This is very true and sadly missing in this era of getting things that "just work". I must have lost several dozen hours trying to get audio working on an ancient RH Linux installation in the late 90s but all the stuff I did set me up for troubleshooting and working things out in a way that no "just works" setup could ever have.

I think it's very useful to work with barely working outdated systems early in ones education. They can teach you a lot which and the knowledge will compound very quickly.