Old Slackware discovered (Down memory lane...)

re_nelson · 09-09-2013, 12:13 PM

Tucked away in the nether regions of my computer are tarballs such as these:

Code:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  481096 Sep 29  1993 BASE.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   39297 Sep 29  1993 BC.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  154312 Sep 29  1993 BIN4.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  680330 Oct 17  1993 BIN.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  138160 Sep 29  1993 BINUTILS.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   45945 Oct 14  1993 BUTILS10.TGZ
[...]
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  611732 Sep 29  1993 XREST.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  208506 Sep 29  1993 XV300.TGZ
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   28095 Sep 29  1993 ZONEINFO.TGZ

Unpacking BASE.TGZ, it contains:

Code:

drwxr-xr-t root/root         0 1993-09-29 10:29 ./
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 1993-09-29 10:28 bin/
-rwxr-xr-x root/root    300036 1993-08-27 19:18 bin/bash
-rwx--x--x root/root     23692 1992-09-20 06:47 bin/efdisk
-rwx--x--x root/root     19156 1993-08-29 13:24 bin/fdisk
-rwx--x--x root/root      3672 1992-11-17 01:26 bin/rdev.old
-rwxr-sr-x root/mail     37888 1992-11-22 15:18 bin/mail
-rwx--x--x root/root      2432 1992-09-20 06:46 bin/mkswap
lrwxrwxrwx root/root         0 1993-09-29 10:27 bin/rmail -> /usr/bin/smail
-rwx--x--x root/root      2508 1992-09-20 07:21 bin/setfdprm
lrwxrwxrwx root/root         0 1993-09-29 10:27 bin/sh -> bash
-rwxr-xr-x root/root      1204 1992-09-17 17:20 bin/sync
-rwxr-xr-x root/root        16 1993-09-29 10:28 bin/pwd
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 1993-08-29 13:23 usr/

There's also INSTALL.END, a textfile dated 01 OCT 1993 with these lines:

Code:

furry janis
fuzzy punkin
sleek runt

What version might this be? The ETC.TGZ tarball provides no hint other than "Welcome to Linux 0.99pl13.".

Having discovered these vintage tarballs, my intent as I go down memory lane is to try to get this version up and running on VirtualBox somehow. My first Linux was the TAMU distribution and then Slackware came shortly thereafter. These long-forgotten tarballs evidently were copied over from floppies some 20 years ago and I just now stumbled upon them.

brianL · 09-09-2013, 01:01 PM

Looks like something between 1.0.1 and 1.1.2. Details of all Slack releases here:

http://www.nielshorn.net/slackware/slack_versions.php

re_nelson · 09-09-2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

Looks like something between 1.0.1 and 1.1.2. Details of all Slack releases here:

http://www.nielshorn.net/slackware/slack_versions.php

Thanks for that link. Based upon that, my old Slackware tarballs appear to be from 1-OCT-1993's version 1.0.4. The three TAGFILE{,.ORG,.PAT} are all timestamped Sep 29 1993. And that squares with my memory since I first installed Slackware during a game between Steelers and the Saints (PGH 37-14) played on SUN 17-OCT-1993. I well recall swapping out the floppies while watching that game.

brianL · 09-09-2013, 01:28 PM

I started with 10.0, still got the CDs, given away with Linux Format magazine in late 2004.

re_nelson · 09-09-2013, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

I started with 10.0, still got the CDs, given away with Linux Format magazine in late 2004.

I'm so stuck in the 20th Century!

Lufbery · 09-09-2013, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by re_nelson

And that squares with my memory since I first installed Slackware during a game between Steelers and the Saints (PGH 37-14) played on SUN 17-OCT-1993. I well recall swapping out the floppies while watching that game.

That's just freaky. Cool, but freaky.

At least the Steelers won.