[sf-lug] yellow dog linux on sony playstation 3

[Bill Kendrick]

On Sat, Dec 02, 2006 at 10:00:37AM -0800, jim stockford wrote:
> 
>     anybody know about this? I saw a news blurb
> to the effect that Yellow Dog released a PS3 linux
> within a week of the PS3 debut.

Yeah, I believe they got ahold of a dev PS3 before launch, to get things
ironed out.

Other interesting newsbites:

  PS3 to ship with Linux, Sony confirms  [March 17, 2006]
  http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2370343858.html

    "...Kutaragi additionally confirmed that the gaming console will
    ship with an upgradable 60GB hard drive pre-installed with Linux..."

  (which didn't happen (yet); see below)

and:

  PS3 Linux ready and waiting  [Oct. 17, 2006]
  http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2724484258.html

    "Terra Soft says it was able to port YDL to the PS3 thanks to an
    agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI). The
    distribution is based on Fedora Core 5, along with a next-generation
    "E17" release of the Englightenment window manager. The distribution
    also integrates Cell-specific code created at the Barcelona
    Supercomputing Center."


Wikipedia has this:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS3#Linux

    "Originally Sony stated that they were going to pre-install Linux
    on the PS3's hard drive, but current units shipping do not include
    Linux pre-installed.  Instead, Sony has made an option in the XMB menu
    to install other operating systems.  When installation is complete, the
    startup operating system can be changed.  The system can be easily
    booted back into the cross media bar by holding down the power button
    while restarting.  Sony has set up a web page which will list
    compatible operating systems.  Fedora Core 5 and Gentoo have been run
    on the PS3; however, Fedora Core 5 has not been optimized for the
    relatively low amount of RAM.  The Sony-sponsored Yellow Dog Linux for
    the PS3 was released on November 27, 2006 to the YDL.net community,
    and will be released on DVD on December 11, and finally as a publicly
    available image in late December."


> If the machine is
> sufficiently extensible, it could be a "thumping"
> good linux platform.

Personally, I wan't a Wii.  The PS3 looks like a nice upgrade, especially
graphically and in terms of multimedia crap that the PS2 doesn't do (and
that our TiVo does only mediocrly... we don't use it much but for music).
However, the price is way too high, and compared to all of the cool new
things you can do with the Wii's controllers[*], totally does not seem
worth it.  (Maybe once WipeOut, Tekken and Twisted Metal franchises get
updated, I'll care about the PlayStation again.)

At the price of a PS3, you could get a cheap Intel-compatible desktop
that's at least as powerful, and probably a lot more flexible. :)


[*] The Wii controllers:

  + are wireless - no cables between you and the system, which has the obvious
    benefits, but also allows for a wide range of motions you can do with
    it... see next item:

  + are motion-sensing - you can swing it like a racket when playing tennis,
    slash it like a sword when playing Zelda, use it like a steering
    controller in race games, etc.

  + are optical-sensing - aim it like a gun, point at menu items like you would
    a light pen, laser pointer or mouse,

  + have force-feedback

and

  + have speakers - when you fire the grappling hook in Zelda, the controller
    ITSELF makes a *ka-chink!* sound, too

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote


PS - Wii is compatible with GameCube game discs, controllers and memory sticks.
It also has a download area where you can purchase classic Nintendo,
SuperNintendo, Sega Genesis, TurboGraphics(?) and Nintendo64 titles.
So it's ALSO nicely backwards-compatible. >:^)

PPS - Yes, I really want a Wii.  No budget this Christmas, though. :(

-- 
-bill!
bill at newbreedsoftware.com
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/