PS3 Linux

By Rob Fahey Published 1 December, 2006

How it works and what it's good for.

It's probably not immediately apparent to you while reading this, but this is a momentous point in Eurogamer's history. These words may seem broadly the same as others you've read on the site, but I assure you, they are not - these are special words. For many years (well, about seven), Eurogamer has written about the finest, and least fine, games available on videogame consoles - but our inherent PC bias has always been apparent from the fact that no matter the words we wrote, they were always written on PCs.

No longer! Today, dear reader, you are viewing the very first words to appear on Eurogamer which have been written on a game console!

This is probably the point at which one of my colleagues inserts a barb about how I've used a Mac for about three years anyway - and that at some point in the distant past some mentalist probably submitted a review written on a Dreamcast or something. However, the point remains - I'm writing this article on a game console. A PlayStation 3, in fact, running the extraordinarily competent OpenOffice.org 2.0 Writer application on the Linux operating system. It wasn't even that difficult to get to this point; but the question is, should you bother, and what does the availability of Linux mean to the average gamer considering a PS3 purchase?

On the next page of this article, you'll find detailed instructions and guidelines for how to get Linux running on the PS3, including download links for all the various bits you'll need. If nothing else, this should give you a good idea of how difficult it is to get running (not very, but still not recommended for entirely non-technical users) and perhaps let you decide whether you want to take the plunge yourself.

Beards and Sandals

The version of Linux which currently runs on PS3 - I used Fedora Core 5 - is extremely advanced in some ways, and utterly backwards in others. It has a text mode installer which requires significant technical know-how to operate without a detailed guide, and dumps the user - logged in as root - at an unfriendly command prompt. Worst of all, without knowing specific PS3 Linux commands, you cannot either return to the PS3 operating system, or change video resolution in Linux. It's all still very rough and ready in that regard - and in other respects, too, it's quite basic. I couldn't get it to acknowledge the existence of a wireless network adapter in the PS3, for example.

However, if you simply want a system that can run office software, browse the web and so on, PS3 Linux is more than adequate. With a keyboard and mouse plugged in, the system becomes, effectively, a PC; the GUI is straightforward, the applications available are extensive, and the whole thing, by and large, just works. It's well outside the scope of this article to actually review Linux - suffice it to say that thousands of people choose to run it as their desktop operating system, but despite my respect for what the people working on the OS have accomplished, I'd really prefer not to, given the choice.

What is much more interesting from the point of view of the average user is what Linux means to the PS3 in the somewhat longer term. You can run MAME and a number of other emulators on it, you can connect to network shares and to the Internet, and you can play any media you choose through the variety of excellent open-source media players like VLC which are available for the platform. Right now, doing all of these things is possible but somewhat awkward - perhaps best left to advanced users and hobbyists. However, it would be naive to assume that things will stay that way.

The fact is that by opening up the PS3 to other operating systems, Sony has made it clear to users that they can adapt the PS3 to their individual uses without having to chip the system. It will probably be a matter of months before someone develops an operating system, based on Linux, which installs through a simple process on the PS3 and presents the user with a nice, simple interface, controlled by the SIXAXIS pad, for playing a variety of media, streaming from servers on your network, reading webpages, playing emulated ROMs, and so on.

Sound familiar? It is, of course, exactly what the Xbox became when it was chipped, had its hard drive replaced and was updated with a piece of software called XBMC - Xbox Media Centre. The PS3 is a more powerful system, which benefits greatly from things like USB ports, built-in card readers and a wireless LAN card, all of which enhance its functionality as a media system, while a faster processor will make the playback of high-definition content, such as H.264 video, a possibility - so it will be a very valuable system as a media box, just as a chipped Xbox was in its day.

However, the fascinating part of all of this is that in the case of the PS3, no chip will be required - and Sony has, in fact, made the tools freely available to accomplish this. A few restrictions exist - you can't access the RSX graphics chip, for example, so 3D graphics won't be possible - but so far nobody has found any restriction which will prevent an XBMC style system from being developed for the PS3 which any user can install simply by downloading a DVD image and putting a small file onto a USB key.

In a sense, you could argue that this is the death of chipping. You can run your own OS and all the homebrew you want on the PS3; you can run games from any region, with region coding being explicitly forbidden by Sony's regulations for the system. The only reason remaining for chipping, arguably, is simple criminal piracy, and, unlike with other consoles, it's hard to think of any reason anyone other than a pirate would want a chip in their PS3.

More importantly, though, this is a fascinating development for the PS3 as a platform. Right now, PS3 Linux is really a toy for hobbyists - and while I've written this entire article on it, I doubt I'll be writing any more in this fashion. I'll be intrigued, though, to come back in six months time and find out what the open source community has done with Sony's new toy - because the potential here is undoubtedly incredible.

If you want to try out PS3 Linux for yourself, flick over the page for detailed install instructions!

Installing and Running PS3 Linux

One man's "not that difficult" is another man's technical nightmare, so it's worth going through exactly what I had to do to get Linux up and running on the PS3. One major difficulty I did face was the lack of any kind of guide online which is written in passable English or which goes beyond the point at the end of the install where you get a blinking cursor on screen and not a lot else, so hopefully this can fill that gap to some extent as well.

It's worth pointing out early on that unlike the Linux kit for the PlayStation 2, Linux on the PS3 is completely free - aside, obviously, from the need to have such things as a broadband connection, a few blank DVDs, a USB stick, and, er, a PlayStation 3. I guess the last item on that list might be a stumbling block for a lot of people right now.

The full list of things you'll need, then: a PlayStation 3, a blank DVD, a blank CD, a USB key, and a USB keyboard and mouse.

Then you'll need to download some things. First, grab a copy of the latest version of Fedora Core 5 Linux - you want the PowerPC version of the operating system, which is free to download from the Fedora Project. You want "bordeaux-DVD-ppc.torrent" on that page - it's about 3.4Gb so be prepared for a heavy night's downloading! Burn that to a DVD, and while you're doing that, grab the PS3 Linux Add-On Packages CD, which is another free download - available by FTP from the Linux.org site. Burn that to a CD.

You're almost done downloading. The last file you need is called "otheros.self" and can be found on Sony's website - it's only a few megabytes. Grab that and put it onto your USB stick - you want to create a folder called "PS3" in the root of the USB drive, then a sub-folder of that called "otheros", and place the "otheros.self" file in there.

One last thing before you start - pop the PS3 Linux Add-On CD that you burned earlier into your PC, and go into the "kboot" folder. There'll be a file in there called "otheros.bld" - copy that off the CD and drop it into the same folder on the USB drive, where you put "otheros.self" just a moment ago.

Right, you're ready to go. Now for the frightening bit.

Boot up your PS3. First, you want to make sure you've backed up as much as possible from your hard drive - be warned that when I installed Linux on our prototype PS3, it wiped the user profiles and save games during the format process, so you could be in for a nasty shock on that front if you're not prepared for it. Once you're satisfied that you've copied everything of value, go to the Format utility (it's under Settings, in the System menu) and go through the menus to create a partition for another operating system on the drive. It will quickly format the drive, and when it finishes, a section will be set aside for Linux.

Now plug your USB key into the PS3 - and select "Install Other OS" on the system menu. It will find the "otheros.self" file, and ask you if you want to proceed - give it permission, and it'll put a loader on your system that will let you start the install process. The final thing you need to do in the PS3 menus is here - go to the Default OS setting, and switch it from "PS3" to "Other OS".

Say goodbye to the PS3 dashboard - you won't be seeing it again for a while. Reboot.

When the system comes back up, it'll just give you a command prompt. Pop your install DVD in the drive (the Fedora Core DVD - not the Add-On CD), and at the command prompt, type:

install-fc sda

1

Come all ye faithfull and kneel at the Altar of next gen technology. Its just that there's only one chair and that's Rob's....

You'll be asked if you want a full or minimum install - unless you really know what you're doing, select a full install, as this will give you all the various applications you'll need to actually get some use out of your Linux system. Next, you'll get a few questions, ranging from the inane to the very technical - just type "y" and hit enter in response to all of them. They're basically just checking that it's okay to wipe the Linux partition and install over the top. The one question you do need to be concerned about is the root password - make sure you set this to something you can remember, or your entire install will be useless!

At this point, I hope you own another game console, or a handheld, or a really good book, because the install process from here until the next time human interaction is required will take about two hours. There's not a lot of point watching it - it's not even particularly hypnotic. Just leave it be for a couple of hours, and when you come back the system will be asking for the Add-On Packages CD you burned earlier. Pop it into the drive, and you're on the home stretch.

A few minutes more, and the install process will - finally - finish. Helpfully, you'll be dumped right back to a command prompt. To shut down the machine at this point, you'd type halt, but obviously you'll want to play with your new toy! Instead, type reboot and the machine will do exactly that.

After the lengthy boot process - which is terribly verbose and spits text around the place like there's no tomorrow, none of which you actually have to bother yourself with - you'll be at a login prompt. Log in as root with the password you set yourself.

Command prompt. Bit like DOS, this? However, before you head off into the pleasures of the windowed environment, there are a few things to fix. For a start, you'll want to get out of that nasty 480i resolution...

The crucial command here is one called "ps3videomode". Basically, this is a custom command that sets the mode on the PS3. If you're hooked up using a component cable, the commands are as follows:

ps3videomode -v [number]

Replace [number] with 2 for 480p, 3 for 720p, 4 for 1080i and 5 for 1080p. Alternatively, if you're using RGB rather than YUV component video, use 34 for 480p, 35 for 720p, 36 for 1080i and 37 for 1080p. Those are all for 60Hz displays - there is a different set of numbers for 50Hz displays. A full set of the numbers is available in the documentation on Sony's site.

If you're using a HDMI cable, you have the option of using VESA resolutions, like those used by PCs. For WXGA, use 11; for SXGA, use 12; and for WUXGA, the highest resolution supported by the console, use 13. However, a quick word of warning - my own experimentation with the console suggests that when running Linux, the PS3 insists on outputting HDCP signals, which basically means that the signal is copy-protected and will only work on monitors that support HDCP. The more recent Dell 2407 monitor supports HDCP on the DVI port, for example, so you can plug in a HDMI to DVI cable and it'll work - the older Dell 2405 doesn't, and nor do the majority of computer monitors. There may be a way around this, but I have yet to find it if so.

Next, you'll probably also want a way to return to the PS3's normal operating system. To do so, type the following at the command prompt:

boot-game-os

This command shuts down Linux and boots into the PS3 OS, which will be the default boot OS from now on. To get back into Linux, go to the system menu and set the default OS back to "Other OS", like you did at the start of the install process.

Last, but by no means least, once you've set a video resolution you're happy with - it's time to get into the nice graphical operating system. To do this, at the console, type:

startx

From here, you can explore to your heart's content. This is a very typical Linux install, and there's loads of information out there to get you started on using Linux - all of which is beyond the scope of this article. Enjoy!

Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

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Comments (111) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Jesus: Action Figure #1 6 years ago

    I've been hitting refresh hoping for a Zelda review and *this* is what we get?

    Oh well...

    /reads

  • captain_cupcake #2 6 years ago

    Rob - cheers, very interesting article indeed. My desire to buy a PS3 has just twinkled into existence.

    JAF - that would be nice too ;)
    Edited by captain_cupcake at 01/12/06 @ 17:32

  • DrPhil #3 6 years ago

    Ha! They spelt Link wrong!

    Wait a minute...

  • Steroyd #4 6 years ago

    wow first comments section from an article that originated from a PS3... this is the closest to a PS3 i'm going to get to for a while i suppose.

  • foxy2006 #5 6 years ago

    yeah come on enough with the beard and sandals - give us bloody link
    Edited by foxy2006 at 01/12/06 @ 17:36

  • jmctavish #6 6 years ago

    So, it's a pirates dream then.

    Microsoft and Nintendo won't be too pleased once people start playing Marketplace and Vitrual Console games for free on the PS3.

  • urban #7 6 years ago

    NICE

  • prettyboytim #8 6 years ago

    One of the PS2s is probably an American one, or a test station (which would mean that they could play preview code)

  • bunglebonce #9 6 years ago

    Loving the duck on the shelf.

  • Zawath #10 6 years ago

    PS3 Online - A Cheater's Paradise.

    It will be very easy to cheat because of the Linux.

  • Shinji #11 6 years ago

    Can't EG even afford a slimline?

    Why would I want to spend more money on a slimline when my old PS2s work just fine? o_O

    (One PAL one Test is quite correct - prettyboytim wins the prize. Not in shot: far right, a GameCube, and on the unit off to the side, another PS2, an original Xbox, and a broken Xbox 360 :) )

  • Shinji #12 6 years ago

    It will be very easy to cheat because of the Linux.

    Why? Linux has precisely zero interaction with the PS3 Operating System or with any PS3 games, and the whole thing is carefully sandboxed under a hypervisor operating system layer.

    Unless you have some technical knowledge about this, might I humbly suggest that you just made that up and are talking nonsense?

  • Psychotext #13 6 years ago

    So... a Ģ400 PC with 256mb of system ram and no monitor you say? Checks Dell's site...

    Seriously though, it's good that you can do this but I can't see it being much use to anyone bar the enthusiasts. I'm also kinda concerned that they just made PS3 piracy a ton easier.

  • bauhaus #14 6 years ago

    This is fantastic news, surfing on my phat LCD, in comfort. Joy

  • PhakeDC #15 6 years ago

    Why are you concerned? Piracy sells! As for this Linux, I'm a fresh Ubuntu convert, but I see no point in fiddling with a distro which has a rigged Kernel. I doubt it will be of any use for homebrew emulators either, then again those emu authors could probably build something to utilise all of the CPU cores.

    Now to RTFA.

  • Xerx3s #16 6 years ago

    OMG! A console can do a little bit of what my PC could do for years! Ž_Ž

    Why? Linux has precisely zero interaction with the PS3 Operating System or with any PS3 games, and the whole thing is carefully sandboxed under a hypervisor operating system layer.

    Unlikely, yes. But then again, stranger things have happened. Never say never, no system is full proof.

  • jayst #17 6 years ago

    Superb:D
    PS3 Best
    Xbox360 sux

  • waffle #18 6 years ago

    trying to lick you elbow gets the same result quicker

  • manuel_garcia #19 6 years ago

    Wow... hopefully by the time it launches in March they'll have done some cool stuff with this. If they can get it to read from a standard windows share (samba ahoy), it'll open up a whole world of possibility with regards to a media center device considering the PS3 is supposedly quiet as a mouse as it is. If this is done correctly it could be awesome in a year or so.

    I'm now intrigued by the PS3, good article :)

  • brooza #20 6 years ago

    I'm also kinda concerned that they just made PS3 piracy a ton easier.

    I'm sure I read a few days ago that it's already been hacked

  • spongebob #21 6 years ago

    Surely this can't sound like a bad deal for even the most hardened Xbox fanboy? :)

  • morriss #22 6 years ago

    Just my opinion but I want a console to play games on. Everything else is just bells and whistles. If I have to get a USB-key and learn how to use another OS etc., I have to ask how much would the console cost without the feature? And who exactly are they trying to appeal to?

    Anyway, just my opinion.

  • Mordum #23 6 years ago

    @bauhaus
    "This is fantastic news, surfing on my phat LCD, in comfort. Joy"

    Why is that anything new? I'm doing that right now. I have my PC, 360, DVD player, etc all running through my LCD TV. Sat on my sofa with my wireless keyboard and mouse searching the net in comfort, you don't need a PS3 to do that.

    If people have LCD TV's already then it's already possible to have this luxury (so not a deal clincher). One question I do have is, what's the picture quality like on a Standard Definition TV when surfing the internet on Linux? I imagine it's not very crisp and clear, but is it very hard to read anything on a screen such as that?

  • morriss #24 6 years ago

    "Surely this can't sound like a bad deal for even the most hardened Xbox fanboy? :)"

    I'm no fanboy but I can't see the point of it really. Maybe I don't enough about the potential. But I erad through it thinking, "sounds too fiddly" and "so what, where's the games?"

    Sorry.

  • Steroyd #25 6 years ago

    that doesn't make sense.

    What's the point of PC?
    Why buy the latest PC when it's primary function isn't gaming.

  • jiveguy #26 6 years ago

    What are the games like?

  • Psychotext #27 6 years ago

    "Why are you concerned? Piracy sells!"

    Yeah... piracy sells a $300 dollar loss a console. This would be bad for everyone. Sony would sell hardly any games. Ninty and MS would sell far fewer consoles and obviously fewer games too.

    It would look great for their sales figures obviously... but that's not everything. I mean have you seen the software sales for the PS2? Piracy wasn't exactly rampant on that but given the installed base the game sales are ludicrously low. Piracy without needing to hardware mod would set the industry back a long way.

  • Naboomagnoli #28 6 years ago

    Yellow Dog Linux is "where it's at" (ooh came across all American there).

    Simple one-click install, support for the SPEs, and it uses the Wi-Fi unit within the PS3.

  • Dirtie #29 6 years ago

    So you're buying a PC then? The point of a console is what exactly?
    Edited by Dirtie at 01/12/06 @ 20:13

  • Bluetooth #30 6 years ago

    Ah, well slap me a monkey because Ive just woken up to what Sony are trying to do. While MS want to take over Sony's market share in consoles, Sony responds with the PS3 being able to do all the stuff an OS could do, for free and therefore without giving Microsoft the dosh for yet another new OS.

    The only reason I don't use Linux as my main OS is because of games; and guess what? The PS3 will sort that out. If they have as many games as they did with the PS2, and the public get wind of these extra features, they'll forego upgrading or purchasing a new PC and yet another version of Windows and Office with it. It's a tough task, but if a lot of people get wind of this it could take a major hit on MS's previously unchallenged software side.

    Unfortunately, SME and businesses will still rely on paying their yearly subscriptions to MS, and they make a bucketload from that.

  • JHuxley #31 6 years ago

    "Seriously though, it's good that you can do this but I can't see it being much use to anyone bar the enthusiasts."

    Perhaps, but it's early days yet and I'm sure some clever people will make the whole thing a lot easier for dunces like myself (or already have, according to Naboomagnoli!).

    And once they've managed to overcome a few of the current limitations, this could be a very enticing prospect.

    No need to get your PS3 chipped. Download, install, play MAME.

    Could have more potential for an all-round PC/media centre than the original Xbox.

  • tnomad #32 6 years ago

    Forget Linux, I want OSX for PS3. That'll be my new desktop machine.

    Also that picture really doesn't do justice to exactly how massive Rob's monitor is.

  • HairyArse #33 6 years ago

    ZOMG!

    Why isn't there a GameCube in that photograph?

    Shinji is a Sony fanboy.

    ;)

  • space_ace #34 6 years ago

    Replace [number] with 2 for 480p, 3 for 720p, 4 for 1080i and 5 for 1080p.

    a. cga, b. ega, c. vga, d. svga
    1. adlib, 2. soundblaster, 3. soundblaster pro, 4. mt-32-something

    ah, memories

  • Hench #35 6 years ago

    As the PS3 surfs the net, what about internet security (spyware, hackers, viruses, etc). Someone is bound to make a virus for PS3, surely?

  • Xerx3s #36 6 years ago

    What's the point of PC?
    Why buy the latest PC when it's primary function isn't gaming.

    Supreme commander. Next?

  • JediMasterMalik #37 6 years ago

    An XMBC style program should be done pretty soon, I can't wait to see what else can be done on this sytem. I just hope they allow access to the RSX soon. Anyone know why they haven't permitted it just yet? Piracy?

  • Steroyd #38 6 years ago

    What is that bar under the article where it says Digg, Spurl, Del.icio.us, Fark?

  • onyxbox #39 6 years ago

    there are cheaper ways of running linux and getting it to work on your tv. homebrew scene will explode tho'

  • MrGrumpy.au #40 6 years ago

    An XMBC style program should be done pretty soon

    Probably not as MythTV is the closest thing to XBMC and it isn't supported on PPC platforms. You've got to remember most of the codecs used are Win32 DLLs (x86) so you would need an x86 emulation layer minimally supporting MMX/SSE to allow them to function.

    Remember the original XBox uses a castrated P3/Celeron hybrid processor so it didn't need to do any emulation when calling the windows DLLs.

  • Merefield #41 6 years ago

    Wait, won't Sony soon have to license Linux from Microsoft?? HAHA

  • JediMasterMalik #42 6 years ago

    @bcolter (and others like him)

    If PS3's primary function isn't games, then what is?

    The PS3 has a function you can use, it doesn't have to be a reason to buy the thing, and you don't have to use it. You want a console for games and games only? That's fine then, no one is forcing you to use these extra functions, it amazes me you can complain about these extra, optional features. It's fucking ridiculous.

    No one is forcing you to use these features, and no one is forcing you to buy a PS3. What the hell has the world come to that people complain about extra, completely optional, and free features.

  • ronuds #43 6 years ago

    To the guy who said that PS3 is going to take sales away from Vista:

    LOL!!!

  • penhalion #44 6 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik

    "That's fine then, no one is forcing you to use these extra functions, it amazes me you can complain about these extra, optional features. It's fucking ridiculous."

    Free as in the blue ray drive? or is that optional too. The problem is that this console costs more than any other and is being sold as an all round media center. If people want to just play game, then your right. They shouldn't be buying the PS3 should they.

    Would you like me to dig that bullet out of your foot now?

  • JediMasterMalik #45 6 years ago

    If people want to just play game, then your right. They shouldn't be buying the PS3 should they.

    That's up to them though isn't it? Can you say for certain that the PS3 will never be worth buying for games? It may not be right now, but imo it very soon will be.

    No bullet in my foot, it's not my job to sell PS3's, people should figure that out for themselves, they need to justify the cost for themselves, I have. But, to not buy it, because it has extra features is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

  • Xerx3s #46 6 years ago

    trying to lick you elbow gets the same result quicker

    OMG! I can do that! Oh... o_o

    Just my opinion but I want a console to play games on. Everything else is just bells and whistles. If I have to get a USB-key and learn how to use another OS etc., I have to ask how much would the console cost without the feature? And who exactly are they trying to appeal to?

    +1

    I already have multiple PC's that do all this and do it a lot better, I don't need another. I want my console for gaming and nothing else (that includes stupid film services and playback).

    Sony responds with the PS3 being able to do all the stuff an OS could do, for free and therefore without giving Microsoft the dosh for yet another new OS.

    I can already picture the offices full of ps3's and GI populous using them as standard. MS must be shaking in their boots. Linux has been out and about for years now, it pretty much offers the same as windows and the GI Populous doesn't care because A) Linux still is elitist enough to think that the market should bend around them and no the other way around (iow, imitate what others did) and B) are perfectly happy with the odd bit of web browsing.

    I'm sure however that due to his constant Sony arse licking he'll make it one day.

    Oh dear... o_o Shinji, can't you do something about that?

  • bauhaus #47 6 years ago

    "@bauhaus
    "This is fantastic news, surfing on my phat LCD, in comfort. Joy"

    Why is that anything new?"

    No but the ordeal of setting up a whining PC in the living room with marauding children and frowning wife, compared to slipping a sexy PS3 under the box has its appeal to me

  • davisorle #48 6 years ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • JediMasterMalik #49 6 years ago

    Or don't you know that they can use already game copies on it?

    You can make copies, as in you can copy the disc image. There is NO way of using these images though, stop making shit up.

    If you're so sick of Sony's shit, don't buy Sony, pretty simple really.

  • Dizzy #50 6 years ago

    Reminds me a bit of the PSP

  • Shinji #51 6 years ago

    Oh dear... o_o Shinji, can't you do something about that?

    What's the point? Voltaire had his one wish granted by god, and it's pretty obvious that I have too ;)

    Sony's decisions about what I wanna play or what media disk I prefer for my multimedia.

    Sony broke into your house and put the PS3 in there without your consent? Wow, that's pretty rough alright!
    Edited by Shinji at 01/12/06 @ 23:13

  • JediMasterMalik #52 6 years ago

    God, I would kiss them if they did that to me, hell even if they had to break the locks. :p

  • Mordum #53 6 years ago

    @Bauhaus
    ok, that's fair enough. Although I never found it an 'ordeal' to setup my PC through my TV. And I'm glad I did, as surfing the net from the comfort of my sofa is pure bliss compared to my former PC desk setup.
    Although I find it hard to believe that hordes of people will purchase the PS3 because of its web-browsing abilities. A huge number of people are already enjoying that function on their home PC's. Also, as I asked before (a response from Shinji would be welcome), how does a standard defintion TV cope with the web-browsing feature (would a modest sized standard def screen offer a clear enough picture for text reding on websites, etc), if not, then that function of the PS3 is useless to non HDTV owners. Maybe it'll appeal to non PC owners, which there must be very few.

    Although I must stress, my views here are coming from my own personal needs/wants (just in case I get accused of being some sort of 'PC web browsing fanboy' or something), I'm just looking to hear what people think this offers that isn't already available to them. Afterall, the PS3 has an obligation to justify its asking price (so web-browsing features, etc 'should be' expected anyway).

  • Shinji #54 6 years ago

    Also, as I asked before (a response from Shinji would be welcome), how does a standard defintion TV cope with the web-browsing feature

    I'll check that out for you. For what it's worth, the Linux desktop as it stands is completely useless in standard definition - although obviously any XBMC style app could improve on that greatly.

  • KillahSouljah #55 6 years ago

    You guys sound like a bunch of bitches, whining and moaning. fuck your worst than little girls.

  • Mordum #56 6 years ago

    @Shinji
    Cheers for the response. As an HDTV owner it obviously does'nt matter to me really, I was just wondering how this would affect the non HDTV owners (which is a huge percentage afterall). Although Capcom recently fixed the text display problems for Dead Rising on standard TV's (that sentence seems jumbled for some reason), so it's something I'm sure Sony will address.

    @KillahSouljah
    Please. Don't.
    Edited by Mordum at 01/12/06 @ 23:35

  • bauhaus #57 6 years ago

    @Mordum

    I bought a beautiful Sony Wega LCD (2 months wages at the time), with the most sublime ipod white media centre/box thing, soft lighted symbols gracefully adorning its smooth beveled frontage, the screen itself suspended in brushed aluminum casing, held aloft as if by magic.

    ..and the bastard VGA connector in a flap at the front, thus ensuring the nastiest rats nest of cables imaginable (audio in there too)

    Ruined the whole experience

    /Internets with no visible cables FTW!

  • Mordum #58 6 years ago

    @bauhaus
    lol, that is a bastard (sounds like a nice TV though). Although my problems are reversed. All my connections are at the back of the TV (great, right?) well no... my headphone socket is there too?! am I supposed to lift the bloody TV of the wall every time I want to plug in my headphones?!
    Front headphones sockets FTW!! lol

  • thefjk #59 6 years ago

    I was soo excited about this at E3 and stuff, but now its just a bit vague... I'll wait till thingz get a bit more interesting before I attempt to do anything of the sort!

  • chupachups #60 6 years ago

    It's great but... if you want this kind of thing, why not just get a PC?

    Surely the whole basis of the console market is that it's for people who don't want to mess about with operating systems and just want things to work straight away?

  • JediMasterMalik #61 6 years ago

    But sony is expanding their market by making it effectively a PC.

    Nintendo are doing it by making gaming as simple and unintimidating as possible.

    Sony are doing it by making the PS3 a console which plays high powered games, aswell as having all the capabilites (pretty much) as any PC, aswell as a Blu-ray player for film enthusiasts with HDTV's.

    The only thing I can think of, that it cannot do, is play 3D PC games. (and don't say specific windows software ;))

  • Mordum #62 6 years ago

    @chupachups
    yeah, I'll agree.

    It should always be about the games. In that case the Wii, is doing the right thing.... The 360? well most of its features are geared towards gaming (Achievements & Gamerscore, Xbox Live, XBLA, etc), ok the new feature to download TV programmes isn't game related, and also something I'm not interested in (HD-DVD? well, it's an add-on, so it gives people a choice whether to or not, so not a bad thing). But the PS3? online web browsing (old), and Blu-Ray playback (who cares?) are not enough. It needs to offer something truely different to justify its asking price. I would'nt consider myself a 'casual gamer', I spend enough time gaming to exceed that, and even I'm still to be convinced.... how much more will it take to convince the 'casual gamer' out there to part with that sort of money? It's a hurdle that Sony need to overcome (of course their brand name will carry alot of weight, but only so far...).
    Edited by Mordum at 02/12/06 @ 01:06

  • chupachups #63 6 years ago

    "But sony is expanding their market by making it effectively a PC. "

    PC makers make a profit on the hardware though. Sony is making a $200 to $400 loss on the PS3 hardware (depending on model and location of purchase). Is this really a market Sony want to expand?

    Another problem: is there really a mass market demand for Linux PCs? The fact that almost all PCs sold are bundled with Windows suggests there isn't...

    Don't get me wrong though, I think this is really cool and if I owned a PS3 I'd be eager to try Linux out. I just don't know if this is going to help Sony, that's all.
    Edited by chupachups at 02/12/06 @ 00:53

  • Mordum #64 6 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik (man that's a mouthfull!)
    "But sony is expanding their market by making it effectively a PC"

    I'm not sure how that is 'expanding' their market. How many people don't own a PC? (enough to make a difference?!). My mum and dad own a PC... damn, even my nan and grandad own a PC (aswell as uncle's, cousins, etc...), it's not really opening up to a new demographic is it?!. I fail to see the point (or benefit) of this feature.

    I'm speaking based on personal views/needs (before anyone labels me a fanboy of anykind). It feels like a disclaimer like that is needed after every post on these comment boards.

    Also, let's not forget that the Linux web browsing features are useless to non HDTV owners at present (of which that is a huge percentage), so not a huge selling point. I'm not flaming, just trying to keep this thread alive with debate over the 'issues' with this service provided by the PS3.

    I'm always awaiting somesort of "Nintendoid" or "Xbot" response to my comments. Am I paranoid, or do these threads often degenerate into 'my console vs your console' wars?! Personally I don't give a f**k what I'm labelled as, I find it amusing more than anything else.
    Edited by Mordum at 02/12/06 @ 01:04

  • bauhaus #65 6 years ago

    Who knows what people will be doing on there PS3's in 2, 3, 4 years time (or longer)

    It flexible.

  • Mordum #66 6 years ago

    @bauhaus

    That is true.
    But won't people be looking at the next generation of consoles in 4 years time?... which offer the same (and more). So, Sony need to deliver immediately with the PS3.
    They're all flexible to a degree.
    Edited by Mordum at 02/12/06 @ 01:33

  • ilmaestro #67 6 years ago

    Really nice article, especially for those of us who are tempted by Linux on the PS3 but are worried that it will carry our console off to Mother Russia whilst setting fire to it and laughing.

  • PearOfAnguish #68 6 years ago

    "it's not my job to sell PS3's"

    Really? Could have fooled me.

    BANG BANG BANG BANG

  • KraftWerk #69 6 years ago

    Did I just read "Log in as root"? :D

  • Scimarad #70 6 years ago

    I really can't see why people in this thread are so unimpressed by this - This is so much more impressive than what you can do with a chipped Xbox but people are all over that! And once again people are bringing price into - Surely that is a result of the blu-ray drive and is nothing to do with the ability to install other operating systems.

    I you can't see the possbilities this opens up (which are nothing to do with opening word documents on your PC) then I really pity you.

  • valli #71 6 years ago

    V. intersting article, by the time the PS3 gets out here we'll probably have at least one:

    - painless Linux distro (like the Yellow Dog someone metioned earlier)
    - emulator for each system
    - powerful media centre software

    That, plus of course a few decent games may convince me to get one on release day.

  • fantabulo #72 6 years ago

    Sounds pretty good. Don't see how people can complain about this. I doubt it inflated the price very much.

  • The_Programmer #73 6 years ago

    "Sony are doing it by making the PS3 a console which plays high powered games, aswell as having all the capabilites (pretty much) as any PC, aswell as a Blu-ray player for film enthusiasts with HDTV's."

    Really. And how many people's PC's are running Linux. As a programmer, and even if I used Linux, there's no way I would develope anything on a PS3. I mean Ģ425 for the PS3 & then you would need to buy a keyboard, mouse & monitor. You can get a decent PC for that. The biggest restriction to me is the PS3's lack of memory and no real market for anything you developed.

    This is the trouble with the PS3. It simply doesn't know what it wants to be. We know where we are with the 360 & the Wii but the PS3 is trying to be a 'jack of all trades' and risks being a master of none of them.

  • bauhaus #74 6 years ago

    I think your missing the point

    The 360 is a console
    the PS3 is a console +

    and as a programmer, you really should know the breadth of software thats available for Linux

  • JediMasterMalik #75 6 years ago

    I don't understand why people think that the PS3 has to be just purely for gaming. Isn't it a general consumer prduct? Can anyone not buy it? Anyone can buy a PS3, inckuding more features makes it a more attractive proposition for any investor. Even if you want it just for gaming, it can be used that way. There is no problem with that,but you can also use it for its PC like functions.

    But why not just buy a PC you say? Simple, for a PC with equivelant power for gaming, you would most likely be paying more than double the price.

    The reason, at least that I thought, the xbox was compared to a PC, was because of all the PC also games which appeared on it.

    @AoE - How else would you repay them for a free PS3?

    Also - Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm, Resistance, available for the Europe launch, and those are the exclusive I am personally interested in. I'm sure there will be no shortage of more than decent games to play come march, or, in fact, even now. (I should really stop responding to you)

    If you are a gamer, you want to play next-gen games, but don't want to pay for a high end PC aswell as for Vista, you can buy a PS3. You can use it for gaming, and for PC like functions. All PC's don't come with Monitors, and if they do, and come with high end graphics cards, processers, aswell as sound cards, you would be paying a hell of a lot of money.

    A PS3 + monitor + USB Kb/M is cheaper then an equivelant PC.

  • Mordum #76 6 years ago

    Remember though, at the moment this feature is useless to anyone without an HDTV (of which there are many).

  • bauhaus #77 6 years ago

    Many people will have HD TV's over the coming years

    Certainly the type of bods interested in PS3 will probably pick up HD

    A few of my none gaming mates are excited by the PS3 and are planning to purchase one and a HDTV

    (for some reason Blue Ray appears to be the real draw for the more ignorant among them, listening to a couple in particular banging on about how Blue-ray will make the games better than the 360 is truly painful)


    Anway, I have enough PC's to keep me happy, but if using the PS3 I can surf, email, watch DivX and use Mame in the living room then I`ll be well happy, innit!

  • ilmaestro #78 6 years ago

    AoE: For such a low quality troll, I'm surprised you concede that Sony will actually release in March in the EU. Opportunity missed kid, opportunity missed.

  • BartonFink #79 6 years ago

    Real 2/10 trolling. Needs much improvement. He could learn a lot from Kazclose.

  • BartonFink #80 6 years ago

    Come to think of it have you installed Linux yet ilmaestro?

  • GitSomE_UK #81 6 years ago

    Good article EG, I think it's pretty cool, I'd like to be able to play games, store my DVD's on a disk somewhere, browse the web and access the lot from one interface via my wireless keyb 'n' mouse.

    So far I've not seen it done yet properly, maybe this is the chance?... This is what interests me about the article, is it Sonys step into the multimedia world and this is there way of doing it without having to use a PC.

    I wouldn't be surprised to see a Sony Linux based "Media centre" disk come out in the near future.

  • BartonFink #82 6 years ago

    Isn't the solution to that very simple AoE? Just buy a 360 if that's the way you feel about it. Personally the additional bits and pieces will make it worth the bit extra but that's just me.

  • bauhaus #83 6 years ago

    AoE

    Either get a job so you can afford one, or simply dont buy one

    Simple really

  • valli #84 6 years ago

    That's the point though, there are no decent games on the PS3 and I doubt there will be by march either.

    Thanks for letting me know. Now say hello to the ignore list.

  • JediMasterMalik #85 6 years ago

    If you are forced to buy a $500 fridge freezer when all you wanted was a $200 standalone fridge, I don't see that as an "attractive proposition"

    That's the point though. YOU ARE NOT FORCED.

    How could you be forced to buy something?

  • chupachups #86 6 years ago

    "That's the point though. YOU ARE NOT FORCED.
    How could you be forced to buy something?"

    You're forced in the sense that you have to buy a blu-ray player if you want to buy the latest PlayStation. There's no need for that bundling, as the 360 is showing.

    I agree though that if someone doesn't like that bundle they should just get a 360 (or a Wii maybe) instead of complaining about Sony. That's the best way to punish a company for doing something you don't like anyway, buying their rival's products.

  • fat_agnus #87 6 years ago

    I can really understand why so many ppl are complaining about the having the OPTION to include Linux. I'm sure that having this options does not add very much (if any) to the total cost; it does not require any changes to the hardware.
    This feature made the PS3 the only console that I'm sure I will buy for this generation, but I tend to end up with them all in the end anyway... Really nice to be able to ONE single device that can play pretty much all available media types.

    BTW: I'm quite sure that the install base of Linux on the desktop is larger than many think and its desktop install base is growing.
    Someone mentioned that allmost all PC:s are sold with a Windows OS, which is very true. The company I work for buys all computers from Dell. Almost all of the developers use Linux as their primary (and quite a few as their only) workstation OS.
    It is way too much trouble to find a laptop WITHOUT windows to be worth the effort. My current work laptop came with Windows XP Professional which I have NEVER used (did not boot it once).

  • Kiigan #88 6 years ago

    So, how open is it really? Are there details specs publicly available for the hardware, and are the compilers open to the public? What exactly is on the PS3 Linux add-on disk? Anyone tried compiling over some Linux software that wasn't already installed? Anyone going to put Ubuntu on it at some stage? Has anyone (Sony?) done a JVM for PS3 yet? Why no access to the RSX at all? Sony could at least provide an implementation of hardware-accelerated OpenGL / SDL to encourage the hobbyish / homebrew scene (which after all, was the whole point of Linux on the PS2).

  • Azazel #89 6 years ago

    lol @ AreaOfEffect boy

  • Nobuo #90 6 years ago

    It's a good point that this is nothing a PC can't do... but most people will buy a PC primarily for desktop use and won't consider a second one. And even if they did, it's another piece of equipment under the TV, and generally a big noisy one in most cases.

    If Linux on PS3 turns out to be half decent and user friendly I won't think twice about moving my Media Centre PC to a desk in my study come March '07. And this is from somebody who just installed Vista Ultimate on it (not that I paid for it, MSDN FTW!).

    So, yeah, that's my opinion. And LOL @ everybody who's trying to turn this into negative news, you're making it very obvious which console you bought last December.

    And for anyone now wondering: Yes, Vista is great. Don't bother with it unless your GPU is good enough for Aero though.

  • Nobuo #91 6 years ago

    "My current work laptop came with Windows XP Professional which I have NEVER used (did not boot it once)."

    If you haven't used it you are legally due a refund for the OS, which is probably still a lot of money since it's XP Pro. You have to have refused the license agreement though I think...

    *Checks*

    Yeah, the RRP of XP Pro is Ģ199.99. I'd definately look into it if I were you lol. Good luck.
    Edited by Nobuo at 02/12/06 @ 19:24

  • Khanivor #92 6 years ago

    So Linux has failed to make significant inroads into the PC market where people are already somewhat familiar with fiddling to get things to work. And now people reckon PS3s will become the new PCs from a market generally made up of people who can’t work a PC? Well, unless they already have one of course. Not to mention the fact it all involves even more expense in getting a mouse and keyboard to make us of Linux. Then figuring out which Linux versions of the apps you need to get that PC functionality to download and install all while hoping someone doesn’t manage to use Linux to wrap malicious code around data sent via the gaming side of things. So count me out of the group of PS3 is the PC enthusiasts.

    Be interesting to see what else can be done with it though and just why Sony have given the PS3 this ability as much of what will probably drive the homebrew scene is anathema to Sony and their hardon for DRM.

    Still, should be fun watching the hackers get down to business. Giving them a platform to run software on a games console seems like an invitation to work their way into the PS3’s own OS and get game working. Somewhat akin to putting a nice big piece of scaffolding up the side of a mansion.

  • bauhaus #93 6 years ago

    Of course PS3 will not become the new PC, jesus christ, a few people will tinker and probably create some Media Centre type tool; I`ll do this so I don`t have to have some disgusting beige box in the living room.

    Eventually, someone will come up (no doubt) with a piss simple linux install, shiny front end, word proc, email, media player and perhaps a significant number of users will get a copy and enjoy those features

    This is not a PC killer or even replacement, its merely a flexible open system.

    Sony obviously see a long lifetime ahead of hte PS3, I do too, who knows where it will end up. You can be sure that during its lifetime HDTV will become commonplace, I don`t know enough to predict if BluRay will, Sony obviously think they do. If it does, then this system has a large amount of future proofing right from the start

    They could be wrong, who knows, but I`m happy they have made the effort and I'll give it a go.

    Rest assured I love my 360, but its starting to look pretty hamstrung to be honest, it has aimed squarely at the console market whereas the PS3 has higher aspirations


    Or, you could just play games on it, its your call

  • Khanivor #94 6 years ago

    Well I'm not so sure that HDTV will become commonplace anytime soon. The UK government is strugglign with gettign everyone switched over to digital so it can free up the frequencies and that req

  • Khanivor #95 6 years ago

    Well I'm not so sure that HDTV will become commonplace anytime soon. The UK government is strugglign with gettign everyone switched over to digital so it can free up the frequencies and that requires spending around 30 quid for a Freeview box. The vast majority of the population have neglected to do this. If most people don't want to spend 30 quid on an extra 30 channels what makes you think they will jump at spending at least - at least, even in 5 years - ten times that much for a sharper picture, well.

  • Les #96 6 years ago

    "You're forced in the sense that you have to buy a blu-ray player if you want to buy the latest PlayStation. There's no need for that bundling, as the 360 is showing."

    OMG, there's still idiots using this logically inconsistent argument!!!??? But of course, they're idiots...

  • Kiigan #97 6 years ago

    One other question - how come it is the PPC version of Linux? Is it running under some kind of PPC emulation on the Cell?

  • -TKF- #98 6 years ago

    Outside the virgins,fatties and ugly nerds there is a world where the PC isnīt the center of the universe... no.. itīs the "TV". Where the Console is usually hooked up to..

    With this you have the most advanced and powerfull Media Center at finger tips. And it doesnīt noise polute like a PC or 360. Lots of good things will come from this.. including.. Eurogamer on a HDTV screen :-)

  • MrGrumpy.au #99 6 years ago

    Kiigan, the CELL is a single PPC core with 8 specialised math/vector units (1 disabled for the PS3).

    Probably very similar to the XB360s PPC core, execpt the XBox has three PPC cores instead of the math/vector units (and a slightly larger cache from memory).

  • ilmaestro #100 6 years ago

    Haha, got him! Trolls that let themselves get trolled = fail.

  • Shinji #101 6 years ago

    Are there details specs publicly available for the hardware, and are the compilers open to the public?

    Yes and yes.

    What exactly is on the PS3 Linux add-on disk?

    The tools to change the resolution and fix the boot loader to get back into the Game OS - and I think a couple of Cell-specific patches for the kernel.

    Anyone tried compiling over some Linux software that wasn't already installed?

    Yes, it works fine.

    Anyone going to put Ubuntu on it at some stage?

    If there's a PPC build of Ubuntu then it would probably be an easy task.

    Has anyone (Sony?) done a JVM for PS3 yet?

    There's a JVM in most distros of Linux, including both Yellow Dog and Fedora Core.

    Why no access to the RSX at all?

    It's not clear whether that's a security feature or designed to prevent the creation of 3D games and emulators for the Linux OS, or whether it's simply because the hypervisor operating system doesn't make that available right now. The architecture which PS3 Linux runs under gives the OS a virtual framebuffer to write into and the RSX takes it from there - giving virtualised access to the 3D functions would probably be a LOT harder, but I guess it might happen down the line if they can patch the hypervisor in firmware updates.

  • NthSimulachum #102 6 years ago

    Is Ģ425 worth paying just for the convenience of having one box under the TV?

    Besides, the 360 can stream most media from my laptop in another room, and if the transger speed is too low(for HD movies for example), I can always simply attach my laptop to the LCD screen by VGA.

    But hey, if you want to buy a PS3 now for this purpose, go for it.

    Personally, I think I'll wait till it has some decent exclusives and a rampantly slashed price...2009 perhaps?

  • Kiigan #103 6 years ago

    Thanks for all the answers Shinji (and MrGrumpy.au).

    I'm keen to try this out at some stage - yes I was that man who put Linux on his PS2, so no doubt I'll do the same on the PS3 without really having a good excuse to do so :)

  • Kiigan #104 6 years ago

    Well NthSimulachum, I doubt anyone would really buy a PS3 specifically for this purpose. But why not try it out? It's a bit of a wait until MGS4, so mucking about in Linux would really help those winter evenings fly by :)

  • RexRunti #105 6 years ago

    Well at least Sony have done soemthing truly innovotive. They've created the first console you can get viruses on. This is why the so called optional extra is a bad thing.

    Oh and if you want your console to be a media centre why not buy an XBox 360 and download Windows Media Player 11?

  • Nobuo #106 6 years ago

    "Oh and if you want your console to be a media centre why not buy an XBox 360 and download Windows Media Player 11?"

    I can't think of anyone who would buy a console just as a media centre. But if I had to answer that question I'd probably mention the fan noise if nothing else.

  • RexRunti #107 6 years ago

    Well of course if you want a media centre you should probably buy (guess what) a media centre. There quite cheap, quiet (not these things need to be when you're watching a movie in surround sound) and will even allow you to record your favourite TV programs. Also you can use Media Centre hubs (e.g. an XBox 360) to get the same programs in different rooms of the house.

    On a more serious note, we can really begin to see the difference in strategies between MS and Sony. MS want to run everything off your PC and have it connected to various different devices. Sony want all your devices to be in one box. Although at first glance the Sony model appears simpler I think it breaks down when you get to the nitty gritty. Most consumers want MS Windows and Office on their home PCs (or PS3s) as that is what they use at work. Also what happens if BluRay goes the way of BetaMax (note that is an 'if' but it is certainly possible) your all in one is no longer all in one. MS have already said that if HD-DVD goes the way of laser discs they can always bring out an BluRay player for the 360.

    In short the Sony model is 'perfect world' the MS model is 'real world'.

  • moggsy #108 6 years ago

    Well I'm not so sure that HDTV will become commonplace anytime soon. The UK government is struggling with gettign everyone switched over to digital so it can free up the frequencies and that requires spending around 30 quid for a Freeview box. The vast majority of the population have neglected to do this.

    Nearly three quarters of households in the UK have digital TV so the vast majority have bothered with it:

    DTG News

    HD displays are also selling very well - I'm sure this Christmas will see lots of people taking the plunge:

    This Is Money
    Edited by moggsy at 04/12/06 @ 16:35

  • Og #109 6 years ago

    nice read. I think that the main reason sony doesn't allow linux to access RSX memory directly is to reduce piracy. So a pirate can't play copied disk or load game image off hard drive from Linux due to lack of 3D acceleration support. And I think playback of HighDef vids through Linux in PS3 is not gonna be nice because they all benefit from 3D acceleration. Lets see how things develop when March 2007 comes. Think of Xgl/Compiz/Beryl showing fancy effects taking full advantage of the hardware. Ohhh! that would be Linux heaven!

  • hotmodi #110 5 years ago

    Do i have to use a CD for the ADDON, or can i just burn it on a DVD....

  • dr_faulk #111 3 years ago

    Hi Rob, just followed this guide now, and got it to work. Thing is, the otheros.bld and otheros.self files are hard to come by. The CELL-LINUX-ADDON cd also comes in different versions, over a two-year time period. It seems that guides and resources have become fragmented over time, rather than everything being focused into one, easy resource centre and complete walkthrough.

    Specifically, to anyone who cares: the CELL-LINUX-ADDON cd from 2006 worked over the version from 2008. You also can't use Fedora Core 10 install DVD, or Fedora Core 5 CDs (has to be the DVD). Also, "petitloader" wasn't too hot - just kept shutting down the machine, and then I had to hold the power button to start it up until I got the second beep and reset the PS3's settings

    Anyway, Rob, good article. Maybe an update with some working links to the right files would be cool. Either way, thanks a million.