• Are we allowed to make copies, or put them online?
  How about software that has not been freely released by its publishers?
  Or what about "abandonware"-what is it anyway?
  In particular, am I infringing liscences by using Macintosh Garden to download my favourite software? Or do I really have to buy it on ebay?

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General rule of thumb is that if the publisher ever made it available for download, you can make it available. For example, the ISO images for Windows 7 are freely available from Microsoft, since it's the license key that matters.

Obviously, any time a publisher has expressly released it for free, you're free to post it however their license allows.

"Abandonware" is not any official thing. At the bluntest, it is the hobbiests' way of justifying piracy.

If you are acquiring paid software (and/or its license) in a format that the publisher did not originally distribute, odds are you're infringing. Although, obviously, if the developer is completely defunct, nobody's going to be around to complain.

• Are users still obliged to pay the shareware fee? Often, the address is not even valid anymore!
  Is it legal, if anyone has them, to publish or post the registration numbers, so that crippleware can still be enjoyed today?
  Is it OK to post registered shareware, so that users can use it freely?

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Yes, if the terms of use require a shareware fee, you are obligated to pay it to stay within the terms of the license.

No, it is not permissible to share the codes or unlocked versions without the developer's consent. (If you CAN find the developer, just ask. Quite a few in recent years have made their old software freeware, or even open source. Hell, even MacPaint 1.0 now has its source code legally available!)