[TUHS] unix v4 tape found

[Cameron Míċeál Tyre via TUHS]

Rob,

That's awesome. It's evidence for my often made argument, that we just don't know what's lying in closets and storage rooms or gathering dust on the very top shelf in some obscure room of some institution or other.

A great find and to second what Warren said, I hope it reads okay. If it was stored on its edge, it should be okay. If it was lying flat, there's more chance of corruption from passing muons.

Best to all,

Cameron


-------- Original Message --------
On Thursday, 11/06/25 at 22:42 Rob Pike via TUHS <tuhs at tuhs.org> wrote:
https://phanpy.social/#/hachyderm.io/s/115504720323483804

>From mastodon:

<https://discuss.systems/@ricci>
Rob Ricci
ricci at discuss.systems <https://discuss.systems/@ricci>

While cleaning a storage room, our staff found this tape containing #UNIX
<https://discuss.systems/tags/UNIX> v4 from Bell Labs, circa 1973

Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist:
gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_E
<https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition>

We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum