Slashdot Mirror
Gamecube Linux Port Announced, In Progress
NiteStar writes "A group of people from the homebrew scene and Xbox Linux have now started a new project to port Linux to the Nintendo Gamecube. A small preview version has already been released, it's a small application that draws Tux the penguin on the GameCube screen. The roadmap explains a small client will run on the Gamecube, so the 'GameCube could be used as a desktop computer, which stores its data on a server on the network. The GameCube has a CPU that is powerful enough to decode common multimedia data like MPEG-4/DivX and MP3. It can serve as a display unit for content stored on a server'."
Wait a sec, go back to the part about it being small again...
But now the Xbox 2, PS3, and GameCube successor (name?) are looming, so....how about waiting til then, and starting on those immediately?
The long wait is over! I can check my e-mail on my gamecube-not that I have a game cube but thats beside the point- I've been waiting scince the day it came out for this linux pack. Now I can go to my grave in peace...
"It's'a me, Tux!"
As cool as these things are to play around with, they aren't worth sullying the GNU/Linux name... especially with the SCO situation looming. Does anybody know if this sort of concern is present with this code?
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.
I look forward to writing those shellscripts a character at a time using a gamepad. Like I don't get RSI from the mouse and keyboard as it is...
And using an ordinary TV for a screen? No thanks.
I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
Why on earth would someone that buys a console want Linux on it ?
It's just a geek thingy no? It's like a virus: install linux on everything. Don't get me wrong, I do like linux, but don't see the beneficts of running it inside a console being that a GC or a PS2 or whatever...
Even though I'm disappointed with the games available for Gamecube, I can't see many people sacrificing a perfectly good game console so they can use it as a pretty limited server.
But since we're on the subject of Gamecube, can someone point me to some decent Gamecube titles? The only two I've found that I really enjoyed are Metroid Prime and the new Zelda.
I cant wait to get KDE 3.2 on this thing. Then I will have a Game Kube!
Microsoft hates Xbox hacking, and is using every legal mean to stop it, in particular, the DMCA. Nintendo might use the same tactics, as they have used the DMCA in the past. The DMCA is increasingly being used as a way to defeat competition and enforce shoddy business practices -- not to uphold legitimate rights. If it continues, it won't be long before auto manufacturers are including chips to defeat third-party auto parts from working with their vehicles, and you can look forward to seriously inflated prices when you need to get new brake pads or whatever on your car because they'll be suing the competition out of business.
When you buy a product, it should be YOURS, period, end of story. If you want to mod your Xbox into a PC, and you have the skills to do it, then you damn well ought to be able to do so. Once you pay your $175 (or whatever they're going for) for an Xbox, Microsoft should cease to have any control over what you do with it -- save voiding the warranty if you decide to take it apart and start modding it.
>>esr>>
Similarly, there is a BZFlag GameCube port in the works. http://www.webtrotter.com/bzflag
not as good as the xbox
No hard drive for easy locale storage. And may not be as simple as flipping a switch to boot from linux or from the default enviorment (i'm not sure how they're overriding the default start up)
but for gc owners a nice addition to it's funconality. The ability to stream music, and / or video via a silent (and micro) computer. No real fan noise in the background when listening to music, and a much better video out quality than S-Video on the typical video card.
So let's try it again:
"Can you imagine an Xgrid-cluster of these?"
Thank you.
"Honey, I feel a certain distance between us..." "Really? A 31ms ping ain't that bad..."
As in, using as a build machine? Or better, a distributed build system? Imagine a bunch of GameCubes networked together and running gcc to build big projects (such as Mozilla or OO.o)!
Christopher S. 'coldacid' Charabaruk -- coldacid.net
There were any number of hobbyist platforms in the 70s and 80s. They're not around anymore. The people that control the industry today got their start on programming and hardware on these machines and are all too happy to remove that opportunity for the next generation. Some might think it's a bit hypocritical, but it's really about cutting out the competition.
Besides, if just anyone can write for or modify these things, that cuts out the revenue stream from licensing. The future will be in renting, not buying. And really, they've got every right to control the product if we keep buying it.
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.
Just a quick question, though. Why? I mean, obviously it IS there and therefore has to be done, but... So, when do we get Linux for the Nokia nGage? Linux for HP48, anyone? =)
On the other hand, the geek in me is clapping his hands at another small (I do believe someone mentioned small in the article) milepost for the geek community but on the gripping hand... Oh well. It seems like someone was bound to do it. Hope something good comes out of it. Good luck, guys
Sigs for Nerds. Sigs that Matter.
.. I don't see it as anything but YaLC (yet another linux conversion) or in short, just a hobby.
I just can't see it working as a cheap thin client, due to all the (extra) needed accessories, like keyboard, mouse, etc. XBOX would probably be much better for this, due to DVD + HDD.
And as for the multimedia terminal, I'd personally rather have one machine that does it all; acts as tv recorder, multimedia player, storage server and even all that in silence, so it can stand next to the TV. Again the XBOX would most likely be better for this.
Having said that, I think it's a neat project. If I was a kernel monkey, I'd probably spend some time on it too. I also love messing around with new projects myself. I'm not trying to troll (honestly!:), just expressing my concerns/views on the project.
You'll have a lot more titles than the current Gamecube selection.
There's another use for it.
I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
For anyone like myself wondering how they run the homebrew code on something that doesn't employ a standard CD format the FAQ has some - ableit brief - answers.
### Can I just burn a 8 cm CD/DVD and use it in the GameCube? ###
No. The GameCube reads no CDs/DVDs. There is no way to produce a GameCube compatible optical media using a CD/DVD burner.
### So do I run homebrew code on the GameCube? ###
The PSOload method is the only way.
### What do I need in order to run homebrew code? ###
A GameCube, any version of "Phantasy Star Online", a "Broadband Adapter", a memory card, and PSOload.
### Do I need a modchip? ###
There are no modchips.
All sounds kind of cumbersome IMHO.
aus.music.scrapbook
Instead of all that work, why not just get one of these. The only drawback with this device is the backend must run on a Win32 box...but the little device already runs Linux. Of course this is only good for mpeg1/2 streaming..but if thats all you would do with your Cube..why bother hacking it all up?
Superior hardware doesn't make the Xbox a superior platform. If so, sales would have been much higher. So far, the Xbox is the 3rd console and it's share in the gamingmarket is decreasing (in percentages).
"Honey, I feel a certain distance between us..." "Really? A 31ms ping ain't that bad..."
1. Get GC ASCII Keybord
2. Get Component cable
3. Profit!
How on earth is this going to be useful? The GameCube uses a proprietary media format, so in order to boot anything that's not an official game, you need to use the Phantasy Star Online-exploit.
Which means that you would have to boot up the GC like you normally would, load PSO, do the exploit-thingy and then begin streaming Linux to the console from your PC/server/whatever via the Broadband Adapter. Am I the only one who thinks this is way to big of a hassle?
I mean, Linux on the Dreamcast was just a matter of throwing in a DC-Linux cd and hitting the power button. By comparison, this GameCube hack is cumbersome, to put it mildly. Why not just buy an Xbox and screw Microsoft over?
Good vga output would make it a nifty little diskless terminal (the proper name for a "small client desktop computer which stores its data on a server on the network").
Some operating systems were designed from the ground up to have diskless graphical terminals, even on serial lines.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
its aliveee! And this is just after Nintendo has declared excellent sales during the holiday period. Ofcourse, it has been attributed to the low pricing, but their sales were (apparantly) better than the PS2 and the XBOX.
The linux port should help widen the gamecube's appeal to more people
|/________
|\A|ALYS|
I happen to disagree. I'm a CS student and I own a cube, and if the project is succesful, I will gladly use it. Mainly just for fun and the W0W factor, but hey, think about it, when Gamecube 2, Playstation 8 1/4, et al come out, I'll have a sweet new Linux Server. So quit being so pesimistic and let people do what they want to do.
What's with the attitude. I don't think the people involved are going to feel that it's 'wasted work'.
Maybe the developers find it fun? Maybe they want the challenge? It doesn't have to have any particular benefits and it doesn't have to make sense. Obviously they're going to work on it because it's a learning experience, to show that it can be done, etc. Nothin' wrong with that.
Some people arent so lucky as you fuk to have ajob and have to use their skills on something and not just sell coke on the streets.
Is the whole world really about making money and if your not just sit at home and drink beer?
You freakin looser.
I expect your are another sheep out there following the crowd.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
In this case superior hardware makes it a superior platform because that's what it NEEDS for these kind of tasks (video etc').. sales are just low because it doesn't have the playstation background and the fun games. Sales have shit to do with this subject.
I never said they shouldn't do it, I even said they SHOULD do it to make there point that it is possible.
Imagine a bunch of GameCubes networked together...
You mean like a Beowulf-cluster? ;-)
Ethics is what you say you do. Morals is what you actually do.
Most people developing GNU/Free software would not be able to obtain licensing to be to get the SDK, nor even if so would they be able to get it published by anyone. Most of the -real- development occurs with homebrew equipment.
The GC is small, runs quietly, and has decent audio and video outputs. It's already sitting in my living room, where my large TV and sound system are. If, in addition to games, it can be used to play media that lives on my network then so much the better!
I can think of othere uses. RSS feed displayer, anyone? :-)
-- MG
I think i will start to work on linux for my GBA as soon as i get home from work :)
Anybody wanna help?
You're old school? I beta tested the motherf***ing abacus!
Why not?
This will add a lot of functionality to an aging piece of hardware. Why go out and build/buy a media center when you can just port linux onto an old Gamecube?
did the word nintivo spring to anyone elses head?
Nope, that is not the point in this Linux/GameCube-case. Again, the point was to actually get Linux running on a GameCube. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Honey, I feel a certain distance between us..." "Really? A 31ms ping ain't that bad..."
As some one might have said, 10 years ago:
"Why on earth would anyone want another UNIX clone for PC? It's just a geeky thing, no? It's like a virus: create a new operating system every time we turn around. We've already got BSD, and Minix, and Xenix, etc! The HURD will probably be done in the next 6 months. what's the point, really?"
Next time you call a project a waste of time, remember all the people who have said all those things about every other neat project.
Who is this Anonymous Coward character, how does he post so much, and why is he always such a whore?
The hardware was already doing the things you bought it for - or did you buy it in anticipation of being able to use it as a shitty media router?
And y'know, I can think of a million things I could do with MS-DOS 2.11 on a Gamecube, but that doesn't mean implementing it wouldn't be a practical waste of time and effort.
'Scuse me? Show me where modding an Xbox/PS2 has affected any revenue stream. It is a niche, hobbyist thing to do. If some hobbyist can out perform an entire software team in writing an application or game, then the company deserves to lose revenue.
If I purchase a piece of hardware, the ONLY thing a manufacturer should be able to do is void my warranty if I decide to hack it. Period. Hackers are not competition for big companies. Now maybe a company could be worried that the competition will leverage a hack to gain some insight into how they do things, but that would be pretty fruitless. After all, once a console hits the market, it doesn't do much good to figure out what it does because the company that released it is probably already working on the next generation. Heck, I am sure companies do their own hacking on competitors products, and they are probably much better at it than the hobbyist.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Unfortunately, I don't have the money to buy two Gamecubes. But hey, if I ever find a pot of gold in the forest I'll be sure to open a my Gamecube X Client Cafe franchises across Asia.
Deltron 3030 - Virus (music video)
Ummm, I visit nintendo.com all the time with mozilla without issue. Chill out
Ubuntu- Linux for human beings.
:(
:(
I'm turning into oil as I type this
Wow. That was hilarious. Seriously, though, when you reply like that you make the parent seem more serious and actually seem to make more sense than you. That being said, the parent doesn't understand the idea behind this project at all (which is understandable in our society). See, that's how you do it!
--- "To iterate is human, to recurse divine." -- Robert Heller
they just now figured out how to get things to boot. that's why they didn't do it until now.
At 100 per GC, if you install a linux and control it from a server, you can run a cluster of 10 machines for 1000, cheap and powerful.
DON'T PANIC
I buy it in anticipation of playing some good games. After I have it I realize that it is a good computer sitting in my livingroom. Why not use it, instead of create a new computer for my livingroom (likely ugly unless you have good case building skills)? TIVO, mp3 jukebox, and so on are all good uses for this machine when you are not playing games, and when you are playing games you don't need the other functionality. (you will need a computer elsewhere to store your mp3s, and do the TV recording, but that machine can be in the computer room)
Not sure I follow your reasoning there.
If it runs linux, then it can also run bochs, so I get that too if I want.
Now that I think of it, there's probably a few old dos games I have collecting dust that could be amusing to get on the GC. :-)
Or mame.
That also fits "what I bought it for", doesn't it? Playing games?
-- MG
It's funny, every studio that made a gamecube title in the first year since its launch must have written the VM code to use aram as addressable memory. An no, it's still not enough memory.
The Gamecube has great potential to be a nice cheap gateway for this stuff. No moving parts at all, so you could leave it on literally forever. XBox would just die out eventually (And they have been).
Another small quiet MythTV frontend!
LilMikey.com... I'll stop doing it when you sto
Sega's Mega Drive (called Genesis in USA) and Nintendo's Game Boy and Game Boy Advance platforms require some sort of textual or graphical logo to be present at a given address in ROM, but distributing Game Paks containing such required logo data does not infringe the console maker's trademarks or copyrights. Sega v. Accolade, 977 F2d 1510 (9th Cir. 1992). Heck, even the GBA's packaging, which depicts a GBA showing a complete BIOS intro screen, makes it appear as if the logo were generated by the GBA BIOS rather than by the Game Pak.
The problem though (for the XBox at least) is that the XBox is subsidised. The idea is that they sell you a pretty powerful PC/console at a loss, and hope to recoup that money via the profit margins on games. Given the amount that MS were losing on every XBox sold (hell, they were losing money when it first came out, and then they knocked down the price within weeks) then its understandable that they'd be concerned when people bought it with little to no intention of buying the games for it. Nintendo is in a slightly different situation, as currently they actually make a profit on sales of Gamecubes. They might not be as bothered by people taking them apart, especially due to the extra protection against piracy that their disc format gives them.
X11 fonts + NTSC interlaced = ocular implosion
Click on the gc-linux link results in a very strange error message from the server:
.sourceforge.net, it is likely that your browser is not HTTP/1.1 compliant. This may be because you're running a very old version of MSIE or Netscape.
You have probably reached this page in error.
If you were attempting to reach a site that's domain ends in
Please upgrade your browser and try again.
Please Click Here
By the way I'm using Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.2.1) Gecko/20030225
"Perhaps, simply, because then you can use the hardware you bought to do the things you want?"
Besides, it's a lot more interesting when you can piss off Microsoft in the process.
"Derp de derp."
"'Scuse me? Show me where modding an Xbox/PS2 has affected any revenue stream."
Since XBOX's are sold at a loss and Slashdot won't stop glamourizing it.
"Derp de derp."
...you anti-GC-fanboys please stop bitching around and lemme watch DiVX with my GC-thin-client?
Goddamnit are you getting on my balls again!!!
Ah, but child, you forget that the network port is actually faster than your precious disc drive. There's already a couple of builds out there that hijack an online game and place in a small boot loader that operates over said network. FWIW, most of the piratey bootloaders are too slow and buggy, the "Streaming" of the image across the network isn't fast enough or low latency enough. A demo coder group has released an incredibly faster bootloader, however it doesn't support bootloading a lot of data, intentionally. They don't wish to condone or support piracy.
Sadly, none of these bootloaders are open source or GPL'd.
I Browse at +4 Flamebait
Open Source Sysadmin
Since XBOX's are sold at a loss and Slashdot won't stop glamourizing it.
Again, how does this affect the revenue stream? Modding an Xbox does not prevent the user from playing games on it. Hmm, are you suggesting that it be required that an Xbox owner purchase a certain number of games? After all, we wouldn't want to adversely affect any potential revenue for some company now, would we? Oooo! Here is a good one. What if I buy an Xbox, and only buy used games? I would be affecting revenue streams then too, so maybe I should be prosecuted as well.
Cut it with the ridiculous notion that just because MS makes a *conscious decision* to sell these units at an *initial* loss, owners are not able to modify a piece of hardware that they purchased. Microsoft can sell the Xbox for whatever they want - that has ZERO effect on what I can do with it once I purchase it.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Can you make full interactive use of MAME and, say, Mozilla at the same time on the same terminal? The point here is that once this is completed, we can adapt yet another device we already have for use as an extra terminal.
"Cut it with the ridiculous notion that just because MS makes a *conscious decision* to sell these units at an *initial* loss, owners are not able to modify a piece of hardware that they purchased. Microsoft can sell the Xbox for whatever they want - that has ZERO effect on what I can do with it once I purchase it."
If I were you, I'd reexamine that attitude for this battle. You're making Microsoft a big fan of the DMCA.
"Derp de derp."
"If I were you, I'd reexamine that attitude for this battle. You're making Microsoft a big fan of the DMCA."
NG has a point. There is all this work being done to hack the XBOX, but there's no killer app for doing so. Without that app, it is a difficult case to fight. Microsoft could buy a lot of pro-DMCA politicians.
j/k
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
1. SCO announces to sue Gamecube users.
2. ???
3. PROFIT!
Once again you have been trolled by this guy abusing esr's reputation (note the slight misspelling of the name, and how he copies the URL and even the sig from the original!)
Phbbbt. The DMCA is a garbage piece of legislation that can be hauled out for almost anything digital these days. In my eyes, it is invalid because it can be used to squash the little guy regardless of whether or not it is valid or not.
If there were true copyright violations going on, Microsoft could easily sue on that basis without invoking the DMCA. Besides, they stand to gain NOTHING by jailing a few hackers who crack open their over-hyped game system. It is a losing battle, and one that isn't worth fighting. They aren't losing money because of people modding their systems. If they are losing money because they chose to sell their systems at a loss to gain market share, then they have accomplished that. The point still stands, I can do whatever I want to a piece of hardware I have purchased, DMCA or no DMCA.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Hackers are not competition for big companies.
Except when certain well-named rich people offer big cash prizes for hacking other products.
Linux/Pussy
Why the heck is it that people seem to be determined to get Linux on every new electronic device that comes out? For god's sake, I don't need Linux in my freaking toaster, I don't need it in my underwear, and I sure don't need it in my video game consoles. Yeah, people love a challenge. But why not try a challenge that can actually be PRODUCTIVE? Why not do something DIFFERENT, rather than wasting the time and money making Linux usable on the GC? Why not do something that PEOPLE MAY ACTUALLY GIVE A DARN ABOUT?! There's no reason for people to put Linux on their GCs, their X-boxes, their Ps2s, or their little brothers.
It's sad, really. Think of all that's been wasted in making these features which no one will use available. Think of what all these independent groups could do if they put their effort towards something PRODUCTIVE and BENEFICIAL to society. I don't know why they feel the need to install linux on every freaking device that uses electricity. These people need lives. (So says this geek on slashdot)
Simple - Because it can!
...though it's not widely available.
Your best bet for hooking it up to a monitor would be a "component-to-RGB" type box. These are expensive. With a good TV, though, the progressive component signal would be good enough to use the TV as a monitor.
The real problem is the lack of a good boot solution - which won't be solved unless disks can be made to run on the thing.
Let's not stir that bag of worms...
Assuming I could hack up a method to just put ONE CD in there and then be able to have it act as a MythTV frontend it would be wonderful. Having to jump through hoops to first boot it would suck, but if I only rebooted it when there was a power failure, I wouldn't care too much.
Small, quiet, with stereo sound and TV out, with wireless controllers available, sounds good to me.
-- I speak only for myself.
Mmm... Nice Linux/Pussy there. More!
i wonder if it'd be possible to make a gamecube cluster like that academic PS2 cluster that was made by the NCSA... the gamecube would be even more ideal... it's so tiny in size... i think it's got a better chip than the PS2... and it's pretty cool... http://access.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Releases/05.27.03_Play ing_th.html
I mean, I see how it could be viewed as fun or a challenge or whatever but these things are always touted to be practical. They say that you could use it as a workstation or a multimedia computer.
Right. . . Like you would want a workstation that's not upgradable and has 40 MB of RAM.
You geeks aren't fooling me. As soon as you get it working you'll be like "aw yeah check me out for being so 1337 and stuff" You'll use it for a week or so and then you'll realize that a regular computer works better as a computer. There's no shame in challenging yourself to try to get linux running on your toaster or appliance of the moment but just don't tell us that its practical!
Conserve Oil, Recycle, Boycott Walmart
Gamecube
$100
Broadband Adapter
$40
Phantasy Star Online
$50
---
190
Xbox
$179
Xecuter Lite modchip
$40
---
$219
definitely offtopic though, I started work on porting linux to a royal Linea8 pda; www.royalinfo.com but had to stop since their was no real documention of hardware specs aside from 40mhz processor (of unknown type)8mb ram and os stored in user upgradeable flash I did this to add value to a solid pda that had no real hope of getting any new apps for itany body have any clue as to what is in this thing?
...like odd memory card replacements? CompactFlash adapter? IDE adapter? SCSI RAID adapter?...
Or maybe even an SD Card adapter.
It may be small, but it's not quiet! The fan on my gamecube gets very very loud after only 3-4 hours, sometimes causing the game I'm playing to crash (meltdown, anyone?).
Who moved my sig?
Flamebait and trolling! Go away troll.
Because Nintendo is just as evil as Microsoft. I mean, look at where they're headquarters are based. It's right across the street from Microsoft.Yahoo Map
Who moved my sig?
But is nothing sacred to the linux scene? Do they have to port this OS to everything and everyone!? Next thing we'll see is Linux for that new internet enabled coffee machine.
Another thing I found amusing; "As it is a computer with decent RAM and a good CPU, it makes sense to port Linux to this platform." So it would make sense to port Linux to a Casio clock cause it to is a "computer"?
Sorry, I just find this whole thing silly.
Simply retarded
just imagine it! hundreds of GameCubes running Prince of Persia: Sands of Time in French, English, Spanish, and Persian!
...
Now that would be a site to see
> --- All Of The Above --- >