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Xbox Runs X, KDE, Gnome, StarOffice and Tuxracer
freax writes "Today in the the xbox-linux mailinglist:
I'm typing this into KMail using a USB keybaord (and a USB mouse) in front of the TV connected to the Xbox. ... and even StarOffice works quite fine. TuxRacer also runs (look at the new screenhots on the website), but only with one frame per second.
Check out screenshots here."
Sure there is a point.
;)
An X-Box is basically a custom built PC, so if you run Linux on it, you get a cheap, quite powerful, near intell-compatible computer, with a powerful graphics card.
That's why MS made the X-Box OS so limited, they don't want people to use it as a cheap PC -- it is being sold far under cost price, so they'll have to earn money on it by selling games.
If you run Linux on it, and play free games instead, you are costing Redmond quite a lot of cash
The advantage to doing this is to fsck with Microsoft. The rest is just gravy. I do love the .png from sourceforge though. That is too cool.
the same point as fussing about running linux on a playstation, or on a dreamcast, or on my cellphone, or on a nintendo, or, or, or, or.
why does there have to be more of a point than just people playing around and showing others who might be interested?
How the fuck is this modded to +5 Funny?
Some mods are complete jackholes.
I've never understood what all the fuss is about with Linux on the X-Box. Apart from being a fun hack, is there any point to this?
Yes, there's a point to it. These geeks are demonstrating the stupidity in crippling a computer with DRM, and they're deriding Microsofts attempts to make a so-called "secure platform". Microsoft has said that they want the future for PCs to include these crippling technologies. What they are doing is proving to MSFT customers and shareholders that the company is full of shit, and DRM can't be done (never mind whether or not it should be done).
I don't know if that's their motivation or not, but that's the effect. Their motivation might just come from solving a difficult problem and learning something in the process - you should try it!
I wonder whether your German is any better than their English.
What we really need to get running on this is xmame. Nearly 3500 arcade games on your living room television set!
Now there's $200 worth of entertainment!
If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
... we used to buy game machines to play games, not turn them into half-assed computers.
"Derp de derp."
How the fuck is this modded to +5 Funny?
Because it is funny? Geez, don't be so sensitive...
Maybe you should refrain from posting until you understand irony.
Is that a real poncho? I mean, is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Heh. That's interesting math:
Manufacturing cost = $350 (not sure if that's true, but we'll run with it just for giggles)
MSRP = $200
When an XBOX is sold, MS makes MSRP - a very small commission for the store it's sold at. (Stores make nearly no money on Game consoles.)
So MS is out $150.
When the item is out, MS is out $350.
So, as near as I can tell, $350 > $150, therefore MS loses more money when an XBOX isn't sold.
Now, your argument is that people should buy XBOXs and not buy games for them. (In other words, people should pay for nothing) You're assuming that when you sell that XBOX, nothing will be there to replace it. WRONG. MS will not only make another XBOX in it's place to sell, but it'll be cheaper. Manufacturing cost is based on the total money spent to make these units divided by how many are sold. It takes a lot of money to get the factory started and so one. Once that's done, it just keeps churning out consoles. As time goes buy, the price goes down. (Not including that CPUS, RAM, etc get cheaper over time...) Eventually, MS will sell these at a profit. (assuming Sony/Nintendo don't undercut them to death.)
Now let's get back to the pscychology of buying a unit and not buying games with it: You're screwing yourself out of $200 that way. MS's systems sold # goes up, giving people more reason to buy one. They're going to buy it and play games for it. Meanwhile, you either have an expensive doorstop, or a shitty Linux machine. Woop-de-doo. 10 million XBOXes would have to be sold for MS to lose 1.5 bill. They have 40. Can you honestly tell me common sense wouldn't prevail with 10 million+ people involved?
If you don't like MS, don't buy their products. 'Sticking it to them' is not likely to do anything but good for them.
Frankly, I'm sick of all these "I hate MS" posts. If you get so zealous about attacking MS, not only will you never be taken seriously, but you'll also give them the ability to say "were just misunderstood." Pick your battles. Fight MS for making you buy Windows, don't fight MS for making a good game machine.
"Derp de derp."
Just like all the creationist "truths" are trolls
I have to deal with MS software and servers all day long and they suck. However while i do not like what MS intentions with xbox are(ie dominate yet a another market) i do think the xbox is a fantastic little box. If you are running linux on it just to say you can do it great. But dont think that it is hurting them, your are doing for more to help MS then Bill could ever hope to buy. Free publicity! The best way to fight MS is to deny them existance. How many of these are going to get converted world wide a few hundred maby a 1000 tops. Bill spends that kinda of money on breakfest. Stop kidding your self people you are helpping him not hurtung him.
Linux modi 2.6.26-2-parisc
What? Do you honestly think when you go and buy an Xbox, the clerk behind the counter pushes a magic button, and an Xbox factory churns out just one Xbox that is delivered to you post haste?
No.
Microsoft has made (and paid for) hudreds of thousands of Xboxes beforehand, and have them sitting in a warehouse somewhere, waiting to be delivered to customers. They might actually be in a backroom of your local game-boutique, but anyway, Microsoft has already lost money making the consoles. What you are doing is giving them back some of that money. Think about it...
Microsoft's a big software company. Nevertheless, do you know where most of their profits come from? 40% are from Office, its biggest seller.
Microsoft is fast realizing that a non-subscription-based Windows cannot be expected to be a moneymaker for long; people are just too prone to pirate. The idea very well may occur to them to port Office to Linux, because they know full well that they'd gain more profits from additional sales of Office than they'd lose from sales of Windows. And once MS is offering products from Linux, why wouldn't they at least make it possible (if not any easier) to install Linux on the Xbox?
Knowing MS, they'd be much more likely to install a version of CE on the hard drive, which would allow people to run Microsoft-certified apps. But I can't think of a good reason why Microsoft wouldn't allow people to run Linux on the box, if it meant that MS would have more system sales, and thus more game sales (and more licensing fees from game developers).
As for the other minor problems you mention: [a] The doctrine of first sale says that Microsoft can stop no person from buying a $200 Xbox, putting in a $40 mod-chip, installing Linux, and selling it for $300 plus shipping. MS may not like it, but users would; they could get a full-featured computer that ran all Xbox games for only $300, which is as much as some people paid for the Xbox as it is. [b] The filesystem doesn't need any special features. The Xbox by its nature isn't going to be used as a server, so in effect it's single-user; and there are no other filesystem features you need to download software off SourceForge (arguably we need a more standardized package format, but that has nothing to do with filesystems).