Legacy Software Preservation and Access
Digital Preservation @ IU Libraries
Heidi Kelly - heidowdi@indiana.edu
Luke Menzies - lmenzies@indiana.edu
Software in Context
Software as a Technical Object
Software as a Cultural Object
Software as a Research Output
Preservation of Software
Significant properties
Four aspects of software preservation:
- Storage
- Retrieval
- Reconstruction
- Replay
We can read a thousand-year-old manuscript, yet archivists cannot decipher some materials that are less than 20 years old.
- Gould and Varlamoff, 2000
Challenges
The Right to Copy
Degrading Media
And Obsolete Hardware
Software Dependencies
Emulation and Access
Case Study:
Legacy PC Games
Strategy
+ Install necessary OS's
+ Install games and get them to run
+ Create and configure tools that will enable easy, secure use
Why make disk images?
+ for Preservation
+ for Emulation
+ for Access and Use
Troubleshooting
+ Drivers
+ Patches
+ Copy Protection
-
original disk
-
codes & quizzes
-
advanced copy protection software
Access & Use
+ File Locations: User vs. System
+ Ease of Use <=> Restricted Access
+ Security & Privacy
<Thank You.>
Resources and Further Reading
Legacy Software Preservation and Access
By Heidi Dowding
Legacy Software Preservation and Access
Presentation for the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology Annual Summit, February 10, 2017.
