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Re: What is the oldest computer that could be used today for real work? [message #411087 is a reply to message #411082] Sat, 18 September 2021 16:07 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: J. Clarke

On Sat, 18 Sep 2021 11:02:05 -0700, Peter Flass
<peter_flass@yahoo.com> wrote:

> J. Clarke <jclarke.873638@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:49:00 -0600, Grant Taylor
>> <gtaylor@tnetconsulting.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On 9/18/21 12:27 AM, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
>>>> I suppose the real question is why not recompile them to take
>>>> advantage of the newer hardware. I know during Y2K work that a lot of
>>>> instances of lost source code came to light, are people still running
>>>> binaries for which there is no source ?
>>>
>>> Why recompile something just for the sake of recompiling it?
>>>
>>> If it's working just fine and is exhibiting no symptoms, why mess with it?
>>
>> However sometimes there are binaries with no source. Source was on a
>> tape or card deck that got archived and can no longer be found.
>>
>
> Or at least messed up. I tried to rebuild the PL/I(F) compiler from source.
> Several modules had minor problems, missing or extra END statements, but
> one had a major problem: a large chunk of the program was missing. I spent
> several days working from a disassembly to reconstruct the original.
>
> IBM had a big fire at PID in Mechanicsburg, and a lot of sources went
> missing. Digital Research lost the source to PL/I-86. The source for PL/C
> hs not (yet) been found, although the executable still works fine.

And I remember the time that NASTRAN got dropped down the stairwell at
a PPOE. Three floors with cards flying merrily the whole way. I
_think_ they were all found (I had to be somewhere and didn't get to
participate in the search).
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