How do you keep track of your evergrowing software pile?

hamster

Over the years I have backed up quite a bit of stuff over hundreds of CDs. In the last few years I have been using a utility called Ruby to keep track of it. I have long tired of labelling my discs!
When I burn a CD with a backup of my latest downloads for later use etc - I run it through Ruby to make a list of the CDs contents. So if I need something later I search for it through here... or I can just explore the CDs for something nice.
Just wondering if you got anything different or have another technique of keeping track of your software.

Here's a shot anyway:

rogue-entity

I dont have large collections of software, so I keep them in CAB files organised by category and save them on my fileserver (as well as a portable HDD).

hamster

rogue-entity wrote:

.....organised by category....

Actually Category is indeed quite a good way to keep the lot organized. Even if it were divided by media cds or hds or whatever.

zilog_jones

I got a job last summer and bought an external 300GB hard disk My CDs and DVDs from before that are still in a hideous unorganised mess.

Lump

I have 1.3 Terrabytes.....

That does me.

John

mathew

hamster wrote:

Over the years I have backed up quite a bit of stuff over hundreds of CDs. In the last few years I have been using a utility called Ruby to keep track of it. I have long tired of labelling my discs!
When I burn a CD with a backup of my latest downloads for later use etc - I run it through Ruby to make a list of the CDs contents. So if I need something later I search for it through here... or I can just explore the CDs for something nice.
Just wondering if you got anything different or have another technique of keeping track of your software.

Here's a shot anyway:

Any chance of a link?? Its exactly what i need!! Tried google, but nothing is showing up!!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Can't say my app collection is growing that much really... I've been happily using the same version of winamp for around the last 7 years... ain't broke don't fix, etc.
I'm using a 120Gig harddrive, so installers for the programs I actually use can sit there happily in their own little folder.
If I download something and it turns out to be crap or something I don't use, it gets deteled.... likewise I don't keep the installers of programs that get updated every few weeks. (eg. various opensource projects)

Lump wrote:

I have 1.3 Terrabytes.....

That does me.

For now :P
Just looking at my Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 folder ... 113 MB... lol bloatware?
Didn't older versions used to be like 5MB?
tbh if it's any more functional than it used to be, I'm not seeing it. :rolleyes:

Lump

It probably uses tabs and looks pretty now though

TBH, I normally delete installers right after installing. After all, with my Phat 8meg connection, if I need them again I can hawkeye them.

Freeware that is.

John

zAbbo

I tend to know the apps I require by name, and just re-download (new versions etc.) when needed.

Also, drop Acrobat, and use Foxit - http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

hamster

zabbo wrote:

I tend to know the apps I require by name, and just re-download (new versions etc.) when needed.

Also, drop Acrobat, and use Foxit - http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

Going off topic for a moment - Zabbo, I tried Foxit - it's a great little pdf viewer - nice and small and one file. However do you find the fonts in some pdfs blocky? I agree adode's has gone crazy since version 5, although version 8 got rid of the ads. Way too big though.

UPDATE: Nice one! Foxit - updated to version 2. I had 1.3.

Matthew, you can get Ruby here... http://www.warpengine.com/ - click on downloads on the left.