I’ve built a virtual museum with nearly every operating system you can think of (virtualosmuseum.org)

Article summary

A virtual museum of operating systems has been created, featuring nearly every operating system from the history of computing, including mainframes, workstations, home computers, and mobile devices. The museum is implemented as a Linux VM for QEMU, VirtualBox, or UTM, with a custom launcher and pre-installed emulators. The goal is to make historical operating systems accessible and runnable on modern laptops and desktops. The project is the result of over 20 years of collecting and preserving software and documentation.

Main themes

• Operating System Preservation
• Emulation and Virtualization
• Computer History
• Software Collection and Curation
• Retro Computing

What commenters say

• The virtual museum is a valuable resource for exploring the history of operating systems, but it lacks a comprehensive list of included operating systems and a search feature.
• Some commenters are nostalgic for old operating systems and interfaces, such as TabWorks and NewWave, and appreciate the opportunity to revisit them.
• There are concerns about the potential copyright and legal issues surrounding the inclusion of certain operating systems in the museum.
• The project's approach to emulation and virtualization is seen as a significant achievement, making it possible to run historical operating systems on modern hardware.
• Some users are frustrated by the lack of information about the museum's contents and the need to download a large file to access the operating systems.
• The museum's curator is praised for their dedication and effort in collecting and preserving software and documentation over the past 20 years.
• There are discussions about the technical challenges of emulating certain operating systems and the importance of preserving their history and functionality.