Sony Adds PS3 Support to Linux Kernel 181
mu22le writes "A few Sony patches to the Linux kernel have just been merged in the mainline tree, to be included in the 2.6.20 release. The patches add 'core platform support for the PS3 game console and other devices using the PS3 hypervisor.'" From the Linux Devices article: "Linux gained generic support for the Cell processor, on which the PS3 is based, with the 2.6.13 release in June of 2005. The new Sony-contributed patches to the 2.6.20 kernel appear to add machine-specific support for technology such as the PS3's memory architecture, DMA (direct memory access) model, and SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) model. A Yellow Dog Linux (YDL) distribution has been available for the PS3 since October, thanks to a development deal between Sony and YDL publisher TerraSoft. However, YDL so far has not been bundled with early PS3 shipments, despite earlier indications from Sony Entertainment's CEO, Ken Kuturagi."
Re:At the moment (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What is the point (Score:5, Insightful)
Plus it can play games and bluray media.
In a way I agree with you though, if I wound up buying one itd probably be after the cost goes down a bit..
Re:What is the point (Score:3, Insightful)
Thats a really good point. Sony supporting PS3 could push nvidia to develop drivers for it which might wind up benefiting even us non-ps3 linux users.
Re:What is the point (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What is the point (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What is the point (Score:2, Insightful)
Plus it can play games and bluray media.
In a way I agree with you though, if I wound up buying one itd probably be after the cost goes down a bit..
But can it burn CDs/DVDs?
Can you install any OS besides linux on it?
Does it have a PS/2 Keybord/mouse port or a printer port?
These may not seem like big things, but they're just to demonstrate that you're probably going to spend more money on a PS3 and (as a PC) it will function on a much worse level.
Re:Win Win scenario (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, a box with only 256MB of general-purpose RAM is IDEAL for web browsing, Open Office, etc.....
Given just a small push and penetration could easilly hit 50% of an installed base likely to number in the tens of millions within two to three years.
I don't know which claim is more unlikely... that PS3 Linux would be of interest to anywhere near 50% of PS3 owners, or that Sony will be able to sell tens of millions of PS3s in the next couple of years.
Who needs video? (Score:4, Insightful)
Next, this machine will work just fine for checking email, typing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, browsing the web, downloading porn or whatever else you use a PC for. The only downside I see is the lack of storage space. Let's hope it takes external USB drives.
PS3 is not so bad (Score:5, Insightful)
If Sony had released the high-end system at $500 (low end at $400), and hadn't made so many stupid blunders (no resolution scaling, lack of an online plan, limited availability), I think that the PS3 would be creaming the 360 right now.
There's nothing wrong with the PS3 that software patches and price cuts can't help. Unfortunately, as soon as Sony actually gets availability (early next year?), you can bet that MS will be ready with a $300 die-shrunk, cooler, and quieter Premium 360.
Re:Win Win scenario (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Now all it needs is Wireless support... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What is the point (Score:1, Insightful)
On a more serious note, when's the last time you had a USB bus failure? I've had processor, motherboard and hard disk failures, but never the USB bus _alone_.
Burner, keyboard, mouse, printer (Score:5, Insightful)
The PLAYSTATION 3 game console running Linux might be able to use an optical disc recorder connected to one of its USB 2.0 ports.
Any operating system vendor is welcome to make a boot loader module for PS3 Other OS Installer [playstation.com]. But in general, only Free operating systems are going to be worth anybody's time.
The keyboard and mouse used with the PlayStation 2 game console (PS2) were a standard USB keyboard and a standard USB mouse. Yes, these devices also work with PS3 consoles.
Sony left off a dedicated printer port probably because it saw that Nintendo's Game Boy Printer was a flop. But you can still attach any USB or network printer that has a CUPS driver.
Re:What is the point (Score:3, Insightful)
If your PS2 port breaks, you're fucked (no keyboard). If your USB port breaks, you've got another one.
The cpu usage is a non-issue. It may be "wasteful" but seriously, there's far more serious problems to solve than cutting down your keyboard's utilisation down from 0.01% of a single cpu - you can cut that time down by 99% and its still no real gain.
I'm all for optimisation, but seriously...
Re:Win Win scenario (Score:5, Insightful)
Depends on the WM (Score:3, Insightful)
Hasn't anyone ever run a slimmed down WM like TWM?
With a smaller screen and simpler uses, you don't need a fancy WM that takes up a great deal of memory - and Mozilla should run just fine in that little memory with most of the OS and WM not hogging memory.
Re:Win Win scenario (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally, I've been running Linux on a PS2 for over 4 years. The 32MB is a limitation yes, but not as much as you might think and the PS3 has 8x as much. It'll be enough for general uses.
Re:What is the point (Score:3, Insightful)