Homebrew Linux For PS2 Planned?

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'."

Comments

Reverse-engineers hired away, Dual Shock controls

[djdanlib]

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?

Linux PS2 Live CD?

[(H)elix1]

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.