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Linux Software

Linux on the Playstation 2 137

Posted by CmdrTaco from the could-it-be dept.
A source (who asked to remain anonymous, but is reliable) claims to have seen a Linux Port to the Playstation 2. He also saw a PS2 running X and KDE on the machine, running on the MIPS processor w/ 32 Megs of RAM. Unfortunately the information that is available is all written in Japanese. It would be sweet if Sony would make a free image available so people could boot Linux. If not, maybe someone else is up to the task? My PS2 is currently in Toledo (after taking what seemed like an eternity in Memphis). Damn fedex: I need to play Star Wars Starfighter and DOA2! If I boot Linux, can I count it as a business expense?
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Linux on the Playstation 2 More

Linux on the Playstation 2

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  • Sony have big plans for the PS2, maybe SONY ITSELF will put Linux onto it, since they wants to run audio, video, internet, etc. etc. on PS2 it makes sense if they slap Linux on it and use the existing software thats out there.

  • actually, i just played an audio cd that i burned last night

    ---

  • Re:You can still read it (Score:3)

    by cetan ( 61150 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:18AM (#381432) Journal
    I couldn't resist this...

    From the translation (Japanese to English) comes the following phrase:

    "...with also tomorrow you try the Linux for the PS2 it can put out..."

    Wow linux on the ps2 and it puts out?! Sign me up baby :)
  • for some people just to prove that it can be done is enough.
    Espcially if your a mountian climber!
  • I followed your instructions:

    Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

    But all I get is SuperMario Bros

  • This would make an AOL client for PS2 trivial.

    Ooooh, excellent point. I hadn't thought of that.

    'course, I'm not sure Sony and TimeWarnerAOL will cooperate to that extent unless they're pretty scared of MS...

    There have been rumblings that X-Box was only conceived because Microsoft was angry about being shut out of the PS2 application space. The Register ran a quote from Sony's president that implied that.

    Basically, MS went to Sony and set, "Internet-enabled gaming console, eh? We sure would like us some of that." Sony informed them that that wouldn't be necessary, thank you. Cue X-Box.

    I would think that Sony has plenty of reason to want to team up against MS.

    Here's the URL, made goatse.cx safe:
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/16043 .html
    If you don't like copying and pasting, click here. [theregister.co.uk]

  • Since console makers traditionally lose money on the console itself to position it in as many homes as possible, and then make money off the licensing fees they get from game designers, it's (almost) always a good deal to hack consoles. You get a very, very cheap mp3 station/vcd player/whatever. That's why I can't wait for the Xbox, and somebody hacking it. A 733Mhz processor with an NV20 chip for under $300? Count me in! I won't buy any games, but as soon as somebody runs linux on that damned thing, it's gonna rock!
  • Surely you aren't suggesting that someone use telnet and send l/pw in clear text? Say it isn't so!
  • OK, basically what it says is someone on the pslinux mailing list named "Ogochan" (who's almost certainly Ogoshi Masami [nurs.or.jp], the head of the Japan Linux Association [linux.or.jp], spoke with SCE's president and was told that if SCE decided to distribute Linux for the PS2, they could do it tomorrow (i.e., immediately - so it's definitely running).
    One thing that bothers me is that Sony is distributing the Linux-based development environment only to licensed developers (which is not a problem in itself, as long as they give the developers the source - have they?), but none of the developers have re-distributed the source themselves, which would seem to indicate that Sony has placed legal restrictions on them - a definite breach of the GPL.

  • Nothing wrong with Linux on a wristwatch - thanks to IBM they rock!

  • &gt My PS2 is currently in Toledo (after taking what seemed like an enternity in Memphis). Damn fedex

    It may not be in Memphis. Some FedEx employee is probably stranded on a island with it. (think Tom Hanks)

  • Well what about those of us that would like a cheap alternative to an SGI workstation to develop 3d on? Sounds like a killer machine for it to me!

  • I would rather they ported the Playstation 2 to Linux. You know, an emulator. Now that would be cool.

    Although, running Linux on the PS2 could have some charm. Like, if your system ever crashes, the controllers would start vibrating and shaking... poof!




    -Lab-
  • Well, it makes it easier to write games for both platforms.

    Further, in the case of the dreamcast, I could make a boot CD that uses the ethernet to allow me to get MP3 files or Mpeg or other formats that can be decompressed on a 275mhz processor from a file server. Thus I don't need a big ugly PC in the living room to play video and music from the net, just a dreamcast. Actually, add a USB-Ethernet adaptor to a PS2 and you could do the same thing.

    You could combine either device with a cheap LCD display (there are web sites that will sell LCDs that can be easily made to take composite video for $100 to $200, but I'm not at home so I don't have the bookmarks handy). This would give you a cheap and small XTerm. An easy way to put a computer in the kitchen. Mount the LCD on a cabinet door, hide the DC or PS2 away, and put a cheap USB keyboard and touch pad on the counter.

    Really the posibilities with these things running linux is endless.

  • Sweet... (Score:4)

    by Calamere ( 318591 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:19AM (#381444) Homepage
    maybe I can run my webserver off of my PS2.... That will save me the cost of my server...except that the my PS2 cost more than my server. Ah, shit.
  • http://www.linux.or.jp/en/index.html

  • Sorry to say this to all, but if you buy a Playstation your buying it for games not for PC use to run anything other than games.

    Sounds like a nice concept to be able to use Playstation as a cheap alternative to a PC, but this is more of a novelty as opposed to late breaking news of some sort. So lets trump up a scenario for /.'ers to have them conceptualize the true non geekish news here: Little Timmy saves his chore money to go out and buy Playstation so he could play Zelda or some other games. Little Timmy is an avid game afficionado who will spend some thousands of dollars throughout his life on games.

    Along come the techies with some new over the counter remedy for Timmy to be able to use his Playstation for something other than games. Does Timmy go out and get this new over the counter remedy? NO! Timmy continues playing GAMES.

    With a bombarding of what Linux or BSD will now run on popping up left and right, factorize the completeness of the story with true life experience, do you think one of the distros such as Redhat, or Slackware, will start coding installment ports taking a gamble on the notion that it can be done? How big of a market is it in reality? Just because it may make our mouths salivate at the thought, doesn't mean it will live to see the light of day.

    American Concentration Camps?!?! [antioffline.com] you be the judge.
  • No, it's B A B A select start

    You want to go multi-user, you know.

  • Actually, the /. post said that X was running. And hackers understand PS sound hardware, and PS2 sound hardware is supposed to be the same.
  • I'm not trying to troll or anything, but it's acutally the first 512 bytes on a given disk.
  • OK, I couldn't really recall. Anyways it's most definatly not going to be the same thing on a playstation 2.
  • All your bases are belong to us too.
  • Ogochan is probably Ogoshi Masami, chairman of the Japan Linux Association, and the other person is Ken Kutaragi, CEO of SCE (Sony Computer Entertainment).
  • it's actually:
    up up down down left right left right B A B A start

    but if you want multi-user mode you'll need to do a select start instead the start

  • An emotion engine to render a damn console, that as to be the worst waste of hardware ever
  • Well it really depends on the platform, on x86 the first 1024 bytes (or whatever) of a given disk is booted first IIRC. It's probably much different for the playstation 2 though.
  • You're all wrong. Its B,A,B,select,start
  • Yeah, linux is all fine and dandy, but what the hell are you gonna do on a PS2? Or even a DC for that matter? Yeah, wow, linux can run on a gaming console, but maybe I'm just missing the whole point of why people bother to do this in the first place...

  • decss (Score:1)

    by didjit ( 34494 )
    hmm with the dvd drive, it'd be cool if you got it working with decss code.

  • It is is, if voice it puts out, it puts out, it is it is not, the SCE. Generally, making the Linux of enviroment for software development and passing, the GPL kernel using therefore the é it is, when releasing, you wrapped, becoming matter of concern, hurting, it does, don't you think?. Voice just it puts out how, with Internet the proudest thing. The which pulled out this speech á it is, it started learning political power, well. Originally, there was a knowledge, however probably will be. Saying the night it is made, also Soichiro Honda emphasizing the importance of the party in the book, it increased history.

    You're kidding, right?

  • The developers probably don't have to distribute the source as the games themselves are probably built on a set of proprietary Sony libraries.

    HOWEVER, it's probably more likely that the compilation for games (ie cross-compiling) is done in a Linux environment, because GCC has been pretty much ported to most significant embedded CPU's these days.

    Sony wouldn't want to use Linux on the PS2 because console's don't need to run multiple processes, they definitely don't need memory protection, and the kernel needs to have low latency.

    It's most likely that the PS2 "kernel" is actually a boot library that is linked with the game so that cycle sucking system calls don't have to be used to tell the kernel to read some data from the dvd-rom drive, etc...
  • I wonder if someone could write drivers for usb modems and the like for it.. as opposed to waiting until sony gets around to releasing their "online solution".
  • what is the point of this? just to prove that it can be done? it's about as pointless as running linux on a wristwatch.

    i'm sure i'll be modded down to flamebait for this.

    E.

    -
  • Now instead of buying a game, existing games that run on linux can be recompiled to run on ps2. Distribute the game as a bootable iso. Linux boots and loads the game. The developers don't pay sony for a licence which means that we can get cheep high quality games. Wins all round. JM

  • Translation, courtesy TeleTranslator (Score:4)

    by wfaulk ( 135736 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:21AM (#381464) Homepage
    http://www.peanuts.gr.jp/pslinux/

    The Linux which operates with the Playstatio n2

    Signature motion in order to have releasing

    - Aim 10,000 people -

    As for here, Play station 2So it operates Linux SONY computer entertainment(Sceinc. ) GPL(Part LGPLSo yes) So it is a page of signature motion in order for you to release. This As for page, freely phosphorus The ? you doing, it does not care.

    Signature of 10,000 cases (getting together truly at the point in time when?) does get together, First 1st report SCE Inc. You do. After that you think according to situation, but in the world If signature 100,000 can be gathered, you want to end with you think, It does.

    As for the one which you can approve to the gist below, the button which " signs " Please push. Gist of this signature motion

    The demand for SONY computer entertainment
    The Linux which operates at play station 2 GPLOr LGPLWith you say Please release with the license.

    2000 (Heisei 12) year March 4th, SONY computer entering ? From ? men To (or less SCEI) As for the Playstatio n2 (below P S2) which is sold, that the entering ? which is superior Men To performances and, Abundance of the software property which from the Playstation (1) is succeeded? Japan furthermore it is large in the world as the game machine for home Support is received.

    Development environment and the test system of P S2 with the Linux structure It is done, With one for development P S2 with ICE environment also Linux environment activating It was known from relatively quick time. Various software which begin the Linux and the gcc Becoming something whose reliability is high by the fact that it is an open source ?, That vis-a-vis the development early unstable hardware The P S2 development person in charge of the SCEI that you adopt was a reason which is enough, Comment It became topic.

    P when S2 you appraise, as the computer As for operational processing performance of 3 D graphics general foam/home u By comparison with the PC It is high you do not apply very, In the mass product effect which the consumer game machine has Depending, It has the cost performance which projects. For example with this especially, the distributed connected ? of 3 D graphics Client for ??, Visualization of physical model simulation, The kiosk terminal which is installed in the street corner, the for data exhibition room of the museum Terminal etc Effective utilization manner is expected with a wider use.

    Presently, the software for P S2 Only the specific development company which concludes the SCEI and various permission contracts opening It is possible, it is limited, It is difficult for the general user which does not designate the development of P S2 as the raw industry to procure Is. But, the Linux and the gcc which become base of P S2 development environment Being an open source, the Linux which is already worked with P S2 exists ? especially You must observe.

    As for the SCEI the Linux for P S2 (the open source ?? which is begun ) Concerning release, If it is something whose demand from the user is strong, examining release When it is good You think very favorablily. For the SCEI many developer ??? and the developer ??? In egg Because it becomes asset to open the gate door widely, is. Very now, potential of P S2 the ? which is 256% pulling the uninformed ? our Voice is gathered, It makes the waist lift where the SCEI is heavy is not or (^^)

  • It has usb, and some games already support usb keyboard and mouse like Unreal Tournment, so if a game can work with why couldn't linux. Plus the PS2 is not a Konami product.
  • Here's the translated link, not even using Babelfish!

    http://www.linux.or.jp/en/index.html [linux.or.jp]

    ------
    That's just the way it is

  • All I need now is a copy of Wine and I can get some Windows games running on it :)

    --

  • It would be sweet if Sony would make a free image available so people could boot Linux.

    Sony loses money or breaks even on the hardware sold, and makes money on the games. It's in their best interest to lock you in to playing games on the hardware, so official support of this is very very unlikely.

    While also unlikely, it'd be a better bet that Microsoft would officially support XBox emulation on normal PC's (that have the hardware requirements) because they'd still be making the profit on the games.
    --

  • I'm not saying that the developers have to distribute the source - only that they have the right to do so if Sony is supplying them with a Linux-based development environment (as it most certainly is). Of course, as you say, it's fairly likely that all they've done is produced a cross-compiling version of gcc for the PS2, and the development environment itself is nothing special (ie stock kernel and userland running on x86 or whatever).

  • Well, as others have pointed out, the PS2 does have two USB ports and a Firewire port on the front. In addition, the expansion bay you're talking about is supposed to have a network card/hard drive combo available for it "sometime". Theoretically, right now you should be able to use the firewire to attach to a hard drive and the USB for keyboard/mouse/ethernet. I guess that's just a matter of someone trying it and then writing the appropriate drivers.
  • All AOL clients are trivial - that's the appeal.
  • Don't bother. I've read it, and it's just a petition to get SCE to distribute a version of Linux for the PS2 - ie, no firm confirmation that they will do so.


  • I can speak for the other poster but I, for one, have no use for a woman in my living room (or any other room in my house).

    Ranessin

  • Re:Instructions: (Score:3)

    by micromoog ( 206608 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @08:18AM (#381474)
    Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

    Wow, you got it right! So many people stick that unnecessary B A in there. True, it works both ways, but you only need one (for Contra and LifeForce, at least).

  • but, is ther a way to get a Playstation 1 to boot linux maby? (not sure what i would do with it)

  • AOL (Score:1)

    by mikeee ( 137160 )
    This would make an AOL client for PS2 trivial.

    'course, I'm not sure Sony and TimeWarnerAOL will cooperate to that extent unless they're pretty scared of MS...
  • So... You want put a port of an operating system onto a gaming console, and run an emulator for *another* operating system so... you can play games? Seems a bit silly to me...
  • So the implication is that Sony has already done the porting, and this is a petition to ask them to release the port?

    Why would they port Linux? Someone's pet project, or an official corporate effort? If they've got X running, it sounds like more than something one guy did over the weekend.

  • running X is different from 3D support, which would be needed for gaming of any great importance. I should have been clearer.
  • I'm still not going to go out to get a PS2 just so I can play {FreeCiv|starlanes|xpat2|dopewars|xstella|etc.} That's why I have an old SparcStation.

    But if it runs Limewire...that's a different kettle of fish altogether. :)
    Thus sprach DrQu+xum.
  • If you could get a hard-drive and an ethernet port hacked in there somewhere, it would almost be useful. (There's a bus extension port with an emtpy bay in the back of them, supposedly to be filled with either a modem or a hard-drive later.)

    For it to be of any use at all though, you'd definitely need a keyboard device, and I don't think one is commercially available yet. (Please correct me if I'm wrong there.)

    Anyways, with a HD, modem, and a keyboard, it could easily replace WebTV units using a linux based implementation. Or, you could swap the modem for ethernet and use it as a (fairly) low cost firewall for your PC's. :P

    I'm sure someone will think of even more uses than that.
  • This was actually a pretty funny post...if you wrote this a few days earlier when ihad mod, i woulda modded you up.
  • Yeah, that is correct. The first field is for your name (and to the side it says your name will be made public). The next field is a pull down menu for prefectures in Japan (like States). It also will be made public (LOL). Choose the bottom one as it read "kaigai" which means "overseas (outside of Japan). The next field is for your city. Then, the next field is for your address. Then, a field for you email address. The comment field needs to be filled with a comment which will be made public as well. Something like, "If Linux for PS2 is made public I would like to use it to do..."

    Then press the bottom left button. This is a confirmation button. (Bottom right button clears all the fields).

    Then, when the confirmation page appears, press the bottom buttom (send) to send your addition to the petition.

    T
  • You crackhead.

    Sony included a version of BASIC to evade that tax; They didn't port Linux.

    -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?

  • If you'd read morpheus_'s message properly, he said "A 733Mhz processor with an NV20 chip for under $300?"

    Where else can you get a computer this powerful this cheap?
  • OK, yeah, normally it's kind of stupid to set up random device X as a Linux box. But in some cases it's not such a bad idea. Consider: PS2 has USB. Hence, you can hook up ethernet, keyboard, etc. PS2 has TV output, meaning you don't have to lug a monitor around. PS2 has FMV and 3-d video acceleration, meaning you can use it to display spiffy graphics. I can understand why you might not see it as particularly compelling (esp. since PS2 does not read CDRs AFAIK) but if accessible and programmable in Linux, it could be a neat little system to use. Of course, you would need a hard drive - Sony added a large bay for such a device, so it may be a possibility in the future.

  • Game selection (Score:3)

    by Fervent ( 178271 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @08:19AM (#381487)
    Star Wars Starfighter and DOA2

    Uh, senor Taco, don't get those games. Star Wars Starfighter is like a bad TIE Fighter clone from the early 90s, and DOA2 has nothing interesting (unless you like bouncing computer-rendered breasts).

    Instead, get SSX, which continues to rock even though it's a first-generation game. Also, pick up a few classic Playstation games for $20-30. Final Fantasy IX runs like a dream on the new system with the texture smoothing turned on.

    For that matter, also pick up a Dreamcast at a rock bottom $100. There's a ton of great games out there like Sonic Adventure, NFL2K1 and Jet Grind Radio - innovative stuff. Also, a pickup a copy of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 while you're at it. It's highly underrated. And Deus Ex.

    Ah, the joys of getting cheap used games at eBay. :)

  • Oh no, not just 4 processors... Sony's "GSCube," their streaming media server thingy, is reputed to have up to 64 Emotion Engines and Graphics Synthesizers. Each graphics synthesizer has 32 megs of RAM instead of 4, and I think the main board might have 128 megs instead of 32. I assume it's highly modular... Regardless, that is some serious graphics hardware (practically SGI Onyx2 level).

    Oh yeah, I think Sony's T10000 (or something) PS2 development/graphics workstation (which runs linux, by the way) has something like 4 emotion engines. You were right all along!

    /me wants one...

  • Re:Wow (Score:1)

    by Mawbid ( 3993 )
    Only until Rasterman gets his hands on it.
    --
  • now you owe me medical bills.

    I just had a seizure/flashback...

    something about Goonies and making sweet, sweet love to Samus Iran.

    Takes me back to the days when the SuperNES came out and all my friends and i were thinking "What the hell are we going to do with all these buttons?" ;-)


    FluX
    After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
  • I have played the Starfighter demo - I agree, don't go for it. Compared to other games the gameplay is just way too bland.

    By "Other Games" I particularly mean Armored Core II - build anime-style giant robots and fight your way through missions... what could be better? :)
  • It seems like this is a module that sony could put together for nothing, that would really help to sell the device. I'm not too familiar with the hardware, but if it has a modem they could claim it is an internet-ready computer, dvd player, and game system.
  • Well, why not? Its a rather good move in response to the X-box. This will give MS the idea of putting XP in X-box..or someone more primitive sort of system inside... Who said open source was bad? This will make MS try to use its own software in its X-box. But then, when people keep seeing blue screens of death...then watch the ps2s fly off the shelves. Plus, this would raise more awareness of Linux amongst those who ever heard of it.. "Open Source is Un-American!" Microsoft
  • "Sony did developed the play station on linux."

    Acutally, the PS2 development box runs Linux. That is about all.
  • Some people just enjoy it more than playing a racing game. It's fun, too.
  • XFree runs on linux on one or two Indy GFX options. The Indy uses a MIPS r4k or r5k processor.

    Xfree also runs on DECStations running linux or NetBSD. Most DECstations use an R3000 processor, although R2k and R4k machines also exist. An fairly normal R3k derivative is what powers the PS1. The PS2 is powered by one fairly normal (36mhz) R3k, and 2 R3ks on steroids (running at nearly 300mhz).

    Really, XFree will run on almost any 32bit CPU. The real problem is does it support the video hardware. Both Decstations and some SGIs run linux, but only a small number of the possible video cards are supported with either.
  • Or, in the reported words of Saddam Hussein, all your PS2 are belong to us.
  • how about the real X11R6 from MIT?
    compiled fine on my old DECStation 5000 (w/ MIPS R4400 CPU) back in the day when Digital wasn't Compaq...

  • And i'll use my Linux TV to switch between showing me my PS2, Dreamcast, Palm - All of course running linux.

    You missed the obvious one -- a TiVo [tivo.com].

  • In response to the Dreamcast running Windows CE Sony joked that the development kits for the Playstation 2 would run on Linux "so they have a stable foundation". I read this in PC Plus magazine back in 98 I think it was. It may have been Sony rubbing Sega and Microsoft up the wrong way for a cheap joke - maybe someone can enlighten me as to whether the Linux development kits was real or not.

    Anyway, if this were true then surely a port to the PS2 would not be hard.

    Claric
    --

  • Dude, Lighten up.

    No one is going to see this as a serious app for the PS2, its like all the dreamcast hacking going on, its more for the, "Hey, cool, lets see if we can do this!" type people.

    99.9% of PS2 owners aren't gonna care about the fact that some geek got linux to run on his, but then here's the .1% of the population reading slashdot going, Hey neat! Wanna telnet into my PS2? :)
  • I read somewhere Sony was going to put a sort of PS2/basic programming language software with the machine so they would be seen as a Computer instead of a game console, cause its cheaper to import Computers into Europe then game consoles.

    Yeah, its what i always wanted, to write my own 'Hello World' on my game console and then save it and show off at my friends, who als own a PS2..! isnt life great....

  • Quick Translation (Score:3)

    by Aztech ( 240868 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:47AM (#381504)
    I've posted a basic translation here [thesync.co.uk] and there's a few others available in the directory [thesync.co.uk].
  • And exactly how much dev license money do you think they'll manage to squeeze out of the developers if they don't sell any devices?
  • DOA2 may have pretty gfx and the biggest boobs, but it bored me to death after just 2 days. Some developers just don't get that playability and lastability aren't related to the number of polygons on screen.
  • Get the HDD+ethernet card (out soon), and the hardware would be capable of the same things as a regular PC.

    The CPU is good, the graphics hardware could do a pretty sweet OpenGL (if you overlook the criminally limited blendmodes), it's got a DVD drive, firewire, USB and it comes in a nice box with pretty blinkenlights.

    What's more, Sony heavily subsidises the hardware.
    Sony would be *paying* you to use Linux; have you no sense of irony, man?
  • In the most part specialized computer appliances
    such as ebooks, email machines, pdas, game baoxes, etc fail
    because people keep on wanting to add full OS
    functionality to them. So putting Linux-lite or
    Window-lite on these is the way to go.
    MicroSoft knows this well.

  • What we're going to get are set-top boxes. All-in-one devices that are hooked up to a broadband connection to deliver:

    -streaming video
    -video on demand
    -web
    -games
    -karoke
    -video phone
    -video recording (tivo style)
    -digital audio/"radio"
    -cd-rw/jukebox
    -DVD/vcd/divx player
    -receiver
    -builtin firewall/router
    etc.

    These are rolling out slowly as we speak. They're about the site of a digital cale box and probably will cost in the $500 range at first. Telecom and entertainment (Blockbuster) type places are probably the most interested companies.

    They won't replace computers but they'll be huge leaps and bounds above webtv. We'll see how far the subscription model will take us.
  • Actually Sony's supplying us with Win32 based development environments, via Cygnus and SN systems. I think the additions to gcc are indeed available, but it's pretty much the straight MIPS version though.

    There is a linux version, but it's just a couple of compilers, an assembler, and a bunch of minor tools.

    The important stuffs all in the documentation.
  • (Here's the translation of the first link relying solely on my japanese skillz...I'm a native Japanese...):

    It all started when "Ogochan" was having following conversion with the president of SCE Inc. at the party held in Tokyo 2/2001:

    Ogochan: I don't like games they have on PS2. I have PS2 but I only have PS2 games (WTF? this didn't make that much sense to me either).

    Da President: Then make your own, please.

    Ogochan: I would like to if I could. I wish I could use Linux for development.

    Mr. President (ok I admit, I can't spell his name in English): We could release Linux for PS2 tomorrow, if we wanted to. But as you know, we need some outside motivation for doing such thing because it's not guranteed to generate much money (from doing so). We might consider (releasing it) if we get lots of mails asking for it.

    (Ok I'm getting tired of doing this...but here's the mailing list that's doing the pettition: http://www.media-wing.com/pslinux/). I might finish this if no1 else volunteers.

  • Linux is great, but personally, I'd like to see BeIA or BeOS running on my Slaystation II. The right tool for the right job, and all that. Be is specializing in the convergence thing, and it could be VERY neat to see it all come together (sorry to misquote Hannibal from the A-team).

    I thought Sony was supposed to buy Be; they got me all hyped up, and then nothing. :(

    Be is SOOO underrated. BeOS is 100% FABULOUS. I was a teenage Linux bigot, preaching to my friends and family like mad, but the usability issues were a brick wall. Now, I can happily recommend BeOS V Personal Edition (free download) to my grandma, knowing she can learn it in about 30 minutes.

    She loves the GUI. She loves the Matrix Code screensaver. She loves that she can easily hack NASA and be 100% Microsoft free, too. *KIDDING*
  • There was a slashdot article a few months ago that said that linux was ported to the playstation to avoid the UK's sales tax which says games consoles are taxed, but computers are not.
  • TOOL's just a PC, with a PS2 dev-board in a PCI slot. Linux runs on the PC side, which IIRC is like a 300MHz Pentium II.
  • Samus?

    I'd like to start a rumor here and now: Samus Aran is none other than Lara Croft's older sister :-)

    ObKarmaWhoring:

    Thing about Linux on PS2 -- it's probably the best target yet for a project like this. Think about it: with USB instead of a proprietary controller bus, the PS2 suddenly gets an easy way to add a hard drive. Admittedly it's not Firewire speed (and forget booting off of it), but it seems to me that when you get right down to it by putting USB in their hardware Sony has pretty much blown the hack possibilities wide open...

    /Brian
  • lest you forget: the PS2 has firewire built in as well ;-)


    FluX
    After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network

  • Instructions: (Score:5)

    by Heutchy ( 73751 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:11AM (#381528)
    Since the PS2 doesn't have a built in keyboard, modem, or ethernet, I will tell you the instructions for enterring the Linux source into it.

    Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

    Shhh! You heard it here first!

  • Re:Wow (Score:2)

    by deusx ( 8442 )
    Yeah, but the cursor can really wink at you.
  • what is the point of this? just to prove that it can be done?

    That's exactly the point of doing it. What more reason do you need? And mega kudos to IBM for the wristwatch thing!

    Not much of a hacker, are you?

  • Even worse, look at the trainslation Gist-in-Time does...this makes Zero Wing seem comprehensible.

    http://translate.copernic.com:8090/?AlisUI=frames_ ex/gen_toolbar&AlisSourceLang=ja&AlisTargetLang=en &AlisUILang=en&AlisTargetURI=http%3A//www.peanuts. gr.jp/pslinux/beginnings.html [copernic.com]

    All your Linux are belong to Sony.

  • Re:what a selling point (Score:3)

    by grahamsz ( 150076 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @08:52AM (#381535) Homepage Journal
    Sony dont want to sell the device!!!

    PS2's cost them money - games and development licenses make them money

    See the connection :)
  • what would you be able to do that would make a large number of people want to run Linux?

    You'll get the same answer I used in the "Dreamcast running Linux" thread, namely you can theoretically use Linux as a means of developing and running your own games.

    Much like the argument people were making about targetting Windows and doing a minimal effort X-box port (yes, I'm aware it does require some effort and that supposedly MS will demand that the X-box version has added stuff), you could theoretically do the same with Linux, Dreamcast, and Playstation 2.

    Anyone wanna place bets on how long until someone manages to get Tux Racer [tuxracer.com] up and running on the PS2? It may be a ways off, but it'd still be a neat goal.

    The only downside is that I'd (presumably) have to go through the trouble of mod-chipping my PS2. I'm not sure I want to invalidate the warranty just yet.

  • Here's a quick 'n dirty translation of the top half of that Japanese page. It's a conversation snippet between a person named Ogo-chan and a department head (Hisada? Kuda?) at SCE Inc.

    Ogo-chan: "PS2 games aren't interesting. I've got a PS2, but I don't play anything but PS games [on it]."

    SCE dept. head: "Well, then you should make your own games. Please, feel free to make some."

    Ogo-chan: "Well, yes, I'd like to make my own, but the development stuff is really expensive, so it'd be nice if Linux came out for it soon."

    SCE dept. head: "A PS2 version of Linux could be released tomorrow if we wanted to, but since there wouldn't be any profit made from it for the company, we'd need some other motivation. If lots of users told us,'Release it soon!' we wouldn't not think about it... My address is written on my business card, so please send any mail etc. [there]."

  • Umm... following one of those cryptic(!) led me to an e-mail address -

    majordomo@media-wing.com?Body=subscribe ps-linux

    Maybe it's a mailing list? How about mailing that dude/bot/whatever?!

    "...Fear the people who fear your computer"

  • Living Room Computing Solution (Score:3)

    by elbarsal ( 232181 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:15AM (#381550)
    People keep asking what the point is of running Linux or NetBSD on a Dreamcast or PS2 - I can only say that it goes a long way towards having a real living room computing solution.

    Now, I don't mean a nice big PC monitor with a TV tuner (no, that's the home office / bedroom TV solution), rather, an easy way to run an MP3 jukebox and web browser from the couch in the living room, with a minimum of hardware, and an unobtrusive computing device (i.e. a small console like the DC or PS2).

    Ed

  • Japanese Translation (Score:5)

    by klops ( 5179 ) on Tuesday March 06, 2001 @07:16AM (#381551)
    I read a little bit Japanese and Kanji...
    I think the article basically say that
    they got a quote from the chairman from SCE
    saying "some" linux porting on PS2 is being done internally in SCE. Then they basically point
    you to another link that has a signing compagin
    that wishes SCE to release the port.

    http://www.peanuts.gr.jp/pslinux/

    If you WANT to sign it, goto the link,
    click on the first sumbit button (that
    goto the signing page)

    On the signing page:
    First Edit box is your Name, then the listbox
    is Japan's states (I think).
    Town, City, then your emailaddess & comment.

  • Anyone remember the old Net Yaroze [sony.com] project for the Playstation? (PSone) It was a way for hobbyists to write playstation games. For about $500, Sony provided you with a black console system (basically the same as the regular systems only it did not verify CD authenticity) and a bunch of C libraries for making system calls. I believe they even gave you a compiler, though it kind of sucked and you were better off buying Codewarrior for that aspect.

    Well, we if get linux running on the PS2, and the whole thing is open sourced, then we'll have graphics and sound libraries put together in no time at all. Then anyone interested in writing games for the platform can do so. Just load the kernel and then have linux start your app right away. It probably wouldn't run as fast as some of the dedicated software (the kernel would probably eat a little bit of extra time here and there), but it would get the job done in most cases.

    Just a thought.
  • I personally think everything should run Linux. To that end - i resolve to purchase no more home entertainment devices or kitchen appliances that don't run linux. I want to be able to ask my toaster how the weather is in toledo and let my blender download a bananna shake recipie from . [www.chiqui...uitabanana]

    And i'll use my Linux TV to switch between showing me my PS2, Dreamcast, Palm - All of course running linux.

    Don't get me wrong, I love linux. From the /root of my HDA to the tip of my /home/smatthew/pron directory. But I don't need it everywhere. Just in my bedroom, living room, kitchen, car, and workplace. ;-}

    But seriously - If i had money for a PS2 I would love to run Linux on it. ;-} Sweet!!!

    mmmm - a beowulf cluster of PS2s and Dreamcasts
  • linux was ported to the playstation to avoid the UK's sales tax

    • as the previous post mentioned it's yabasic. here's the links. had a play with it but you need a usb kb to do anything useful. the yabasic came on the cd install/demo disk (uk, euro and aus/nz releases only).


    • yabasic - http://www.yabasic.de/ [yabasic.de]
      YabasicPS2 - http://people.a2000.nl/avanarum/YabasicPS2/index.h tml



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