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How to Turn a PlayStation 3 Into a Linux PC

Posted by timothy on from the sleek-box-of-ubuntu dept.

MahariBalzitch writes "Popular Mechanics shows step by step guide on how to install Ubuntu Linux on a PlayStation 3 and still keep the PS3 gaming functionality. Now I just need to get my hands on a PS3." Not bad specs for the price, either, since Blu-Ray players still aren't cheap. And though the article calls the procedure "somewhat complicated," it's a lot simpler than was installing Linux from floppies not so many years ago.

1 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Re:On what planet is this 'news'? by tlhIngan · · Score: 0, Redundant

    This is a documented feature of the system and has been since day one. I installed Linux shortly after the UK launch, and it really isn't anything to write home about - no support for hardware accelerated 3D, and a processor that really isn't designed for general-purpose computing. Novelty value for a couple of minutes, sure, then back to gaming on the PS3 and Linuxing on a real PC.


    No support for accelleration (the "OtherOS Virtual Machine" prevents access to hardware - PS3 Linux runs on a VM on top of the hardware), and no access to the GPU memory (256MB) so you have a Linux system that only has 256MB of RAM. And framebuffer access only, giving you a really, really, really slow X environment if you run it at 1080p. So slow, you cannot play back a DVD without dropping frames (and pegging the other PowerPC processor handling the framebuffer - you update the framebuffer, then trigger an interrupt into the VM so the framebuffer gets copied to the GPU).

    Also no access to built-in WiFi or Bluetooth hardware (VM doesn't export it), and limited access to hard drive (VM only exports to Linux the OtherOS partition as a SCSI device), and limited access to program flash (bootloader). And basic access to the Blu-ray drive (no advanced commands, again, all filtered as an emulated SCSI device).

    The only real use of Linux is as a novelty, and as a way to play with the Cell SPUs. The 2 main PPEs are unimpressive - they're fast, but have blocks removed that make the PowerPC G5 cores slower than they should be, and calling into the VM for framebuffer updates consumes a lot of CPU cycles.

    The main problem is that the Sony VM limits what you can do - in the end, it's a great Cell development kit, but that's about all...