Brodie a Linux YouTuber uploaded a video about a project, I was not aware off: Software Heritage. It is basically for code, what Internet Archive is for websites. If you want watch Brodies video as an introduction: https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=MUA9Fu4jNGY or YouTube directly https://youtu.be/MUA9Fu4jNGY
- Archive: https://archive.softwareheritage.org/
- Mission: https://www.softwareheritage.org/mission/
- Features: https://www.softwareheritage.org/software-heritage-features/
- FAQ: https://www.softwareheritage.org/software-heritage-faq/
- Wikipedia Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_Heritage
We are building the universal software archive
We collect and preserve software in source code form, because software embodies our technical and scientific knowledge and humanity cannot afford the risk of losing it.
Software is a precious part of our cultural heritage. We curate and make accessible all the software we collect, because only by sharing it we can guarantee its preservation in the very long term.
That’s cool but is it necessary? If the licence permits redistribution then anyone can just upload to an existing software forge like Codeberg etc
I think this is the right page that addresses this question: https://www.softwareheritage.org/mission/software-is-fragile/
I don’t think it does address the question. In order to archive source code, you need to have the source code in the first place, ie you can’t archive truly lost source code. If you have the source code, you can upload it to any software forge.
The point is, does it someone? This archive is doing exactly what you say someone could do, copying the software to a place that most likely will survive. They give some examples to what dangers are there, even for open source software. In example, are all Git repositories on Github and other personal repositories backed up on a safe place that will be available to the public at same place? All versions of it?
Not all code is big and used as often and secured like the Linux code in example. 20 years from now, there will be software, that most individuals and companies will not have anymore on their servers and may not even care. Hardware fails, services disappear and so on. It’s like arguing that anyone can do a website copy to archive it, but does anyone do it? Same thing applies here.