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Linux and the Coming Consoles

Posted by Zonk on Wed Nov 08, 2006 02:51 PM
from the penguins-without-joysticks dept.
Software Entertainment Games Linux
eldavojohn writes "Despite reports from the CEO that the PS3 will ship with Linux, LinuxDevices is now saying that it won't. Also, despite a rumor that the Wii will have Linux, the originator of the rumor has revealed himself to be a prankster. This won't stop you from putting Yellow Dog on the PS3 or running WiiLi, a live Linux CD for the Wii."
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  • What practical things have people done... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by chroot_james (833654) on Wednesday November 08 2006, @02:56PM (#16772293) Homepage
    ...with Linux on consoles? Is it just for the fun of getting it to run?

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      What practical things have people done with Consoles at all!?!

      Linux on a console is a game - and a better game than any of the prepackaged games people are selling.

      • It has a wider open-ended playing field that WOW.
      • If you advance in the Linux-on-the-console game (by making a compelling application) it pays in Dollars (or the currency of your choice) instead of in fake-in-game-money.

      But more than that - yes, practical things will be done if the PS3 runs Linux. I want a computer in my living room, and the choi

      • Re:What practical things have people done... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by twistedsymphony (956982) on Wednesday November 08 2006, @03:17PM (#16772797) Homepage
        You could also build a mini-itx based computer running linux/MythTV, or a modified Xbox 1 with Linux, or even the default Xboxdashboard with Xbox Media Center, or PS2 Linux...
        I think a modified Xbox 1 would be your cheapest route, but a custom built MythTV box would be the most versatile... none of these options would be as expensive as a PS3 though, For the Price tag the PS3 could be pretty limited considering it's lack of system memory, and the fact that it only supports expensive 2.5" hard drives. Though I suppose the built in bluetooth and blu-ray would be handy... though not $500-$600 handy IMO.
      • (You can put Linux or a *BSD on a Mac Mini, if you wanted too.)

        Anyway, good point. Another thing they are good for is compute nodes: For the price, they have a lot of CPU/GPU processing power, so running distributed programs on them isn't a bad idea. Especially if it is during 'down-time' when you wouldn't be playing games anyway.

        Not that I'd want to build a cluster out of them: You could probably build something better for about the same amount of money by picking something designed for what you want to
    • ...with Linux on consoles? Is it just for the fun of getting it to run?

      People have gotten Linux installed on a DS and VNC client as well. There are even some utility apps like email and web browsers (not the official opera kind) floating around.

      However, because of the DS's limited ram many things are just limited in what you can do.

      here [lifehacker.com] is a screen shot of the DS VNC in action.
    • I'd like to be able to put a Hi-def movie in my next gen console and have it write a H.264 file (with separate subtitle & audio tracks) to my networked RAID.

      I also tinker with cryptology I wonder how fast it would be making smart rainbow tables or some other thing that embarrasses people who use shitty encryption.

      I think most kids should have a computer but more have game consoles, wouldn't it great after the investment of a USB mouse & keyboard all they needed was a *free* optical disk and they cou
    • I've said it before [slashdot.org] and I'll say it again:

      Sony are control freaks. They are not going to let you do homebrew games on the PS3. Their systems are ALWAYS locked down tight. If you want to see the kind of "Linux" you'll get on the PS3, look no further than the "Linux" they offered [linuxdevcenter.com] on the PS2. It will be just as worthless.

      -Eric

      • Wha? You can do the same thing, cheaper, by scrapping together a PC.

        There is a real difference between server hardware and workstation hardware. If you don't require real server equipment, then I can't think of any positive reason to choose a console over a PC that would outweigh all of the drawbacks.
  • But will there be drivers for anything? I mean, booting the kernel is fine and dandy but if we dont get video out (even for text console) or network (to ssh into or whatever) than what actual use will it be ?
      • This is what I'm personally hoping for. The current Xbox Media Center is great; however, you can't play HD content on it, though it does a nice job of up converting to 720p so I've heard. But having an official way to run Linux on the PS3 would allow an easily released PS3 Media Center which should be able to handle HD content without issue. Adding a port of MythTV for live TV stream would also be nice.

  • Actually... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by aztektum (170569) on Wednesday November 08 2006, @02:58PM (#16772347)
    "This won't stop you from putting Yellow Dog on the PS3 or running WiiLi, a live Linux CD for the Wii."

    <minirant>I will be too busy playing fucking games on it to want to do the above. For all the bitchin on /. about cellphones with cameras, mp3 players and web browsers, why does Linux on everything seem to get accolades?</minirant>
    • Have you seen the launch lineup? Something tells me if you actually bought one you'd have plenty of free time to spend installing Linux on it.
      • Are you kidding? The Wii has the best launch list Nintendo has ever had, probably one of the best ever. There's good titles in all the major genres.

        RPGs/strategy: Zelda, Marvel: UA
        FPS: Far Cry, Red Steel, Splinter Cell, CoD 3
        Flight: Blazing Angels
        Racing: NFS: Carbon (not a racing fan, so I don't know if this one is actually quality but it's a name franchise)
        Platformers: Metal Slug, Rayman

        Not to mention the oddball social and party games like WarioWare, Elebits, Monkey Ball and the Wii specific tit

  • not to queston LinuxDevices' integrity, but what's their source on this? it didnt mention anyone, it just kinda flat out said it.
  • From the WiiLi website:

    Please DO NOT Digg/Slashdot this server, I'm just setting it up and is not ready for high load!

    Since their computers will be melting into slag fairly quickly, we may not be running Linux on the Wii after all.

    • <a href="http://www.wiili.org.nyud.net:8080/index.php ?title=Main_Page">Coral Cache link for the lazy</a>. It doesn't currently work now that the site itself's dead, but you can blame the lazy people for that.
  • ...but does it ru... uh, nevermind.
  • From what I gathered from the Wiki before it went down, they don't even have a Wii, yet alone a way to break the protection. Meanwhile, the PS3 will have a Linux distribution apparently ready to run at launch.
    • If you can use a keyboard, mouse and monitor better than you can can read the fucking article you have nothing to fear

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