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Homebrew Linux For PS2 Planned?

Posted by simoniker on from the linuxize-all-consoles-immediately dept.

DCEmumaniac writes "Today news appeared on PS2Vision about work on a homebrew version of Linux for the PlayStation 2 that will not need any hardware modifications to use it. According to the project, which is being hosted on the PS2Dev site: 'The Great Experiment (TGE) is an Open Source PS2/Linux Kit RTE replacement and bootloader. It's being written to provide a binary interface compatible with that of the RTE shipped with the PS2/Linux Kit and other Sony products that use Linux. The end goal is that anyone who owns a PS2 will be able to run Linux (or other programs written to use the RTE, such as NetBSD) on their PS2 without hardware modifications or expensive hardware bundles'."

20 comments

  1. Seems like a great idea... by suyashs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    but is this just a bit torrent like excuse for a modchip...not to say that thats a bad thing...I would love to have a media player running on my PS2 so I don't have to tote my G4 to the TV all the time...I wish them luck!

    --
    http://chrono.posterous.com/
    1. Re:Seems like a great idea... by polyp2000 · · Score: 1

      Id be worried if this hack allows pirated games to be played. What Sony did in releasing the PS2 Linux kit was a wonderful move and instilled in me a greater respect for them as a company.

      There are a few people who are Sony haters on this list, and although they have done a few stupid things eg Net MD and their Magic Gate memory card. They do certain things right, the Linux Kit is just one of them.

      I think it would be very sad if it were abused in such a way that enabled widespread piracy of PS2 games. Im as pro-open source, and the free software model as anyone else here. But i do beleive that the only way to sustain a video games based revenue is to sell boxes of games (with the exception of subscription based MMPORG) in the physical sense Games software just doesnt fit very well into the service model type revenue that we are accustomed to.

      I dont care what people do with their X-boxen though. Every pirated X-box game==less money and more losses for billy boy ; less money for X-Box games studios. Which, will enevitably mean games studio's dropping the console. Look what happened to Amiga...

      You have got to support the things you respect and ruin the things you despise.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    2. Re:Seems like a great idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      There already is a media player for the PS2. It's at http://www.ps2reality.net/
      You'll either need a chipped PS2 or the RTE disk from the Linux kit to run it.

      With the RTE disk you can actually break out of it's environment and run your own software at the bare metal level.

    3. Re:Seems like a great idea... by Drakonite · · Score: 1
      Id be worried if this hack allows pirated games to be played. What Sony did in releasing the PS2 Linux kit was a wonderful move and instilled in me a greater respect for them as a company.

      TGE has nothing to do with running pirated games and is not some random hack to allow running software. It is a replacement for the RTE that is distributed with the PS2 Linux kit.

      The RTE is a layer which sits between the linux kernel and the PS2 that allowed Sony to port the Linux kernel to the PS2 without making modifications to the Linux kernel that would have forced them to release their proprietary code.

      --
      Shoot Pixels, Not People!
    4. Re:Seems like a great idea... by kgbkgb · · Score: 1
      Why the hell would you want XBox developers to go out of business just because you don't happen to like the XBox? You think nothing out there should exist if it's not something that you enjoy?

      Do you realize that the more competition there is out there, the better the games will be for your choice of console?

      I think it would be very sad if it were abused in such a way that enabled widespread piracy of PS2 games

      Umm... where have you been the past few years? PS2 games are almost as pirated as Xbox games are, perhaps more.

    5. Re:Seems like a great idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The X-Box developers can still have a job developing for a different console or the PC. I have nothing against the X-Box or its technology therein. However I do have a problem with contributing my hard earned cash to the company that manufactures it and receives money for the software developed for it. Nothing more, nothing less.Microsoft's debut into the the console market is/was a sad day for mankind. Even so they are continuing to lose money on every console sold.

      where have you been the past few years? PS2 games are almost as pirated as Xbox games are.
      Fair enough... But I feel safe in the knowledge that i am supporting a company (by not pirating software) that I would prefer to see domintating the console business in years to come.

      You however can continue pirating software for the X-Box, I dont care, because it is your decision, and just rememeber that by doing it you are contributing to the downfall of the X-Box as a platform.

  2. Neat .. but just a second ... by polyp2000 · · Score: 3, Informative

    But there is already a "no-modifications" (no-modchip) version of Linux that comes directly from sony. Granted its based on the 2.2 kernel and is loosely derived from an old version of red-hat. I suppose if there was some buffer overflow hack that required no modchip it would be cool. But it sure is nice to have PS2 branded mouse, keyboard 40gb hard drive etc in my ps2.

    --
    Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    1. Re:Neat .. but just a second ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've got the Linux kit and there's nothing to stop you from porting 2.6.x to it. As it's Linux they've given you the entire source of the kernel and there aren't any binary only modules as all of the proprietory stuff is built into the RTE.
      The only downside is that you must have the RTE disc in your PS2 when booting up so it can then load up your proper kernel off the memory card.

      One minor problem with the USB keyboard, everybody gets a US format one! If you're not in the US then it's quite annoying switching between the PS2 one and your real one. You could use a USB keyboard but then it wouldn't be the cool PS2 branded black one...

    2. Re:Neat .. but just a second ... by polyp2000 · · Score: 2, Informative

      I beleive there is a gentoo port in progress, and then of course there is Black Rhino.

      Its a nice bit of kit to own and adds some extra functionality to the box.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    3. Re:Neat .. but just a second ... by dswan69 · · Score: 1

      Err yeah, but it was going for something insane like 300 Euros.

  3. Reverse-engineers hired away, Dual Shock controls by djdanlib · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Has anyone else noticed that a bunch of console reverse-engineers, especially from the emulation and linux-porting camps, have been hired to code on the very systems they were hacking? Thus preventing them from releasing new material, and slowing or even halting development of their work.

    All said, this is a very cool idea and I wish the best to the developers. I'd love to see a usable Linux on a console. It would be even better if it was possible to use standard CDR media to do it.

    I have an idea for this. Would it be possible to use the Dual Shock controller as a mouse, and have a button show an onscreen keyboard in X, so we can at least login via *DM and use our favorite desktops?

  4. Good. by noselasd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nice. I bought a Playstation 2, but cannot develop , much less distribute any software for it without paying $$ to Sony
    Not even use it for much but playing dvds and expensive games.
    I very much welcome projects like this.
    Ok, Sony did release a Linux kit for it, they get credit for that.
    But what if the what we see on the game consoles today is the PC future ?
    That is, vendor lock-in, paying big fees to get specification and development information. And even bigger fees to the vendor to produce
    distributable media for it... lets hope not.

    1. Re:Good. by antime · · Score: 1

      Sure you can program for it, but you don't have access to the official documentation. If you're prepared to do the extra work of working with reverse-engineered info you can get by with (for instance) a chipped PS2 and Naplink.

    2. Re:Good. by Ooobles · · Score: 3, Informative

      Look through the site ps2dev.org and you'll find a huge amount of information and tools required to program your ps2. Check the loaders section and look at ps2link.. look at ps2lib.. see the various graphics libraries available including two openGL implementations. Look at the various sound players.. look at the tcpip stack that runs on the ethernet adapter. All the source code is there and ready to use. Check out www.thethirdcreation.net and look at the demos that have already been done. The real hard work of getting stuff together has been done. Now we just need more people writing programs for the PS2.

    3. Re:Good. by noselasd · · Score: 1

      You missed the point. Yes you an program it. No, Sony really didn't want you to. (But as said they got some credit for their linux kit which opens some doors).
      The homebrew kits rely on modchips, holes in games, or some other nasty hack. Look at most other consoles. They're closed,locked up, no info to the public.

  5. Re:Reverse-engineers hired away, Dual Shock contro by ooPo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One could say that they were hired because they were able to show their ability. In fact, one could further say that was the purpose of doing stuff like this in the first place... Hmmm!

  6. Re:Reverse-engineers hired away, Dual Shock contro by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Uh. You could just plug in a USB mouse and keyboard you know and save the pain of using a joypad as a keyboard...

  7. Linux PS2 Live CD? by (H)elix1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    With all the live CD distros starting to crop up, I suspect it is just a matter of time before a bootable CD/DVD that uses a USB thumbdrive and/or LAN connection for persisting information comes around. I was not interested in the HDD based Linux kit Sony was distributing or doing a mod chip, but a live CD that could use the bundled Ethernet port would be fantastic.

    This is good news - even if it is only a baby step.

    --
    +++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
  8. Re:Reverse-engineers hired away, Dual Shock contro by Sentry21 · · Score: 1

    I have an idea for this. Would it be possible to use the Dual Shock controller as a mouse, and have a button show an onscreen keyboard in X, so we can at least login via *DM and use our favorite desktops?

    Theoretically, yes. However, it would make a lot more sense to plug a USB keyboard and mouse into the front USB ports and use them instead. ;)

    --Dan