Retrocomputing



Retrocomputing is the use of older computer hardware and software long after these systems are considered obsolete. It is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology. In some cases retrocomputing is pursued as a faithful preservation activity, but it also includes activities that "'remix' fragments from the past with newer elements or joining together historic components that were never combined before."

It can be of practical use when legacy systems are kept in production after the manufacturer has discontinued support. This is often the case in real-time and control applications. The recovery of important data from retired equipment is another reason to preserve and restore them.

Much of the information known about these systems is from people who worked on the machines when they were new and continue to collect and preserve them today. This body of knowledge is a resource that can be of use to academics studying digital heritage preservation.

This project is a history of computer science and technology resource that serves to gather a collection of "how-to" guides and other information useful to those pursuing the hobby and others who may put this information to practical use or scholarly study.

Resources
The first resources are wikified versions of old Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files that began in the 1990s. These were compiled and maintained by volunteers who would gather the most common questions and the most helpful answers posted to discussion forums. The FAQ file was then distributed to email lists or newsgroups.
 * DEC Professional Computer FAQ
 * DEC VAX-11/750 FAQ‎
 * Honeywell 316

Computer museums

 * Australian Computer Museum Society
 * Computer History Museum
 * Computer History Simulation Project
 * Cray Cyber A division of ComputerMuseum-Muenchen
 * Living Computers
 * Retro-computing Society of RI
 * Rhode Island Computer Museum]

Tools

 * Browservice (source code) and Web Rendering Proxy (source code) – headless web browsing servers that generate a live stream of raster graphics and send it to a legacy browser to make a site useable on legacy systems.
 * RetroZilla (source code) – web browser with the aim to support modern pages and cipher suites such as TLS 1.2 on antique operating systems such as Windows 95 and 98.