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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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How to save data for archive purposes? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 months ago by 8263ksbr@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Hi,

I’m not sure if this is the right community for my question, but as my daily driver is Linux, it feels somewhat relevant.

I have a lot of data on my backup drives, and recently added 50GB to my already 300GB of storage (I can already hear the comments about how low/high/boring that is). It's mostly family pictures, videos, and documents since 2004, much of which has already been compressed using self-made bash scripts (so it’s Linux-related ^^).

I have a lot of data that I don’t need regular access to and won’t be changing anymore. I'm looking for a way to archive it securely, separate from my backup but still safe.

My initial thought was to burn it onto DVDs, but that's quite outdated and DVDs don't hold much data. Blu-ray discs can store more, but I'm unsure about their longevity. Is there a better option? I'm looking for something immutable, safe, easy to use, and that will stand the test of time.

I read about data crystals, but they seem to be still in the research phase and not available for consumers. What about using old hard drives? Don’t they need to be powered on every few months/years to maintain the magnetic charges?

What do you think? How do you archive data that won’t change and doesn’t need to be very accessible?

Cheers

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[–] dgriffith@aussie.zone 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Blu-Ray USB drive and M-Discs is about the best you can get at present. Keep the drive unplugged when not in use, it'll probably last 10-20 years in storage.

Seeing as there hasn't been much advance past Blu-ray, keep an eye out for something useful to replace it in the future, or at least get another drive when you notice them becoming scarce.

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

According to this Blu-ray has some of the worst expected shelf life, with the exception of BD-RE.

[–] Extrasvhx9he@lemmy.today 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Think they meant a blu-ray drive that could burn to a m-disc.

[–] dgriffith@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

As another poster has mentioned, M-Discs are written using a Blu-ray writer and are good for a few hundred years, in theory.