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BlackRhino Linux Now Available for PlayStation 2
Mr. Spock writes "BlackRhino Linux has been released for the PlayStation 2. It's developed independently by xRhino, a middleware developer. Check out the details and download instructions on the official website. A Playstation 2 Linux kit is required to use BlackRhino."
What is BlackRhino GNU/Linux?
BlackRhino is a free Debian-based GNU/Linux software distribution for the Sony PlayStation 2. It contains over 1,200 software packages to aid in using and creating programs for the Sony PlayStation 2 Linux kit. The programs range in functionality from simple games, to text editors, compilers, web servers, windowing systems, database systems, graphics packages, mail servers and a variety of other tools and utilities.
Why was BlackRhino developed?
Initially, BlackRhino was created by xRhino in an effort to bring a commercial Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution to the Sony PlayStation 2 for hobbyists and developers alike. As events unfolded, BlackRhino became useful in other ways and it was finally apparent that a public release should be made. For more information, see the project history.
What are BlackRhino's vital statistics?
Package Count Breakdown by Section:
admin: 49
base: 55
comm: 9
deprecated: 94
devel: 258
doc: 49
editors: 31
games: 8
graphics: 40
interpreters: 106
libs: 169
mail: 21
main: 6
math: 6
misc: 8
net: 95
oldlibs: 7
otherosfs: 11
shells: 9
sound: 57
tex: 17
text: 50
utils: 46
web: 14
x11: 73
Package Count Total: 1,292
Total Size: 1.2 Gigabytes
Help! BlackRhino doesn't have a package I need!
Then you should consider becoming a package maintainer and submitting that package!
How may I contribute?
There are plenty of ways! To name a few...
Become a package maintainer and submit new packages (or maintain existing ones).
Generate discussion on the BlackRhino listserv.
Generate discussion on the BlackRhino forums.
Provide a repository mirror.
If you have other ideas, please feel free to contact xRhino.
What is a package maintainer?
The person who is responsible for maintaining a package. This can entail initial package creation from software source, keeping the package up-to-date with the latest software version, testing the package contents and verifying correct interaction with the BlackRhino system, and releasing an updated package into the official BlackRhino repository. For more information on the Debian packaging system (which BlackRhino uses), have a look at their FAQ.
How do I submit new packages?
There is no automated way of submitting packages at this time, so a small submission proposal must be sent to xRhino. Once the proposal is approved, binary and source packages will be accepted and added to the official repository.
May I provide a repository mirror?
Absolutely! We're always happy to give BlackRhino higher availability. Contact xRhino and all the arrangements will be made.
You can still play games on your PlayStation 2, and you would have to switch HDDs if you wanted to play a HDD compatable game. None are yet availible however. The VGA moniter with Sync-on-green is need for the install, and you can use a tv as the display, but it's low resolution will not look pretty and you will have to do the install "blind". The 8Meg memory card is needed to contain the boot up info and Playstation configuration. If you already have one, look at it under the sony memory card manager. You should see a file that has Playstation 2 configuration info in it.
DRINK DUFF (responsibly) DRINK DUFF (responsibly) DRINK DUFF
Yes you can still play games. If a second harddrive was ever released, you might have to switch, but not neccessarily. Once installed, you can use a TV as the display. The memory card is needed to bootstrap the machine. They arent trying to screw you here, what you see is what you get. I bought it about a year ago, and am pretty happy. However, the first distro was Redhat 5.2 based, which sucked. This should give a big boost to the community, as a modern set of libraries makes it sooooo much easier to port applications.
-- the computer doesn't want any beer, no matter how much you think it does. NEVER, EVER feed your computer beer.
I could go down to Wal-Mart, slap $300 down on the counter, get one of those generic PCs (loved by /.'ers everywhere) and stick linux on that!
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" -- Homer Simpson
But
WHERE DO I GET IT?
I'm serious. I went to my local indie game shop who can always procure the rarest and most obscure games on a weeks notice (they carry GP32 and Wonderswan fer cryin out loud), and asked about the PS2 linux kit, and they looked at me like I had a booger in my nose.
In retrospect, I may well have had a booger in my nose.
You have a link from a site to order this thing from for a US PS2?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
You can buy the PS2 Linux kit online at:
http://www.us.playstation.com/purchase/hardware/
Buy PS2 Linux Kit
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
The PS2 Linux kit lets an aspiring developer get to grips with the most popular console in the world. The coding experience gained on this kit is in many cases identical to that which you would gain using the T10k pro dev kit. There's some fascinating hardware in there, including the two Vector Units that give the PS2 its power. These are custom parallel vector processors with dual pipelines and can perform four floating-point multiply-adds plus an integer op per cycle.
There's nowhere you can get your hands on this kind of vector hardware outside of your local supercomputing facility. There's no compiler for these either, so it's asm all the way - a real challenge.
The kit is available worldwide, online only:
US
Europe, Africa, Middle East
Japan
Australia
New Zealand
The kit is 200.00 usd. What you get. Black usb keyboard, and mouse that say ps2 on it, a 40gb hd, ethernet adapter (ethernet only not ethernet/modem combo). I recently playtested the everquest online game and used the keyboard instead of the game controller to comunicate. I could have used any usb keyboard really. I used the network adaptor that came with the linux kit instead of buying one. So almost all the items you get from the kit can be used in your normal gaming. I'm using the kits ethernet adapter to play SOCOM, atv rage 2, and all of sony's other online stuff. Also the only thing that stops you from using the hd as a hd for your other games is you don't have any utility to partion it and format it. If you friend bought the hd kit and loans you his setup cd your in business. You don't need all 40gb to run linux anyway. So all in all I could have bought the parts seperatly and saved some 50 dollars but wouldn't have been able to play with linux on my ps2. Just cool to play around with. All these add-ons I want for my ps2 plus it runs linux. FYI the additional 8mb memory card is basically the holder for your lilo install. Check out the forums in the /. artical and read all about it. TONS of info there.
-Cho
here's the Google cache of playstation2-linux.com, as the site has been Slashborked.
The HDD is incompatible with games, however your PlayStation(r) 2 can still play games just fine. Just wanted to make sure people don't get the wrong idea. Also, it turns out that it is possible to boot your kit the first time on a TV, you just have to hold the appropriate keys down on your DualShock controller at boot time. Check out the faq.
I still recommend a monitor though. TVs aren't the greatest when it comes to reading text.
-Adam Bertsch
Sr. Systems Administrator
Sony Computer Entertainment America
For example, if you wanted the source code for the entire compiler, you just go into the BlackRhino Debian-esque repository like so:
http://blackrhino.openlists.com/pool/main/g/gcc-2. 95/
and then you can download the gcc_2.95.2-16.tar.gz file and there ya go, full source code. This applies to any package available on BlackRhino Linux. You might want to check out how to build Debian packages first in the Debian Package Maintainers Guide.
-- manu
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
The PlayStation 2 has a SPDIF digital optical out that could connect to a very nice home theatre system.
Use Samba to mount your MP3s from your PC.
Using XMMS, you could play all of your MP3s over your home stereo system in full digital glory.
The same goes for most Internet Radio stations.
-- manu
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.