Slashdot Mirror
PS2 Linux Kit Shipping in May
subharmonic writes: "Sony announced through an e-mail that the Linux PS2 kits were available for pre-order. The kits should be shipped May 22nd. There's a FAQ and a order site."
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
for anyone who cares...
Many thanks for expressing your interest in Linux(for PlayStation 2) on
our website (http://www.technology.scee.net/).
We're happy to announce that Linux will be released in May in both the
USA (SCEA) and PAL territories (including Europe and Australia), with
full information and screenshots now to be found on our site.
In addition, a joint website for interested users has been set up at
http://playstation2-linux.com, which includes discussion and bulletin
boards.
Finally, although sales haven't yet started, if you send an e-mail with
the message "subscribe" to ps2linux-request@technology.scee.net we'll
let you know when pre-ordering starts.
Many thanks again,
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Total retail cost of a minimal system is:
PS/2 -- $299.99
8MB card -- $29.99
Linux Kit-- $199.99
== $529.97
Monitor not included, however you must have a monitor on hand to install, after install you can use TV.
Not so cheap, but cool as an *upgrade* to an existing system.
Ah, such is a sign of the times, where the kids don't have enough attention span to realize that all of their items are for the PS2.
I mean, seriously, do the USB keyboard and mice NOT work on other devices or something?
A new 1.2Ghz PC from Gateway is only $489 without monitor.
What is on the DVD discs ?
DISC 1
The PlayStation 2 Runtime Environment
PlayStation 2 System Manuals
DISC 2
The Linux operating system
Kernel version 2.2.1 (my emphasis)
Xfree86 X-Windows version 3.3.6 with support for PlayStation 2 Graphics Synthesizer
GCC 2.95.2 and GLIBC 2.2.2
An alpha version of Mesa 3D supporting limited graphics acceleration
PlayStation 2 Development Libraries, device drivers, tools and sample code
Particularly old kernel, with plenty of known bugs and issues that likely aren't fixed. The other utils are reasonably old as well (gcc 2.95.2, not 2.95.3). Why not at least 2.2.18? Inquiring minds etc.
RW
Somehow I doubt that you could use the Linux dev kit to make the PS2 play copied PS2 games. A PSX emulator, maybe but I don't think that you'll get it to "boot" to play the game natively.
I think that the warning given is a little misleading. Someone might misread it to think that the PS2 cannot read CD-R media at all to the point where you couldn't mount CD-R discs under Linux -- that's not the case, the system can actually read the media, it just won't boot games from them (without physical modificaiton).
STOP MISUSING APOSTROPHES, YOU MORONS!!!
This may be harder than it sounds since the kernel's not directly accessing the hardware, but a "runtime environment" that's designed explicitly to hide the hardware and do only what they'll allow it to. The drive is probably one of those dvd readers that couldn't read cdrs if it tried, and no ammount of tweaking will fix.
I went out of my way to get a Set-top DVD player that would read CDR and CDRW media. To do this I had to get one that has 'dual laser' support, because the laser 'temperature' for a regular DVD just won't read CDR or CDRW media.
Give this fact, is anybody really certain the PS/2 would ever be able to read the CDR media? Isn't it possible the limitation is the wavelength of the laser in the drive, like is the case with cheaper (and some rather expensive) DVD players?
It's a bit of a running joke (for PlayStation 2). I've even seen a Sony tech who was informally answering a question consistently refer to it as a memory card (8 MB) (for PlayStation 2), so their spellchecker may well be adding it by now.
IANAL, but this one will have to be taken to court.
I believe, however, that this probably won't change the "legal" status of the PS2. This Linux development kit is an optional add on for the Playstation 2. The PS2 was still designed primarily as a game console, and will always be used primarily
as a game console. The Linux kit is for hobbyists.
I'm sure this is what a Sony lawyer would argue
should the issue come up.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
Then wonder no more, because that's exactly what I'm going to do when buying the kit.
I run a one-man contracting business in the UK, and anything computerish that isn't a game is quite definitely treated as investment cash. Having Linux available on another machine fits into that.
Now...anyone know of a way to use 802.11b with it?
Cheers, Ian