Stefano Marinelli

My home desktop - 1 March 2000 - a Pentium 233 MMX.
The OS was Debian Linux - you can see a printed Tux near the keyboard.
No broadband connection, just a 56k modem.
Iomega Zip drive - so I could download stuff at Uni and bring it back home.
One year later, this became my first 24/7 server.

#IT #SysAdmin #Linux #Debian #Throwback #Memories #Vintage #OldPhotos #OldTimes #OldNerd #OldMe #VintageSetup

Aug 9 at 2:25pmWeb
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
gosh...25 years ago. Now I feel old.
Show threadsamir, one-quarter spiderAug 9
@stefano In software, we say “legacy”. 😄
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@samir ok, so I'm old, legacy and vintage 🤣
Show threadsamir, one-quarter spiderAug 9
@stefano I want that on my wall for video calls. With a big arrow pointing to my head. 😜
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@samir 🤣
Show thread🏳️‍⚧️Debian Aug 9
@stefano @samir This computer photo older than my age.
I only have a photo of 10 years old laptop that sold in 2024 may.
https://objects.g0v.social/accounts/headers/111/522/101/856/576/109/original/5c5c5cbe0e43b26d.png
Show threadsamir, one-quarter spiderAug 9
@wikifox @stefano What!? That’s a perfectly good server if you pull the battery out!
Show threadaCiRePAug 9
@stefano nothing more satisfying than the sound of a dial up modem while connecting. As I had a very bad phone line and 14.4k modem it sometimes had to retry 6-7 times so every time while waiting I was making plans what to do once connection is established. Those were the days!
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@acirep Eheh exactly. I used to buy those USRobotics modems because they were the only ones who were good enugh to connect at more than 9.600, as the line wasn't that clean.
Show threadnineofsevenAug 9
@stefano 25 years... 2000... fuck... that makes me even older... which makes you younger... i give up. Going to the beach for a bath.
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@nineofseven that's always a good idea 🙂
Show threadTomAokiAug 10

@stefano
I should have been using P3-500 with 384MB(!) of RAM with mainly OS/2, and sometimes FreeBSD, Linux, BeOS and WinNT around 2000.

Internet connection was on ISDN (2B+D line, not T1 unfortunately).
1 year trial of FTTH (100Mbps media converter) came to me as a consumer monitor at late 2000, back to ISDN after that, then commercial FTTH (100Mbps ePON) came to me at early 2003. This line is what I'm still using (now replaced with GePON limited with 100M, though, but by the same fiber).

Show threaddirk dierickxAug 9
@stefano Internet was so expensive back then. At the time I worked night shifts in a NOC, on quiet moments I would download software updates and also put them on a zip disk to install them later at home.
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@dirkdierickx yes, it was. The most expensive thing was the phone bill (dial up connections) so we had to be fast enough when connecting.
I was using fetchmail to download my e-mails (then using mutt) and inn+suck (and, then, slrn or tin) for usenet.
Show threadDaniel SchildtAug 9
@stefano @dirkdierickx We had ADSL connection in 2001 at work that cost ~170 € per month. It had fixed IP addresses and permissions to run own servers. But it was very slow connection.
Show threadDima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱Aug 9
@autiomaa @stefano @dirkdierickx In 2001 lived in Rotterdam and had an ADSL at home, on a tight budget; I had an email server at home, serving two very small domains, using one of dynamic DNS services. It ran on an old DEC Alpha XL box, with Debian on it.
For some reason, the hardware clock was always an hour off 🙂
Show threadAndy HAug 9
@stefano thought you were going to say, just upgraded it to Trixie 😎
Show threadTomAug 9
@stefano were computers even beige back then? Or is that just from the ageing?
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@tomeire the photo isn't totally accurate (it was my first digital camera, a Kodak) - I still have it and it still works but yes, it was beige. As you can see, the mouse is totally white and the monitor is grey-sh. I still have that computer (it's at my parents' house). I'll check the current color, 25 years later, next time I'll be there.
By the way, they're still using that keyboard 🙂
Show threadjhxAug 9
@stefano
That brings back memories... 😀
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@jhx the problem is that it seems like yesterday...
Show threadAndreas (82mhz)Aug 9
@stefano @jhx
I feel that. I recently looked at pictures from my dorm room from when I started University in 2003, and it feels like it wasn't that long ago. I still kind of feel like that young guy that lived in that room... then I look in the mirror and an old dude with no hair and a grey beard is looking back at me 😄
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@82mhz @jhx
Same feeling here. Same person, different shape.
Show threadNico CartronAug 9
@stefano @82mhz @jhx repeat after me: IT’S. IN. YOUR. HEAD. :-)
Show threadLFAAug 9
@stefano That exact same year I had DSL at home, payed by my first employer. Before that I had a 33.6k modem 😅
Show threadAdriano 🐡Aug 9
@stefano how all that white plastic parts were not yellow yet? And where are the plastic dust covers? FAKE AI photo! 😂
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@barbosaaob 😆 and the open case? Why is the case open? Computers don't work like that! 😆
Show threadXenotarAug 9
@stefano @barbosaaob Open Source and Open Case :)
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@xenotar @barbosaaob 😆 I kept the case opened because I installed - uninstalled cards just for fun. Oh, good old times.
Show threadXenotarAug 9
@stefano Open Source and "Open Case" (the universal cooling solution then), almost the same setup I had at home: a Pentium Pro with 96M RAM running FreeBSD, Samsung Syncmaster, US Robotics 56k modem (ppp connection) and a Zip drive (plus a cat somewhere)
Show threadrozodruAug 9
@stefano oh man the case without the cover on...yup rocked that too. My friend in university at the time had a T1 line so I would take CD-R's and would burn a bunch of music and games on to them to take them home as I only had a 56k modem.
Show threadStefano MarinelliAug 9
@rozodru by the way: as you can see, there's a 1998 Ricoh CD burner. Vendors and people used to say that the home made CDs could last something around 5 to 10 years. 25 years later, they're still totally fine.
Show threadrozodruAug 9
@stefano yup I still have burned Dreamcast games I got off IRC back in like 2000 that still work fine today. even have a burned copy of Windows 2000 that I'm sure still works.
Show threadZeki Çatav 🤔 ☕ 🕯️🎶Aug 10
@stefano The first PC I used was a Multitek Popular PC 500 with a 4.77 Mhz, 8088 CPU, 512 KB memory, dual 360 KB, 5.25" floppy disks. The OS was MS-DOS 3.2. I think it was around 1987-1988.
Show threadPete OrrallAug 11
@stefano The good ole days! Seriously, this brings back so many memories. My first Linux box was in a similarly sized behemoth of a tower. A dual P2 266MHz running Mandrake in 2004.
Show threaddaniel tAug 23
@stefano Cool