Breathing Life into Legacy: Open-Source Emulator for Legacy Apple Devices

Explore the development of QEMU-iOS, an open-source emulator for legacy Apple devices, in this 42-minute conference talk. Dive into the reverse engineering process used to emulate an iPod Touch 2G, including disassembling the Apple bootloader and XNU kernel with Ghidra. Learn about implementing essential iPod Touch peripherals like the touchscreen, storage, and display using the QEMU framework. Discover the challenges of emulating proprietary and undocumented hardware, and understand the importance of digital preservation for obsolete devices. Gain insights into the booting procedure, cryptographic engines, and hardware communication protocols of the iPod Touch. Consider the implications of open-sourcing this project and its potential impact on future emulation efforts for newer Apple devices.