Macintosh Garden has various OS install images among a bunch of other software. There are also preconfigured installations of Mac OS 9 for Windows and macOS in Sheepshaver with integration with the host system.
QEMU is also an option for running Mac OS 9. It can run the final release of Classic Mac OS (9.2.2), unlike Sheepshaver. It has overall better software compatibility. Preinstalled versions for QEMU can be found on The Internet Archive. File transfer in and out of the emulated system is a bit more involved than with ShespShaver, though.
If you just want to play around with these systems briefly and won’t necessarily be using them on a regular basis, Infinite Mac is a really cool project to emulate them right from your browser.
First two are right on, but I haven’t been charged for an actual software update on the Mac in 30 years.
I’d love to know where you got OS 9 for free
Macintosh Garden has various OS install images among a bunch of other software. There are also preconfigured installations of Mac OS 9 for Windows and macOS in Sheepshaver with integration with the host system.
QEMU is also an option for running Mac OS 9. It can run the final release of Classic Mac OS (9.2.2), unlike Sheepshaver. It has overall better software compatibility. Preinstalled versions for QEMU can be found on The Internet Archive. File transfer in and out of the emulated system is a bit more involved than with ShespShaver, though.
If you just want to play around with these systems briefly and won’t necessarily be using them on a regular basis, Infinite Mac is a really cool project to emulate them right from your browser.
That would be a hell of a trip down memory lane.
Do you know if any of them have Oscar in the trash can?
OS 9 released 25 years ago. That’s technically less than 30 but I think the point stands.
I’d love to know how well your 30 year old Mac runs the latest OS.
Agreed. Typically just buy a new machine when the first one fills up.