floppy disks?

[Robert Heller]

At Sat, 9 Mar 2019 08:21:15 -0800 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> 
> On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 23:14:51 -0800
> rikona <rikona at sonic.net> wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 22:49:53 -0800
> > Dave Stevens <geek at uniserve.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 22:40:46 -0800
> > > rikona <rikona at sonic.net> wrote:
> > >   
> > > > The older ones are 5.25 - may be harder...    
> > > 
> > > I have 5.25" drives on my parts shelf, several if I remember
> > > correctly, I don't suppose I'm the only one.  
> > 
> > I never thought I'd use the ones I had in older comps so didn't
> > remove/store them. Fair chance I could find one where I live, but most
> > likely will be in an old PC. :-) If so, I'll just use the old PC. IIRC
> > there may be IDE card issues I might have to deal with in my Ubuntu
> > box. Not sure I want a semipermanent install on that box.
> > 
> > I found a new 5.25" drive online - for $180, with the note: "It can be
> > difficult or impossible to install these drives in a modern
> > computer." :-))
> 
> so if you get that far you'll be able to read a 5.25" diskette, then
> what? The same old machine is not likely to have a usb socket or know
> what to do about FAT32, maybe look for a dial-up modem? and so on,
> you may have to reproduce the stages of storage access in the
> intervening years. Perhaps 5.25" to 3.5" and then a more recent Linux
> will have good support for old filesystems.

Note: the floppy *controller* and the connector on the motherboard for  5.25" 
and  3.5" floppies are the same.  (The drive end connectors are different.).

It is possible to get a 10BaseT (at least) Ethernet card for any really old
computers, so it will be possible to connect it to a LAN.

Many *not too recent* (last 10 years or so) motherboards do have a floppy
interface on the motherboard, even if there is no actual drive mounted. Worst
case, would be to take the case cover off and have the floppy drive hanging by
its cables. If you have an "older" but not too old machine -- sort of between
the start if USB and the final end of motherboards supporting floppies you
might be able to transfer the data to a USB thumb drive. You might be
supprised as to how many very recent motherboards do have a floppy header
connector on them.  Many have IDE connectors too.
> 
> d
> 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 

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