term offline data. Sure, it doesn't last forever, but proper quality tape lasts for many decades.

Source: I work with tape drives, and the amount of data I've written to tape and sent off for long term storage is measured in petabytes.

[-] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I have a box of 5-1/4" floppies from mid eighties. Over 95% still worked fine a couple years ago.

[-] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 53 points 11 months ago

And it is still better than Windows 11

[-] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago

And it is still better than Windows ~~11~~

[-] ozymandias@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 11 months ago

And it is still ~~better than Windows 11~~

[-] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 18 points 11 months ago

Is it tho? That's a LONG time for magnetic bits to remain stable.

[-] 4am@lemmy.zip 12 points 11 months ago

You could erase that tape and it’d still be better than Window 11

[-] pticrix@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago

just received my new ssd. installing it this weekend, then I'm choosing a distro (or two), then testing phase. If so goes well, I plan to say bye bye to Windows before the end of the year.

[-] bhamlin@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

~~And~~ it is ~~still better than Windows 11~~

[-] moopet@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

Still a better love story than Windows 11

[-] Ioughttamow@fedia.io 24 points 11 months ago

And my wife scoffs at my mild hoarding

[-] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago

I can play Sokoban IRL with all my stuff. I meant "have to".

[-] reallyzen@lemmy.ml 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

What does "700 GP 3200 FCI" means ? One should be the length of the tape I guess.

[-] Cort@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

3200 fci is flux changes per inch, so basically the number of bits per inch of tape.

700GP is the style of tape. 1/2 inch, 9-tracks.

The length of the tape depends on the size/diameter of the reel it's on. Going by the markings on the left it's about 1000ft of tape.

[-] Ersatz86@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago
[-] ralakus@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Using those measurements, that's about 38.4MB of storage on that tape

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

That is awesome. I guess there’s no way to clone it? Is there a virtual PDP-11/45?

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 31 points 11 months ago

I own a PDP-11 that still works. I'll have to contact the museum to see if they want it. I bought it off of NYIT in 1999 for $200

[-] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 11 months ago

They'll want it I think!

[-] massacre@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago
[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago
[-] dbtng@eviltoast.org 3 points 11 months ago

Downgrade today!

[-] Devjavu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 11 months ago

Torrent it. I dare you.

this post was submitted on 07 Nov 2025
467 points (99.8% liked)

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