Linux Now Booted On GameCube System

modifried writes "The GameCube-Linux project managed to get the Linux kernel to boot on a GameCube gaming system - it 'shows a full screen of kernel messages, up to mounting root', but there are still errors to be fixed. From what I have gathered no one has (as of yet) been able to burn a bootable mini-DVD for the system. Instead they are currently using a glitch in the patching system from the online-enabled game Phantasy Star Online. Screenshots can be found here. (And if you'd like more information on the PSOLoader, it can be found here.)"

Comments

You know...

[Bagels]

it sounds kind of stupid, but has anyone actually just plain *asked* Nintendo what their stance on alternative OSes on the Cube is? They'd probably prefer a "proper" method to the PSO exploit, which can also be used to run bootleg games... and their past actions haven't struck me as quite so draconian as those of, say, Microsoft.

That said, of course, if they revealed the information required to burn Linux discs, it wouldn't be long before someone used the technique to burn bootlegs :( .

Re:You know...

[Cecil]

Nintendo does indeed have a better reputation than Microsoft, but it's not any more deserved. While I love Nintendo, and even owned an N64 and a Virtual Boy :P I don't have any illusions about them being an exceptionally friendly company, especially when it comes to anything which could be twisted into a piracy concern.

It was their staunch refusal to touch CDs (because they were easily copied) that lost them SquareSoft as a developer to Sony, and the N64's anemic cartrige space nearly dragged them out of the mainstream gaming market.

They were, and still are, well known as one of the most litigous companies when it comes to emulators and ROMs. They crack down the hardest on manufacturers of ROM copier devices.

And you expect this company to give you access to the system's internals? Not likely. Look at Sony's PlayStation Linux. It runs on a layer so that you aren't allowed to touch the PlayStation hardware directly. Console makers consider that kind of stuff extremely proprietary.

Basically, Nintendo has this illusionary image that they are a good, consumer-friendly company. And they are that for the most part. Even still, they're mostly just a company like any other -- if you get in their way, they will not hesistate for a second before coming down on you like a ton of bricks.

Re:Forgive my ignorance...

[kenthorvath]

So you can develop your own games without having to pay any licensing fees...

because it's fun

[cheezus]

I'm sure making linux run on strange hardware is fun and educational.

Why run a smb3 on a nes emulator inside of a ps1 emulator inside a pc emulator inside a virtual machine on a mac?

Geeks are just weird like that. I think it's cool.

Re:Forgive my ignorance...

[EdMack]

So that it can run as a light X terminal, and do some processing too. All gamecubes are connected to TVs, so its a nice easy way to watch your media collection there. Also you could view news headlines, browse email, ect.. Anyway, its nice to run the OS you like on the console you like :) (If true for you)

Re:questionable lagality?

[Scarblac]

That's too bad for them. It's an object, a piece of hardware. You bought it. It's yours. You know, your property, not licensed or anything. Opening a box you own does not make you automatically agree to anything...

Re:questionable lagality?

[zulux]

Microsoft said so. When you open the box your xbox comes in you agree to a EULA which states you can't alter the hardware which is required to boot linux.

I say so. When my XBOX connects to my internal network, Microsoft agress to an EULA/TOS which stats that I can alter the hardware which is required to boot.

HINT: EULA's after a sales transaction have never been held by the courts to be enforcable (except for for case of limits of liability.)

NetBSD on Dreamcast

[mnmn]

A new stock dreamcast can be bought for $99 from dealers who still carry it. Running Linux or BSD on any game console is cool and dramatically increases its usefulness. It also brings a good OS on good hardware for much cheaper than an eMachines computer.

Does anyone know the current prices of a gamecube? Does anyone know if linux or BSD can be run on the first playstation (which is cheaper than dreamcast?).

BogoMIPS...?

[PipianJ]

From the screenshots... The GameCube only runs 484.96 BogoMIPS? Sounds pretty reasonable considering the speed of the chip...

Re:Forgive my ignorance...

[edwdig]

Why would you use Linux to develop a GameCube game?

All you'd get is a lot of unnecessary overhead. The hardware is designed to be incredibly simple to program. You don't have to deal with things like IDE to read from the DVD. To read from the DVD, you put a pointer to your memory buffer in one register. Put the write command into another register. There's a third register to check for status (finished, in progresses, error, etc). That's it. Adding the Linux kernel in there won't make it any easier.

Since the discs are read-only, the filesystem becomes much simplier. IIRC, fragmented files are not supported. So really the filesystem isn't much more than a table with each entry containing a name, a start location, and a size. Doesn't take long to write code for that.

The networking code is the only part of the kernel that's really useful on the GameCube. But rather than include an entire operating system, you're probably better off simply taking the networking code out of one of the BSD's and including it directly into your project.

If you're doing small homebrew projects, a full OS is way overkill for your game. If you're intending on making a commercial game, your choices are license the game with Nintendo, or have your own DVD manufacturing plant and reverse engineer the barcode & any other copy protection mechanisms on the discs. If you have the money to have a DVD manufacturing plant, then you can easily afford to pay Nintendo the licensing fees.