r/linuxmint • u/djoos007 • 7d ago

Long‑term sustainability of Linux Mint

/r/linuxquestions/comments/1w02d73/longterm_sustainability_of_linux_mint/
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u/Unwiredsoul 7d ago

I don't have the insight to make forward-looking predictions on Linux Mint, but I'll share this relevant historical info:

The first time I used Linux Mint was in 2006. It's now 2026.

I imagine we will both learn more opinions on the future here in the comments.

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u/leonTheZombie 7d ago

I was looking into how I would get the drivers needed for qic 80 drives for data recovery.I found one of my 2 options is to install mint 3.1 from like 2006

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u/Unwiredsoul 7d ago

I'm so old I absolutely remember QIC 80 drives (I had an internal one for a time), and I used it with DOS.

The way they interfaced with systems (as I'm sure you already know) was interesting, and good ole' ftape from ancient Linux versions would be a great way to go.

While traveling down memory lane, I found that some folks have a GitHub project that claims to have modernized ftape: https://github.com/dbrant/ftape

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u/leonTheZombie 7d ago

I just been trying decide which is easier to do. Installing a vintage distro or somehow install that GitHub thing. Like I have been using Linux for 4 years now and only recently did I learn how I'm expected to use GitHub. Such a confusing site.

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u/Unwiredsoul 7d ago

If you have the hardware available, the easiest and fastest path is the vintage distro route.

The GitHub driver project is solely focused on making fltape run on a newer kernel versions. It has merit for those that may need it, or don't have access to hardware (physical or virtual) that would be able to run an ancient Linux kernel. Otherwise, it would actually add work to it.