XBox Hardware Database Started

PerlGuru writes "The Xbox-Linux project has posted a submission form, and now some initial results for various Xbox hardware details. The aim of the form is to collect enough information to be able to make a good guess as to the internals of the box before even taking it off the shelf at the store. Being able to predict the hardware is especially nice considering things like hard drives which can range from 8 to 20 (?) Gb, or the new video encoding chip from Focus which doesn't have Linux support yet."

Comments

Save yourself the trouble

[Dancin_Santa]

Get one of those cheap Lindows boxes at Walmart.

Why dick around?

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[NanoGator]

"Get one of those cheap Lindows boxes at Walmart."

Gotta say, I agree. The only real thing this machine excels at is showing video on a TV. If you want to do a media center playing DivX and other formats, then it sounds good. Anything else, though, and I just can't think of a reason to go with the XBOX.

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[Gogo Dodo]

I suspect most of the interest in XBOX hacking is to try to screw over Microsoft.

In the long run, it isn't going to do anything major to Microsoft. If somebody manages to get some unsigned Linux executable running on the XBOX, mainstream commercial developers aren't going to flock to Linux on XBOX. Microsoft would put too much pressure on those developers.

Not to mention, Microsoft can wipe the playing field clean with an XBOX 2 and ditch compatibility with the original XBOX. Then you have to start the whole process over again.

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[NanoGator]

"In the long run, it isn't going to do anything major to Microsoft."

They're probably concerned about pirated games being played on it. Not saying they should be worried about it, but if you can get Linux running, then what's stopping somebody from running restricted games on it?

Truth be told, I think most game companies are way too concerned about piracy.

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[infinii]

Gotta say, I agree. The only real thing this machine excels at is showing video on a TV.

Gotta say, I disagree. This is a gaming console first and foremost. Insert a dvd, play a gain. No bs with upgrading your vide drivers, service packs, etc as experienced with gaming on the pc platform.

All the hacks and media center capabilities that have been added to the XBox are just gravy.

Actually...what is it the Lindows box can do that an XBox can't do?

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[anakin513]

I agree. If the level of piracy was as high as the Gaming companies lead us to believe, there wouldn't be enough money out there to produce all these fabulous games.

It's hard to feel sorry for a company that's making hundreds of millions and they complain that they missed out on a few extra mill.

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[NanoGator]

"Actually...what is it the Lindows box can do that an XBox can't do? "

Anything but play games.

Re:Save yourself the trouble

[Darth Fredd]

In the long run, it isn't going to do anything major to Microsoft

HAHAHAHAHA..oh, that wasn't a joke. If you took care to research it, you'd find that this is their profit model:
1.Sell xBoxs (lose money)
2.Sell games for xBoxs ($50 a whack, money comes back)
3.Profit!

buying games is crucial for them to make a profit. Cracks are everywhere for PS2, PSOne, etc. It amazes me that MS either 1)didn't research and say "Hey! These guys are gonna try and crack this!" or 2) think they could muscle down the crackers.

Sony sells linux for PS2! Their are also linux distros out there rolled by gurus..

If somebody manages to get some unsigned Linux executable running on the XBOX, mainstream commercial developers aren't going to flock to Linux on XBOX

What the heck's that s'posed to mean??

Not to mention, Microsoft can wipe the playing field clean with an XBOX 2 and ditch compatibility with the original XBOX. Then you have to start the whole process over again.

What cracker is gonna wake up and say "There's an xBox 2 out! that means xBox is no longer hip, and I have to move on!"??

If MS brings out the xBox 2, then they have *two* sets of cracks to worry about. This puts MS in quite the predicament..

20 Gig HD

[jnguy]

Since when were there 20 GB harddrives for the xbox? I bought an xbox, just a few months aftet it came out, for full price. Anyways, does it raelly matter that much, I'm sure, with the nature of the xbox-linux community, it won't be long before almost everything is supported.

Re:20 Gig HD

[Babbster]

Microsoft is likely just putting in whatever drive happens to be cheapest at the moment and then only enabling the first 8 GB in software. After all, HD manufacturers make what sells and 8/10GB hard drives aren't selling anymore, and there's no compelling reason for Microsoft to have special runs of smaller hard drives produced because it would cost them more money than buying off the shelf.

Re:20 Gig HD

[jnguy]

It also seems like anyone who is installing Linux on their machine is replacing it with a 120 gig harddrive, or replacing it in general, so I suppose it doesn't matter.

best system ever

[sknja]

Nobody believed me when I told them it would be the best system ever. Of course I never meant for playing games.

I forshadowed (along with most other slashdotters) that 6 to 9 months after the release of the xbox the first crack would be discovered (although I do not know if it held true). But in a result of microsoft`s gaming box all the Linux junkies, like me, now have an extremely cheap computer that can be plugged into any tv.

Now all microsoft needs to do is drop the price, like The Gamecube. down to 100 and I will buy 3.

Did I mention that for the most part xbox games suck. They seem to go with the whole graphisc focus and loose all gameplay (with expections of course). If i wanna play games thats what my ps2/gc/saturn .. etc are for.

I give mad props and thanx to the xbox linux project (and all others who were able to sacrifice time to this cause). Withough them I could not say that a microsoft product has made me happy.

Now I just need to go work on my xbox pvr project...I know there is already one (http://www.dreamix.tv/) but will be "for sale" I want open source/open shematics dammit.

Re:best system ever

[Anonymous Coward]

You foreshadowed that it would happen? I've never seen a literary device be proud of itself before. Interesting.

Re:best system ever

[Anonymous Coward]

meh
I felt foreshadowed meant more along the lines of the following:

"To present an indication or a suggestion of beforehand; presage." (dictionary.com)

But hell what do I know Im just an engineer, You could still be right for all I know

Re:best system ever

[Anonymous Coward]

For pvr just install mythtv on your xbox running linux, done deal, no need to wait for the vaporware dreamix

Re:best system ever

[sknja]

So how would you get the video into the xbox? Yes, The pvr programs are already there. I also agree that the dreamix is vaproware, but at the same time its a good project for a student like me to work on.

From a hardware standpoint the video-in is the one big obstacle that needs to be taken care of (unless there is something obvious I am missing). That alone is what interests me.

Since the xbox is a video game system it is only made with the vid out, but at the same time it has the Network card, which I will hope to utalize to get the video in.

Then again I could just be taking out my ass.
Who knows... Any suggestions anyone??

Re:best system ever

[PerlGuru]

For pvr just install mythtv on your xbox running linux, done deal, no need to wait for the vaporware dreamix

This is what I am doing. I installed linux on my xbox for the sole purpose of running MythTV. It runs great on the XBox. The Xbox-Linux teams drivers are great as well. The IR Remote driver talks to the kernel as if it is an USB keyboard meaning software configuration. Additionally, the driver for the xpad causes it to show up as both an USB mouse and a joystick making mame great on the Xbox.

20 gig drives don't exist

[Recoil_42]

er.. on the xbox, that is. they only use 8 and 10 gig hard drives, and the 10 gig drives have 2 gigs disabled so that people wont complain about unfairness.

Re:20 gig drives don't exist

[Anonymous Coward]

THATS SO UNFAIR! If I have a 10 gig hard drive, I want access to all 10 gigs! how dare they lock part of my equipment out!

This is games related how?

[Dolemite_the_Wiz]

Linux being installed on an Xbox should make this topic non games related.

Dolemite
______________

Which FOCUS Chip?

[ewhac]

I've written BeOS drivers for earlier versions of the FOCUS video encoder (beats Chrontel all to hell). The reference code FOCUS provided for porting was written for Linux so, unless it's a really recent chip, I know that at least some FOCUS chips have Linux support.

Schwab