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XBox Chip With Legal BIOS
Lours writes "OzXChip, an Australian company, has a new Xbox chip which comes preinstalled with the new (Cromwell Linux BIOS. Previous chips came without (or simplistic) BIOS for obvious legal and hardware-related (HD-key) reasons you had to go through a lot of manipulations in order to install a patched version of the original Microsoft BIOS or ask the vendor to do it which obviously he was not willing to do for free (when he was willing to). Since the new Cromwell BIOS is fully open source it can be shipped with the chip without any legal risks, gaining you a lot of time, sweat and money. Plus the chip has a very useful feature: by using software based on Andy Green's -- one of the maintainers of the XBox Linux project -- Raincoat, it lets you flash a new BIOS very easily: burn the BIOS file onto a blank CD, put it in the Xbox, boot and you are done. With such beasts there is not much left in the way of want-to-be Linux Xbox hackers who might have been affraid until now to have to deal with delicate hardware intricacies or reluctant to run the whole town for a vendor willing to mod their Xbox at the smallest fee. With important linux distributions also incoming (Debian and Mandrake are underway if not completed) it won't be long before everyone can write code for (and on!) the machine only a few minutes after receiving the chip in his mailbox. Hopefully we are going to see a zillion things running on the machine that Microsoft would only have dreamt of making (and selling)." Update: 01/23 16:07 GMT by T : The company's name is actually OzXChip, rather than OzChip (as originally rendered); thanks to reader Michael Muir for pointing this out.
will it still play games? and be easy to go back to the original bios?
> Hopefully we are going to see a zillion things running on the machine that Microsoft would only have dreamt of making (and selling)."
I hope so too, but I thought the same thing when I picked up my Sony PS2 Linux kit. Not too many useful projects have come out of THAT yet. (All I really wanted was the ability to play mpeg video on my TV at a decent speed...but SDL hasn't been optimized yet, so that's not yet possible.)
everyone will still buy the bad ass xbox games.
Haven't most xbox owners already got both of those?
Sweet! And the "Matrix" chip that I ordered last week should be here tomarrow.
In other news, I buy all of my Apple hardware the day before a Macworld Expo.
There are two kinds of people in the world: those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
If you really want to get caught up in this addictive and fun hacking, check these sites for answers to all questions:
www.xboxhacker.net
www.xbox-scene.com
#xbins on IRC
By the way...the number of hacked xboxes surely runs into the thousands, if not more, and there are already enough robust applications to make it a full-fledged media device.
What is this guy, a Lisp programmer?
* mild mannered physics grad student by day *
* daring code hacker by night *
http://www.silent-tristero.com
2 of the best Killer apps for the X-Box I've heard of are the DivX player and the PVR. This chip will go a long way towards making it quick and easy to set those up.
It's too bad MS doesn't jump on the bandwagon. If they produced PVR software and sold it for the price of a normal game, I'd happily buy an X-Box and that software. I'd also pay at least $20 for DivX player software for it.
Jason
ProfQuotes
How does this change the problem with playing XBox Live with a modded XBox? I would like to mod my box to play around with a lot of the homebrew apps, but I really don't want to get my XBox's MAC address banned from XBox Live, as I really do like the service. This is assuming that Microsoft really does check for modded XBox hardware. Does this advancement help the situation?
So I buy an X-BOX, buy the chip, and then install a linux based bios.... on what amounts to a shitty celeron based machine? I don't know... seems kind of weird.
I'd rather get a good machine, install linux... and NOT pay microsoft 300 bucks for sub-standard equipment.
I'm gussing most people who do this sort of thing are the types who would love to see Microsoft fall... if that is the case, don't give them your money.... no matter how cool your modded X-BOX will be.
"Entropy is the bad-guy, and he is everywhere"
Easy solution: buy a second XBox. No, really. There are a number of used/refurb XBoxes around if you look. The infamous "Disk is Dirty or Damaged" error (DDoDE) made for a lot of replaced XBoxes. If you look around at your local used game shops, I'm sure they have a couple used for a good price (or refurbished for a bit more money). Play XBox Live on your current working XBox, waste your time hacking around with Linux on the refurb.
Not really because they lose money on every x-box sold and if we can run free software on it nobody wants to buy the expensief x-box games...
X-box games are very expensief to cover the losses on the machine sels
There are two big reasons why this is interesting.
1) Because modchips can now ship with a fully legal clean BIOS, it is very hard for MS to suppress or chill their development any more. Cromwell, the Linux booting BIOS, is only capable to boot Linux, there can be no copyright-based complaints. Ozxchips have made a micro-distro (~2MB ISO) which boots and reflashes the BIOS. In the future, I expect mods with multiple BIOSes in one flash, with Cromwell used to manage and reflash the other parts, but being itself read-only/protected.
2) Because Cromwell can boot off the Linux install CDs, perform the install and then subsequently boot direct into Linux, the increased availability of the BIOS suggests that more people will be encouraged to try Linux. And considering these are mainly kids who otherwise face a sterile, uncreative and useless relationship with games on the Xbox, that's a good thing. Again, in the future we can expect Cromwell to be a static feature of mods, the option to boot into Linux always being available.
You've been able to run Linux on the Xbox for some time now, this doesn't really change that. What's different is that you can now run Linux without using any MS code in the BIOS, whereas before Linux required the use of a hacked native BIOS to get it started. So the big difference is that you can run Linux without any copyright infringement.
That has ramifications for the MS trend to try to suppress modchips.
on this page it says
#Disable switch compatibility (XBox Live compatibility)
does this mean we can play on xbox live with modded xboxen?
gaining you a lot of time, sweat and money
Well, one of those things I have plenty of, but I could always use more of the other two.
Karma whorin' since 1999
when the next 'leaked' halloween memo states that the original Xbox strategy was
(1) to test different types of security and see which ones were easily hacked
(2) to test different types of licensing agreements for their real hardware push into the living rooms of America
(3) to find a way to willing have people buy ms boxes to replace the failed WebTV fiasco
(4) to use open source people to boost the sales of Xbox above Sony's PS2s.
Besides the "kewl" factor, what is the point of ever modifying an Xbox? Games that once ran on the Xbox will not longer run. TuxRacer is fun, but come on.
That's great for aussie, but I fear that this stuff will never leave the southern emisphere because I can easily figure out gangs of M$ lawyers ready to rumble as soon as a company try to sell it outside Australia.
You'll never play xbox live online with a modded box. Theyre attitude makes sense: a service population with 5% cheaters will make 60% of normal gamers shy away from playing. Many people stopped playing CS because cheating is so prevalent.
As for killer apps, the XBMP - Xbox Media Player now in v2.2 is the ultimate app that is continually updated. DVD/mp3/ogg/m3u playlist/divx support, and the features keep getting better. Plus streaming support. right now, Xbox is the most cost effective media center available. Plus it has some great tech support in the dev scene. And Dreamix is a WIP PVR to complete the media center ideal
MS makes money on the Xbox one way, and one way only: Games. The Xbox itself is sold at a loss, but the profit gained from selling games evens this out.
Now, a marginal group hacking Linux on the Xbox doesn't really matter, but what if someone wanted to buy 10000 Xboxes to build a super-cheap rendering cluster?
If doing this becomes easy enough MS isn't going to sell the Xbox for a loss forever...
.: Max Romantschuk
What's the fun part in running anything on an x-box? Have you forgotten that it's made by microsoft? It's like saying that it's cool to run programs in windows, which it obviously isn't. Stop the madness!
People are going a little overboard with the XBox modding. Sure, have fun, do something new with it, but for the same price, you can get a faster PC, with expansion slots where you can plug in any device you might want, and less expensive than xbox accessories.
Then, you'll be supporting the PC industry, instead of a Monopoly that makes propritary, overpriced, devices.
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
So did anyone ever win that $200,000 prize? Would this qualify?
Nope. This will not qualify. With this solution you still have to replace the original BIOS chip with a new one. Besides the prize was split half. The X-box hackers already got $100,000 by making Linux run on X-box with custom BIOS chip.
To get that additional $100,000 prize no hardware modifications can be done to make Linux work on X-box.
---
In the article, there's a link to the pictures gallery.
;)
It has switch for "X-Box Live" compatibility
... and then there were none
Flashing a BIOS is *not* supposed to be an easy one step process, and there's a reason for it.
I can just see it now:
1) Linux hacker goes home with new hotly anticipated Starcraft: Ghost (published by Microsoft), which he stood in line for 10 hours to buy.
2) Linux hacker pops new game into XBox.
3) New UberSafeDisc protection on Starcraft: Ghost flashes replacement BIOS, replaces it with code for original XBox BIOS, then disables future flashing...
But with the depreciation of hardware over time, does it still cost them? Thoughts appreciated. -MMT
Yes, that is true, however, this chip, amongst others, can disable itself and revert to the original BIOS if needed.
Gee since It's half the price of the PC you are pricing, I WOULD consider that a great reason to buy an XBOX. Also, with the XBox media player you can watch SVCD/VCD/DIVX, etc. Try building a computer with TV out that will do that for any where near $200.
--
This is a good point.
However, some information: on the Xbox, the motherboard flash containing the BIOS is not writeable by default. You have to take out the motherboard and short out a couple of links with solder before it can be written. So MS cannot trash or update the original BIOS.
Most commercial modchips feature a write protect line which you physically have to switch to allow writes to the mod flash. Even those that don't are externally reprogrammable from a PC printer port. So this is no kind of crisis.
What is more possible to imagine in the future though are new games linked with a new version of the MS libraries which seek out and shit on assets on the HDD that MS don't approve of.
I am waiting for a "real" X-Box.
I would be very happy if I could get an X-box to be a 'good file player' that could play DVD, VCD, and everything else I play on my PC (QT, AVI, DIVX, VOB, blah blah... I admit, a big bag), and some basic network functionality without compromising the ability to play legal X-box games.
Within the community, we seem to have several counter-productive lines of progression.
There are the folks that want to play around with their X-box and add functionality (the most interesting and productive pursuit) and the people who want to buy a M$-subsidized device and use it for Linux-only purposes.
Realistically, the latter are better served to craft their own boxes w/o M$ at all (we all know what has happenned w/ HW prices).
Does it make any sense to buy an X-box and use it as a Linux box? It did months ago, but, with the way the market is progressing, you will gain far less in HW $ than you get is SW time...
I am all for EXTENDING the abilities of the X-Box, but you get much beyond that and it ends up being a gesture motivated not my innovation, but by spite for M$.
-Z
M$ XP user (3 PCs) w/ a SUN Solaris, MacOS, and a lil TiVo on the SDA LAN.
Cool. A reason to own an Xbox.
:)
Here's another reason to own one: DoA Xtreme Beach Volleyball
All us imbalanced geeks will love it.
Well you install a switch on the side so you can switch between BIOS chips. So whenever you want to use xbox live just flick the switch and run on the original BIOS
Normal people worry me!
Alright, first: I don't even own an XBox, I don't know if I ever will.
:-D That's the whole damn point: to play. to try to augment and modify hardware and software simply to see if it can be done.
;-)
So why should people bother? Is it a waste of their time to spend so much effort tinkering on XBox when MS clearly does not want them to?
Of course it isn't. Firstly, no one should ever discourage a geek from playing (attempting to hack or modify hardware or software). It's the single most important aspect of it all: the thrill of seeing what you can do with what you've got. Can I tweak it so it goes a little faster? Can I tweak so it sounds a little clearer? Can I take this fridge and make it act as a firewall?
GEEK-SPOK: Why have you been staring at the internals of that mountain of database code for the past two days? That's not our deptartment.
GEEK-KIRK: [dopey voice] Because it's there.
Of course, that's not the *only* reason to hack. Another is: We Hate Microsoft. And why wouldn't we? They try to lock us out of the software, and their not satisfied with that, now they want to lock us out of the hardware as well. *Naturally* hackers will try to hack it.
And what's so bad about that? I think some of the naysayers hear lack imagination. Think of XBox hacking as a big, community-based R&D project--because it is. Just like all R&D projects, we're not exactly sure what will come out of it. But I, for one, am curious to find out.
Although getting Linux up and running on XBox is still a bit tricksy today, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be difficult tomorrow. This latest innovation means that more hackers will be able to play.
It's conceivable that, at some future point, Linux-on-XBox may be as easy as inserting a CD (after having purchased the appropriate *type* of XBox from the store). Once the hardware is openned up, anything is possible. Myself, I'm looking forward to the prosepct of a "MAME distribution" for "Linux On XBox". Of course, you'd have to download all the romsets from somewhere else.
I know people have managed to get MAME up and running on XBox already, but that's what I'm getting at--as I understand it, it's still a bit involved right now. But as all this XBox hacking moves forward, it may one day be simple enough for everybody--or at least simple enough for the average geek.
Most important reason to hack the XBox: if the xboxhackers don't hack it to figure out how it works and let the masses know, who will?
P.S. I obviously wrote this strange, long post all at once w/o any proofing or anything. If the ideas or grammar offend anyone, all I can say is: oops, my bad.
Furry cows moo and decompress.
When new OS and BIOS is installed, it gets another PC
Yes, but only after it puts the lotion in the basket.
Writing is like coding: keep it simple. Spend some time on it, and have pity on your poor readers. There's more to writing than just spelling and grammar.
(My appologies if you are not a native English speaker---your spelling and grammar are good enough that it's hard to tell.)
Patrick Doyle
I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
Sure - but lets be realistic - if you buy an XBOX and mod it - woudln't you still want to play some of the games> MS will break even at worst overall among mod chippers I'd think.
Top Most Bizarre/Disturbing Error Messages
yes, but they should have to keep buying them damnit.
The source code for xbplayer is now available, and has been for quite some time. Make sure you read up before posting something like this; everything seems to have been worked out for the most part between both parties.
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
Really the 1/0 logic aint much difference to what's on a NForce Athlon board, only its a GTL+ bus NForce chipset rather than a EV6 bus NForce chipset
People, Microsoft loves it when you tweak their box this way. Publically, they're against it, but you're helping their bottom line, and as long as your tweaks are unofficial, they're marginal enough to be ignored. In fact, even if microsoft itself sold the modchip, it'd still be helping their bottom line to purchase it.
Do you think they care what weird software you put on their box? No. What they care about is their sales numbers, which is the only way your tweak impacts them. Their sales numbers, when high enough, mean more titles for xbox (and less for cooler platforms). Their sales numbers mean microsoft proprietary hardware, which will probably eventually run windows.
Imagine, microsoft with a wholly controlled (no, your silly modchip doesn't matter to them, it's still wholly controlled) hardware platform, to match their wholly controlled OS. It's a dream come true for their stock holders, and a very bad thing for FOSS, and a very bad thing for competition in the console market - because you can bet that if they get more than a toe hold on that market, they're going to run with it and never let another competitor see the light of day ever again.
So please, if you love high prices and lack of software freedom, keep snapping up those xboxes! Tweak to your heart's delight! Microsoft will be your friend (at least until they can make a buck by selling your soul)!
- Can you upgrade it?
No. You can't.
- What happens when you hit the eject button on the DVD-ROM drive?
The silly thing reboots.
- Does it support VGA/XVGA/SVGA?
Nope.
That's just the limitations coming out of the box! Then there is the cost and labor. After all is said and done the price jumps to about $300.00 not including labor and the chance of destrying your motherboard due to a botched solder job, probably jump the price to $400.00 to get some other guy to mod your box for you.Great. For $400.00 you have a computer that can never be upgraded, has to be attached to a TV and requires home-made adapters to get the mouse and keyboard to work. You can get a better deal at Wal Mart.
If you want to mod your XBox becuase it makes your inner nerd all giddy go ahead and do it. Have fun! If you are trying to turn an XBox into a cheap and crappy PC please save your money and time.
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
If Microsoft was able to toss XBoxes into a trash compacter at $150 loss each (one of the numbers I've heard proposed for how much they lose per console) but get away with telling everyone that they'd sold them, they would gladly spend $150 million to "sell" a million consoles and be able to use that marketing info to convince developers to make more games for the XBox. Even with no hope of _ever_ being able to recoup the losses from those particular XBoxes.
Microsoft said they planed to lose a billion dollars for the first few years. Clearly their goal is not short term economic gains, but long range plans for getting a firm place in the market. Every XBox that gets sold helps that goal, even if the buyer turns it into a Linux box and never buys a single game.
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