Retro Computing: Challenge Yourself in Retro Style
So, I've never really disclosed one of my prime uses of Retro Computing on my modern hardware. Most people might spin up an older version of Microsoft Windows or even opt for DOSBox to get some sort of retro gaming running and call it a day. Allow me to present an incredibly fun, challenging, and rewarding passtime that perhaps a lot more people that I can actually assume also enjoy doing.
Enter the Retro Scenario
Ever imagined being a system administrator in the late 80s or early 90s? I sure did, and still do, and make that dream a reality through the magic of retro computing!
So, here's the main idea. You think of a scenario that could be plausible back in the 80s and 90s, then place yourself as the system administrator and then try to build out that scenario using real or emulated hardware from the era. For emulation of a lot of older PCs, I highly recommend the 86Box emulator. It supports a large number of retro systems, including a lot of network hardware.
You would want to create a scenario such as a simple office to start with, such as a couple client PCs which are then all networked to a server. Each operating system in this network should match the period, along with the hardware of course too. In some cases, you could mix and match as some offices had older systems alongside ones which just released, so there is a bit of room there.
Awhile back I created a fun desktop program for use with 86Box called System Manager, the repo includes a screenshot.
If you decide to try out this idea yourself, I highly recommend using a Linux host, the Btrfs file system, and of course my System Manager mentioned above for the most optimal experience possible. You should create templates of commonly used system configurations to make it easier to say spin up a Windows 95 box, but not have to go through the entire installation each and every time.
As an added touch to your scenarios, it is always fun to locate and install some period era software for your scenario. If this is a retro software dev shop, then you could also install a developer client, along with a development software from the era, and perhaps even try to compile a simple program with it. It is a great way to experience what a development pipeline may have looked like back in the day.
In these scenarios, always try to go the extra mile, and install various services and have many client PCs connect and communicate over them. A really fun and interesting vintage technology that not many people even remember is the ever so popular WINPOPUP.EXE. Another service to try is the older Microsoft Post Office which was available on Windows For Workgroups 3.11, and later included in Windows 95. They are all fairly easy to install and configure. Then add some fake users for your scenario, give them all accounts, and see how everything actually works.
Other scenarios would be to try an office full of OS/2 PCs, and with Infinite Mac, you can even use it to try an office full of Macintosh computers. Infinite Mac does support AppleTalk, so have it!
Conclusion
I will try to make a post soon about some of the scenarios that I made myself, and that perhaps other people can try out themselves.