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Linux Coming to the Nintendo DS

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the handheld-servers dept.

GamersZion writes "A recent IRC conversation with ChaosKnight, a member of the DS Linux development team, revealed information about the status of the DS Linux project. 'It was a bit tough to get the ball rolling, but with PassMe fully functional and everything starting to fall in order, I wouldn't be surprised to see an alpha release within the next month.' While little information is being revealed about the release of this anticipated software, it looks like we can be expecting it sometime in the short future."

26 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Wait a minute... by EtherAlchemist · · Score: 5, Funny


    Paris Hilton isn't involved, is she?

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    R(k)
  2. Universal OS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Linux Coming to the Nintendo DS"

    Maybe we should compile a short list of what Linux DOESN"T run on.

    1. Re:Universal OS. by Lisandro · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm pretty sure it doesn't run on a piece of tofu.

      Well, doh. You have NetBSD for that.

  3. See... by Simon+Garlick · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...THAT'S what Debian needs to get its release schedule back on track. Project leaders with names like "ChaosKnight".

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    PGP Key ID 0xCB8FF658
  4. Welll.... by Enjoi · · Score: 3, Funny

    If they can get it on an NT Kernel, they can get it on anything :P

  5. WooHoo!! by deggy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I could run an ssh client and a web browser on a DS with a wireless connection i'd go out and buy one tomorrow!!

  6. Great! by Lisandro · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now i can play all these great gam--oh, wait...

    Just kidding. It's cool, and it might open a door to extend the DS functionality beyond a gaming platform. More like a small PDA, perhaps? It even has the touchpad!

    1. Re:Great! by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Ignoring that Mario 64 is still a great game (and still fun, even if dated), I wonder how it is some people seem to ignore the fact that there are still countless great GBA games that will play on a DS.

      Even if they are ignored for simply not being specifically for the DS, that's still more good games than are available for the PSP.

      In fact, I personally only really consider Lumines to be the only good game for the PSP. I can't play my copy though. I've had to return NINE PSPs for being defective (in several different ways) and am currently now without a PSP.

      --

      "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

      Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
    2. Re:Great! by shirai · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I know you were being funny, but this does open up the door for potentially running MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). The DS is an interesting platform for this since the lower screen could be used to insert quarters, push Player 1/2 start buttons, etc.

      Of course, I'd really be wanting this on the PSP with its gorgeous screen (if you own one, you know what I'm talking about). Since it has a memory card (better to hold games with) it would probably be the better overall MAME platform. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

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    3. Re:Great! by idlake · · Score: 3, Informative

      Get an Archos PMA-400; similarly gorgeous screen, it runs Linux out of the box, and it doesn't use any proprietary disks.

    4. Re:Great! by notque · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In fact, I personally only really consider Lumines to be the only good game for the PSP. I can't play my copy though. I've had to return NINE PSPs for being defective (in several different ways) and am currently now without a PSP.

      Without the exceedingly high cost, and the overwhelming complaints, I'd bu... Oh, and the lack of good launch titles, the company not being particularly willing to replace defective products,

      I'd love to own a PSP.

      Did I mention the absolutely insane cost of a 1 gig memory chip?

      --
      http://use.perl.org
  7. We're Back by numbware · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I KNOW we are back to regular Slashdot. Attempts to run Linux on everything solid. :)

    -Justin

    --
    I'm going to go create my own technology news site, with blackjack and hookers. You know what? Forget the news site.
    1. Re:We're Back by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 4, Funny

      Now I KNOW we are back to regular Slashdot. Attempts to run Linux on everything solid. :)

      Actually, I recently managed to install Linux on a cubic metre of fresh air. I'd take photos, but it admittedly looks a bit unimpressive...

      --
      Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
  8. In other News... by big_groo · · Score: 5, Funny
    From the dept-of-craptastic-journalism-dept

    "A recent IRC conversation with *insert_generic_nic_here*, a member of the Link_goes_here development team, revealed information about the status of the *instert_name* project. 'It was a bit tough to get the ball rolling, but with *insert_function* fully functional and everything starting to fall in order, I wouldn't be surprised to see an alpha release within the next month.' While little information is being revealed about the release of this anticipated *insert_something*, it looks like we can be expecting it sometime in the short future."

    I for one can't wait!

  9. What are people doing with their exotic Linuxes? by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I am not going to rain on these guys' parade, I think that they ought to do whatever floats their boat. If hacking Linux onto the DS is their "thing", more power to them.

    But I wonder what people are doing with their exotic Linux installations. Linux on the PS2, on a toaster, on the blender, etc. What are these used for besides showing off? Is there some real-life application to having Linux on these things?

  10. culture jamming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) Buy a DS
    2) Carefully remove shrink Wrap
    3) Install linux on DS
    4) Put a very tiny mark on the packaging then place shrink wrap back on DS
    5) Return DS to store so they can restock it on the shelves

    - SJ53

  11. Hmm by Sv-Manowar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It seems the PSP is not the only handheld that is being developed on now, this is great news for nintendo fans, as the buzz about the psp "web browser" and other modifications had the posibility to increase market share dramatically for the psp

    If stuff like this comes out for the DS, it will put both the consoles on a more even playing field for sales, and therefore neither will be favoured by games producers as much.

    --
    Business Voyeur
  12. I need Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Running my vibrator. I want it cooing sweet things to me with excellent uptime.

    GET. IT. DONE. NOW.

  13. Re:just wondering... by aslate · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Because it might actually be useful?

    Set up the DS with a browser, use the wireless to get on the internet, the touchscreen would make a great way to navigate the net or type. You could turn it into a PDA of sorts.

  14. Re:What are people doing with their exotic Linuxes by marsu_k · · Score: 4, Funny

    The DS has built-in WLAN. You could be running ettercap while everyone will assume you're playing Mario.

  15. That says it all... by zappepcs · · Score: 4, Funny

    The site lists a page titled "Developer Blogs" and on that page lists 2 hackers and zero developers....

    I can't wait till my TV remote has linux running on it, then I can program it to watch crap TV while I'm not there

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  16. Yay! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I survived April Fool's day on the intarweb and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."

    We have normality, I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem. :-)

  17. So cites IRC by LordHatrus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "A recent IRC conversation..." Yes, we should cite those as very reliable sources. ... Because everything you read on IRC is true. ... Did I mention I'm a 18 year old female from your general area?

  18. Ironically by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It seems the only thing that they can't get Linux to run on is the average user's PC.

  19. i couldn't resist... by wolvie_cobain · · Score: 3, Funny

    imagine a beowulf cluster of...

  20. Please mod me up by sbaker · · Score: 4, Informative

    OK - I've been hanging out on the www.dslinux.org site for a few weeks. This announcement is *WAY* premature. There isn't even a coherent team put together to START the port yet.

    What there is right now is a bunch of individual developers who have each individually solved various parts of the puzzle. However, we are quite far from having all of the parts put together in the form of a runnable kernel - and there is ABSOLUTELY NO ORGANISED DSLINUX TEAM YET!

    In order to try to pull things together, I am in the process of organising an election to nominate a team leader - and then to collect together the expertise of the disparate developers, set up a SourceForge account (there already is one - but there has been nothing committed to it since December.

    I don't know the individual who posted this to /. - but it doesn't represent the current state of affairs one little bit.

    If you need to confirm what I'm saying, visit the forums at www.dslinux.org - or check the emptyness of dslinux.sf.net

    Please mod me up so this message gets out.

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    www.sjbaker.org