Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Anonymous Will Award $200,000 for Xbox Linux

Posted by timothy on from the that'll-keep-you-in-cereal dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "The X-box Linux Project at Sourceforge reports today that an anonymous donor will award nearly a quarter of a million dollars to the individuals responsible for the completion of a two-phased effort to run Linux on the Xbox. One can't help but wonder if this will help or hurt the community. On one hand, it is likely to generate additional interest in the project, on the other, some people may be less inclinded to share their discoveries with money on the line. Then again, getting both Money and Glory sounds pretty good."

12 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. Linux by FigBugDeux · · Score: 5, Funny

    I pay you $50 to get Linux running on my TRS-80

    1. Re:Linux by randomErr · · Score: 5, Funny

      last time I tried the tulip driver failed to function on my Kingston ethernet card (a computer without access to the internet is pretty fricking useless these days).

      Yeah, but think of the security.

      --
      You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
  2. Bad news for Linux? by PhysicsGenius · · Score: 5, Funny
    I can see a few bad outcomes. First, it will splinter the development community. There will be numerous sourceforge projects started, only to be abandoned when no one is skilled enough with GIMP to create themselves an icon. This is development effort that could have been directed towards making KDE themes and Linux will only suffer as a result.

    Second, assuming someone succeeds, a large cash infusion has proved to be the downfall of many Linux companies. Roger Stallman was right, money is the "root" (ha!) of all evil, just look at companies like RedHat and VA Linux Something.

    Third, even if they succeed and no one is killed in the process, what possible use could Linux be on an XBox? I heard they use some kind of proprietary game format that Linux won't be able to read anyway. "DVD" or something.

  3. Re:weird way of saying $200,00 by Bouncings · · Score: 5, Funny
    That's a really weird way of saying $200,000: "nearly a quarter of a million dollar"
    yes, but then again, this is slashdot. Be glad they didn't say nearly a korter of a mellion" -- besides, it is roughly 25 cents after taxes and Microsoft legal action.
    --
    -- Ken Kinder ken@_nospam_kenkinder.com http://kenkinder.com/
  4. There are some things money can't buy by roesti · · Score: 5, Funny
    Task 1: Replacement BIOS - $55,000
    Task 2: Kernel and XFree drivers - 25,000
    Task 3: Kernel logic: FATX and miscellaneous - 10,000
    Task 4: XBE bootloader $10,000
    Run unsigned code on an Xbox without any hardware modification - $100,000
    Making Microsoft sell streamlined Linux boxes below cost, and making the Xbox developers see their own horrified looks reflected in the surface of the Xbox-Linux CD you made: priceless.
    --
    Attack its weak point for massive damage!
  5. Re:weird way of saying $200,00 by Dr.+Awktagon · · Score: 3, Funny

    YEah, they should've just said:

    Nearly FOURTEEN seventieths of a million dollars!!

    Whew, fourteen seventieths, that's SOME SERIOUS DOSH! Personally, I'd settle for a mere three twenty-sevenths.

  6. Re:The Wizard behind the screen is??? by Cynikal · · Score: 3, Funny

    "if it wasn't anonymous, we'd know who it was"

    hmm, are you 100% positive about that?

  7. Re:Full details and rules by jcoy42 · · Score: 3, Funny
    Replacement BIOS - $55,000
    Kernel and XFree drivers - $25,000
    FATX and miscellaneous - $10,000
    XBE bootloader $10,000
    Run unsigned code on an Xbox without any hardware modification - $100,000

    Turning Microsoft's business against them - Priceless
    --
    Never trust an atom. They make up everything.
  8. Re:Hmm by rodgerd · · Score: 5, Funny

    I reckon it's Bill. He's actually a bit of a liberal at heart (look at Slate and all the money he donates to UN health programs), and now he's horrified by what Microsoft has become. Having lost control of the company to the brutal apelike Steve Ballmer, he's looking for ways to subvert it.

    Bill is trapped, a prisoner in his own machine. His best chance for freedom is to destroy it. Won't you help Bill? Won't somebody think of Bill?

  9. I can do this, but I'm not going to even try. by Typingsux · · Score: 5, Funny
    My bank won't cash a check made out by anonymous.

    --
    The above post is an editorial, the poster cannot and will not be held responsible for all or in part for it's contents
  10. Re:And MS will reward.. by T.E.D. · · Score: 3, Funny
    but them MS will probably pay you $400,000 to keep it hush.

    I love that idea. Just like a lot of farmers are paid to not grow corn, we can be paid to not write software! I can just picture it now...

    (picks up phone and hits speedial #3)
    Hello, Bill? Yeah, I was thinking since I'm low on cash and not a lot of good games are out right now, perhaps I might do some work. Like maybe I'll try to get Linux running on the XBox or something. Folks would like that.

    What? Well, yeah I guess I could use $400,000. Oh, a copy of Warcraft III is on the way too? Why, thank you, but you really don't have...oh? A prerelease for Age of Mythology too? Well, that's most generous of you. No, I don't suppose I will have time to code anything after all. It was a pleasure talking to you too...
  11. please specify the model....Re:Linux by leuk_he · · Score: 3, Funny

    10 print "booting leuk_he/linux ont trs80 Model A"
    20 print "No HD detected"
    30 print "No FD detected"
    40 print "entering runlevel 0"
    50 print "starting lsh"
    60 print #
    70 read b
    80 goto 60

    I donate this program to open source.