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Game Over For Sony and Open Source?

Posted by Soulskill on from the forsaken-beards dept.

Glyn Moody writes "Sony has never been much of a friend to hackers, and its infamous rootkit showed what it thought of users. But by omitting the option to install GNU/Linux on its new PS3, it has removed the final reason for the open source world to care about Sony. Unless, of course, you find Google's new distribution alliance with Sony to pre-install Chrome on its PCs exciting in some way."

4 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. And both users of PS3 Linux were sad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It didn't sell them any significant number of new PS3's. That they did it for the first generation was fine, but it's not a contract they signed in blood.

  2. I call BS by overlordofmu · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I love my PS3.

    I love Linux.

    Sony is the only console maker that DID support Linux.

    They dropped the support because it was an rarely utilized feature and it was cheaper not to support it on the new model.

    I run Linux on all my PCs (2 laptops and 4 desktops) but never installed it on my PS3 (despite having partitioned my upgraded hard drive with room for it). I never felt the need to do so. I run a media server on two of the Linux boxes and I don't need the PS3 to be a 7th general purpose computer when that is not it's intended function as one and not designed for that purpose.

    This fanboy of Linux (and fanboy of Sony as well) doesn't care about the dropped support. I thank Sony for all the support up to this point and wish this platform continued success.

  3. Re:Stupid Article. by Astroturtle · · Score: 5, Funny

    YES, DAMN IT. YES!

    --
    --- http://www.astroturtle.com
  4. I'm with you on this one. by Malkin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I agree. This quote really made me giggle:

    But by omitting the option to install GNU/Linux on its new PS3, it has removed the final reason for the open source world to care about Sony.

    Unless they -- I don't know -- like playing console games, like the vast majority of people who buy game consoles. My microwave oven doesn't run Linux, either, but it somehow manages to still be useful to me.

    Honestly, I think out-of-touch rants like this only serve to further reinforce the "Linux zealot" stereotype, and drive the mainstream away from Linux.