For the most part I have backups, configs are largely in git etc. However, some old work is gone since the drive itself is hardly functioning and I'm not paying

For the most part I have backups, configs are largely in git etc. However, some old work is gone since the drive itself is hardly functioning and I'm not paying for professional data recovery. So if you get a hard drive installed in your head, make sure you have the same stuff backed up in git... and make friends with a cyber-dolphin...