If you or your organisation are faced with a challenge to retain access to digital information over time, the Emulation Framework might become handy. Current computers are not capable of executing old programs anymore and old file formats most likely need to be converted before they can be used.
With emulation you can recreate the old computer platform again and run your program as it used to run on a real machine. It offers you almost the same ‘look-and-feel’ as in the old days.
However, configuring such a platform is difficult. The Emulation Framework (EF) bridges the gap between technique and usability by automating the steps in between. The EF 2.0 comes with a basic set of 7 open source emulators which are capable of emulating platforms such as x86, Commodore 64, Amiga, BBC Micro, Thomson and Amstrad . It has been tested with at least 30 different file formats which could successfully be accessed. The basic set of supported emulators and software can be extended to fit your needs.
Where can I download it?
The Emulation Framework 2.0 software and documentation is available on Source Forge at:
Note : the EF only comes with open source emulators and free software. Extending this set is possible using the graphical wizards of the EF but it requires the original software and license provided by you.
About the EF development team
The EF software team was led by the National Library of the Netherlands. Main development of the EF was done by Tessella who developed the core functionality, software archive and emulator archive. The user interface for novice users was developed by the University of Portsmouth. The comprehensive user interface was developed by the National Library of the Netherlands.
KEEP stands for Keeping Emulation Environments Portable
More information about the KEEP project: http://www.keep-project.eu/ezpub2/index.php?/eng