[Shotwell] Quandry of choices and I need some general advice about photo albums made to CDs and or DVDs.

[Stephen R Douglas]

I have digital photos scattered about on memory chips, on an old linux
computer and none on my newest computer listed below.

New Computer: Systems 76 Ion Nettop running Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick
Meerkat with a Gnome 2.32 desktop.   The hard drive is plenty large.

Shotwell version: 0.7.2-Oubuntu2 

I need to do something before something happens and I lose a bunch of
photos including photos taken on two trips to Turkey and Greece.  Also,
Full Circle online magazine for the Ubuntu community just published
Issue # 53, September 2011 with an article on Back Up Strategies, Part
1. Or I could take my computers into a Linux shop and have them do it.
I could make somebody wealthy I suppose.

I have not backed anything up in years and so I need to accomplish that
as soon as possible.

So I have some questions.  Once I have backed up everything should I do
the update to Ubuntu 11.04 via the Update Manager on the new computer?
I have resisted that update because I will end up with a Unity Desktop.
Not against it.  Just not sure I want to use it.  I am 69 years old and
not what you would call a wiz-band knowledgeable Linux user or mechanic
although I have used Ubuntu for many years and I have largely forgotten
how to use my old Win-XP that is on my old dual boot computer with
Ubuntu.

On the old computer with dual boot is: 
Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS which is supported to April 2013.  I do not
believe I can update this computer to a later Ubuntu version due to its
age...mainboard installed in 2000. Gnome 2.30.2 is the desktop.
F-Spot and gThumb is installed.
Ubuntu Software Center shows that Shotwell version 0.5.0 is offered but
not supported by Conical on this edition of Gnome 2.30.2 and Ubuntu
10.04 Lucid.  Since everything in this old computer box has been
replaced with new gear except the mainboard and one 20 gig hard drive, I
hope to install a new mainboard with sata cabling and install the latest
either Mint 11 or Ubuntu...not sure which way I may go, but I am at that
cross roads once all my back-ups are completed.


On the other side is Win-XP with Picasa 3.8.0 installed.  Win-XP is up
to date with Ms-Windows Security program, (Hey, its free!), installed
and up to date.  There are photos on the Win-XP side taken with an old
Canon A-40.  I understand that there is a way to reach into the Win-XP
side from Ubuntu to retrieve those photos, but I do not know how. 

Once I have completed all the back-ups I would really like to offer my
friends to see my photos either on CDs or DVDs as photo albums.  How
should I go about doing this using Shotwell?  I am not keen on using web
based sites to store my photos.  Nothing against it so much as I do not
want to pay for or lose control of my photos at some future date.  

There is a lot to think about and that is the reason I made this posting
to the list.  I am open to any and all advice before I do anything with
my photos.  Mint or Ubuntu or something else.  I want a system and
desktop that will remain friendly into my old age that I can live with
as my mental powers wither away to the final end.  It may not matter
what happens to the photos other than my offspring should enjoy making
that decision for themselves.
Thanks for any advice you may have.