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PlayStation 2 Linux Kit Reduced To $99

Posted by simoniker on from the penguin-slashing dept.

SyniK writes "After buying a PS2 Network Adapter 2 days ago and trying some unofficial media players, turns out I'll be getting a second adapter because the PlayStation 2 Linux kit is now $99 - half of its former price. The kits, which include an internal 40 GB hard drive, a Network Adapter, a monitor cable, a USB keyboard and Linux on 2 DVD-ROMs, are now 'slightly limited edition' as they will not be replenished in the future."

9 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. If they're discontinuing these... by benjamindees · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe they could just sell the software and some enterprising hacker could put together the rest of the (necessary) parts?

    I wonder if Sony would mind enough not to DMCA them into oblivion?

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
    1. Re:If they're discontinuing these... by torpor · · Score: 2, Interesting

      the IDE disks need to be modified, somehow, to work on the PS2...

      some ps2 hacker please correct me, but other than that, I think it would be pretty easy to put together a free linuxPS2 kit, now with xRhino about?

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  2. A Real Solution? by trans_err · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does playstation-linux offer a real desktop solution, or is it simply a fun hobbiest toy? And secondly do the graphics chips actually recieve full support while booted under linux, thus is PC gaming (ignoring the obvious ARCH difference) even possible? All that aside I wouldnt mind burning $99 on such a kit- sounds like a lot of fun, but I want some peace of mind that after I'm bored hacking I can turn it into a media station or something of some practical use.

    --

    transmission_err

  3. It comes with a mouse by servicepack158 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It comes with a USB mouse that connects to the keyboard also.

    I'm the sucker who bought it for $200 when i came out a long time ago.

    It's pretty cool, but the Ps2 only has 32MB ram so it sucks as a desktop. You could use it to check your emails on tv, but you would have to swap the video cable and the memory card (which acts as a boot disk) to play a game on it.

    I honestly haven't touched it since i got it, it provided a week of entertainment.

    1. Re:It comes with a mouse by SyniK · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Did you code on it at all? I'm sure it sucks as a desktop, but using it to play around with a (decently) powerful embeded device might be kinda fun. Either way, mine is on the way :).

      --
      -Tom
  4. Can it help you get into the games market? by happyhippy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can you write games on it that are comparable to actual PS2 games? Not in complexity but in the same way they are coded in a games company?Ive been thinking of getting one if it can help me get a job as a games programmer. Is it useful at all in this respect?

    1. Re:Can it help you get into the games market? by notamac · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Games companies don't use the Linux kit... they use the (much much much much) more expensive dev kit that lets them get really close to the hardware.

      If you were being hired for a PS2 project now you're unlikely to be the guy that writes the machine specific bits.

  5. Re:$0.02 from an AC by SyniK · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I suppose I'm just biased because the Net Yaroze (Playstation 1 hobbyist kit) was $800 and you had to sign your life, first born child, and all code you wrote to Sony to get your hands on it. For $99 you get the hardware and some crippled access to the real DVD drive (use a USB one instead...) -- Seems like a good exchange to me.

    --
    -Tom
  6. Love the Linux kit by wandazulu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I bought the PS2 Linux kit when it first came out, and ended up selling all of my PS2 games and using it as my primary server on my network. Pretty much everything compiles and runs on it, so I use Samba as a file server and it acts as my front end ftp/web server so I don't have to deal with reassigning IP addresses when I want to make a file availaable (I just use Samba to connect to the remote machine and have a link). As far as straight Linux use, it's pretty nice and speed isn't really a factor as only a couple of people use it at any given time.

    As far as game development, Sony doesn't really go out of their way to tell you how to use it, but you really do have a full PS2 development platform insofar as that you can use GCC to compile code that uses the Emotion engine as well as the gamepads. I wrote a quick little demo of an OpenGL cube that moved based on moving the left joystick in pretty short order.

    It's obviously not a *real* development system in that you are writing stuff that only other people with the Linux system can use. The way I see it, if you wrote some amazing kick-ass game for PS2 Linux, and showed it to enough folks, and created a buzz, perhaps someone at Sony would take notice and go from there. That's the fantasy, anyway.