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Mac OS X Running On Xbox
PasteEater writes "The good people over at XBox Scene have the scoop. Mac OS X has been successfully installed on a modified Xbox. What does this mean? Well, it's no Xbox Media Center, but it does prove that nerds are at the forefront once again!"
-T
(not a troll, just making fun of them)
I'll wait till Xbox2.. it's supposed to sport a PPC processor
Clearly Linux, as OS X was only able to be installed on the Xbox by running PearPC on a Linux installation. :)
"You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older."
Used Xbox: $99
OS/X: $130
Look on Bill's face: Priceless
(Seriously, that's one cheap Mac)
(Posting AC to not kharma whore)
.3.1.tar.gz. As of this writing, 0.3.1 is the most recent version. ./configure -enable-ui=x11 && --enable-cpu=generic. Even though the Xbox is an x86 processor, compiling with -enable-cpu=jitc_x86 will likely result in a failed compile. To explain, as of this writing, Xebian includes gcc 3.2 and gcc 2.95.4. PearPC will exhibit odd errors when compiled with any gcc between 2.95 and 3.3, so gcc 2.95.4 must be used. Unfortunately, gcc 2.95.4 does not work with the inline assembly used in PearPC when the jitx_x86 option is specified. /usr/local/bin on your computer should now contain a file called ppc. This file is the compiled binary.
PearPC and Mac OS X Installation
Downloading, configuring, compiling and installing PearPC
* You have software modded your Xbox and put Xebian Linux on it. You have purchased a copy of Mac OS X and made an image of it.
* Download the source code for PearPC at http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/pearpc/pearpc-0
* Use tar to decompress the file with tar -xzvf pearpc-0.3.1.tar.gz. A directory called pearpc-0.3.1 will be created.
* Go into this directory configure PearPC by running the configuration script as
* Type make && make install. If all goes well then
If you are unable to get a successful compilation of PearPC or do not understand the above instructions, you may download a precompiled version for the Xboxhere.
Editing the PearPC configuration file and formatting the hard drive image
1. Download the following: a blank hard drive image filehere, a Darwin image file at http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/image s/darwin-701.iso.gz, a PearPC configuration filehere, and a PearPC video driverhere.
2. Decompress the image file using gunzip macosx_2gb.gz. Note that this file expands to approximately 2 gigabytes. Additionally, use gunzip to decompress the pearpc video driver and configuration file. Decompress the Darwin image with the command tar -xzvf darwin-701.tar.gz.
3. Make a directory called macosx. Move the decompressed hard drive image, Darwin image, video.x video driver and macosx.pearpc configuration file into it. Then, go into the macosx directory, run the command pwd and write down the full path to it.
4. Open the macosx.pearpc configuration file with the plain text editor of your choice. Xebian by default comes with both vi and nano. If you have never used vi before, you definitely want to use nano.
5. I will refer to the path that was written down in step 3 as PATH. Make the following changes to the macosx.pearpc configuration file:
* a. Change ppc_start_resolution = "800x600x15" to "640x480x15".
* b. Change redraw_interval_msec = 40 to 200.
* c. Remove the # in front of #memory_size=0x8000000.
* d. Change pci_ide0_master_image = "test/imgs/linux.img" to "PATH/macosx_2gb.img".
* e. Change pci_ide0_slave_image = "/dev/cdrom" to "PATH/darwin-701.iso"
* Save your changes and exit.
6. Start PearPC by typing ppc macosx.pearpc. You should see the following screen:
7. Soon after this screen disappears messages will begin appearing in the PearPC window and you should eventually see the following:
8. Mirror what is typed in this screenshot. Then, type: q, q, and finally reboot. PearPC should exit.
9. Start PearPC again. Eventually you should see the following screen:
As in step 7, mirror what is typed in this window. In addition, when you see "Uncompressing Apple16X50Serial," shut down PearPC.
Your hard drive image is now properly formatted, and you are ready to install Mac OS X.
Installing Mac OS X
1. Once again, open the macosx.pearpc configuration file. Change pci_ide0_slave_image = "PATH/darwin-701.iso" to the location of your Mac OS X image. Save the changes and exit out of the text editor.
2. Start PearPC in the us
The first Apple gaming system??
;-)
That would be the Apple Pippin.
Something odd about the MacOS Xbox screenshots - the last one has the 'About' window reporting 128MB of memory. Doesn't the Xbox have 64MB, then there's the overhead from the x86 operating system, PearPC etc.?
All I can think of is that it's not all allocated, and PearPC will be swapping stuff to the hard disk in a frenzy of IDE activity. The word 'particularly' comes to mind when thinking how slow the system will be.
(Oddly, I'm typing this while installing Windows 98 on my iBook, thanks to QEMU...)
Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
Development xboxes have 128 to hold the debug tools, and (most) retail models have the empty solder pads to very carefully add another 64 megs of RAM. Games won't benefit, or even know about the extra RAM. But linux and other homebrew apps (emulators) will.
At least one company is selling xboxes with modded CPUs, that you can adjust from 1400MHZ to 700MHZ by flipping a switch.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
How's this for getting your info straight:
They're emulating PPC hardware, they're not emulating OSX.
The Statue of Liberty is America's lawn jockey.
Guess what? I can also run PDP-11 software on my XBox! Or any other operating system, for that matter.
This was done through emulation. The blurb seems to imply that something incredible was accomplished, when all that was done was loading it into an emulator.
It may be pretty funny to see OSX running off an XBox on a TV, but it's hardly usable as it is. Call me when it runs natively.
the legal section in that in the EULA for OS X it states that you cannot install OS X on any non-Apple hardware(probably due to the whole clone thing that failed miserably), I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, but it's an issue they should have addressed.
Monstar L
Why would I want to put Mac OS X on my Xbox? I bought my Xbox to play video games, after all . . .
Mikey-San
Karma: +Eleventy billion (mostly affected by watching Celebrity Jeopardy)
but it does prove that nerds are at the forefront once again!
Not to sound like a dick, but nerds are at the forefront of what exactly? Nerdiness? Big surprise there folks.
Big surprise...
Hitomi Ikazuchi Dragon Clan Barbarian Monk
Actually it's not.
Xbox (as used in this article) with a modded 128MB RAM and larger/faster hard drive + $300 retail (+ mod time)
Xbox = $149
HD = $100
Memory and mod kit = $50
Mac OSX 10.2 (as used in article) = $50
Keyboard = $20
Mouse = $10
Other materials such as soldering iron, wiring, CDs to burn Linux and Pear PC onto = $50
17" Screen or 19" TV $75 (minimum)
At this - you don't get easy wireless, iApps, a combo drive that burn CDs AND view DVDs and minus a whole host of other features.
You can get a nice refurb eMac 1Ghz and sometimes 1.25GHZ directly from Apple for $529 shipped on a regular basis in the special deals section.
Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
jeebus. do we really need a link to the "Revenge of the Nerds" movie?
freaking hypertext junkies... go play on a wiki.