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O'Reilly Showcases PS2 Linux Gear
cascadefx writes: "The O'Reilly Network is currently running an article that showcases the much talked about Playstation 2 Linux distribution. Nice parts of the article include analysis by a Blizzard developer on the Linux PS2 as a gaming platform and a screenshot and pic of the hardware that comes with it."
Makes you wonder what the point of it is, doesn't it. What does Sony expect one to do with this kit?
I can imagine a meeting along the lines of "People like ot install Linux on game machines, lets sell them a version!" "Okay, just make sure they can't make games for it. If they want to do that, they must pay royalties."
"Derp de derp."
If one has a PS2 and this Linux distro, why would one even need a computer at all. Set the cable modem next to the monitor/television and you are set. I don't follow Windows emulators but, if also there were a very good one out there I could watch the Simpsons and play Civ3 during commercials, without even having to SPIN THE CHAIR. This is truly beautiful. :,)
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You're forgetting that the console is not the product. Far from it. The real product is the license fees they're getting from each and every game produced for it. And, of course, tidy revenue from all of the extra doo-dahs like feedback racing wheels etc.
So, you give away the console for free, or at least pretty close to what it's costing for you to build one and cart it over to the shelf.. So that you can start carting money to the bank from all the games and stuff people buy for your console.
The decision to limit what you can do with your cool linux port is probably due to beancounter paranoia. The same reason you cannot use SCART RGB output for DVD playback. RGB spec doesn't allow for Macrovision, so we must not support it. Anyone with half a brain concerned about people taping DVDs to VCRs? I don't think so. But a corporate beancounter doesn't exactly fit into the "half a brain" category.
From the FAQ on the playstation2-linux.com page:
The PlayStation 2 contains a subsystem for operating peripherals and audio including the SPU2 (Sound Processing Unit), the IOP, the HDD, the DVD drive, controllers, memory cards, USB and other peripherals. The hardware specification for these units is not disclosed. The Runtime Environment provided on DISC 1 includes binary software device drivers for controlling these hardware units. Source code for the Runtime Environment is proprietary and will not be disclosed. However, DISC 2 contains Linux device drivers (with source code) which show how to access all these devices through the Runtime Environment interface. This gives the developer access to the functionality of all the devices but not the complete hardware specification.
If CBDTPA passes, this is precisely the kind of scenario we'd have on all PC hardware. Sure, you could still use Linux with it, but you'll have to use proprietary binary drivers to access any I/O device. Replace "Runtime Environment" in the above paragraph with "government certified anti-copying device" and you've got a near perfect preview of CBDTPA. And of course, note that "hardware specifications are not disclosed." In other words, if you reverse engineer a device.. say a USB scanner.. to write a Linux driver, you'd be in violation of the proposed law. Only the manufacturer would be able to legally provide the drivers to access their hardware. And we all know the wonderful track record of PC hardware manufacturers in supporting alternative operating systems. I for one, will not support any company who produces proprietary hardware in the name of "anti-piracy."
Think about it, how many PS2 are out there? This is a potentially awesome opportunity for someone to produce something very cool and very successful. Follow me on this, picture the PS2 as Sony's answer to Apples Digital Media Hub. You can hook your digital cam (or memory stick of course) to the thing and look at and edit pictures on your PS2 via USB/FireWire. Who needs a internet appliance. Just use your PS2 to take those pictures you took and email it to your buddies. Or have it setup a web page to share with your buddies. Use your PS2 to demo albums or DVD's or games and then order them online.
;)
....
All of the above would be possible without the user having to have a hd, so you'd have access to the entire population of PS2 users. If Sony can properly market the hd (or ship PS3 with one), then you start being able to do things like editing your movies via FireWire (of course burning them onto DVD's would be an area of contention with Sony, but I'm sure they'll think of some proprietary solution
People are forgetting that just because the current incarnation of LinuxPS2 is restricted, it doesn't mean that they can't open it up more if the apps being developed would benifit them. Also keep in mind that they can come with a distro that boots from the cd/dvd and uses the memory card as swap space (i.e. a small tight app deployment distro). This is even easier if they decide to use larger capacity memory cards (or switch over to the memory stick).
This seems to me an exciting and rare opportunity to A) get in early on a "new" platform (i.e. hardware+software) B) have that platform have a huge potential audience right off the bat (vs praying that this new platform has more than a few hundred users ala Be).
Gentlemen, start your editors
It really never ceases to amaze me how people talk about the PS2 Linux kit as if it's the only way they'll ever get a chance to develop for a real console.
;-) So for fairness, I'll also mention the
DC Linux port to the Dreamcast, also with a decent amount of hardware and lib support now.
Well, for about $120 worth of hardware (and that includes the console itself, which is still capable of playing tons of great games) you can buy yourself a "Dreamcast devel kit", complete with a BSD licensed toolkit (see SourceForge link), an active hobbyist community, etc. Oh and did I mention, unfettered access to the vast majority of the hardware and to-the-metal performance? How about the ability to burn a CD of your game for anyone who owns a Dreamcast to play it?
Of course, I'm a bit biased, being in charge of the development of said software kit.
I'm interested in getting a PS2 Linux kit too, but I just want people to be aware that there are other ways as well.
Cryptic Allusion - New Mac and Dreamcast Games!