Terrasoft to support Linux for the PS3.

[drag]

http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/news/2006/2006-10-17.shtml

Looks like it may be THE Linux that gets into the PS3. Not sure on the wording seem a bit vague.

But if that's true then I guess that will probably make Enligthenment desktop the most widely used Linux desktop environment within a year after the PS3's release.

Funny. I would of thought they would of gone for a generic Gnome setup with flashy background.

To bad on the Nvidia video card since the drivers are all closed source and such. Unless, of course, Sony convinces Nvidia to support the Linux PowerPC platform...

 

[tatteredpotato]

I really dont see this catching on, even if it does ever come out. I see loads of restrictions and limitations on what the user can do, especially considering that use of a controller.

Thats probably why they chose enlightenment for the wm, no icons would be easier to manage with a controller.

Also the use of e17 pushes this back a ways. e17 is still in alpha, even though the performance is still excellent, i doubt they will put beta code into ps3 software.

EDIT

I've been thinking this over, and it occurs to me this is probably little other than a PS3 Live CD, so i see little, if any ability to add any new apps, although i can see they ability to save word documents or emails to the HDD.

 

[drag]

Who said that the PS3 is restricted to using the controller?

The PS3 has regular USB plugs on the back like any other computer.

 

[drag]

I've been thinking this over, and it occurs to me this is probably little other than a PS3 Live CD, so i see little, if any ability to add any new apps, although i can see they ability to save word documents or emails to the HDD.

They will probably have that, but with Japanese press conferences in the past the CEO or somebody very high up in Sony stated quite plainly that for the harddrive version of PS3 they were planing on having Linux pre-installed. Sony says stuff like that that isn't nessicarially true later on though and it was in Japanese-only so even if it does happen then it may just be for Japan.

Depending on what you want you can get Linux to easily fit into a 400 meg or less compressed image and still have a full desktop with browser and everything. Look at what Knoppix does. Uncompressed your looking at a gig or so.

Also in the press release they are stating that it's a 'one click install'. The nice thing about the Ps3 over regular computers is that essentially they will all be identical. So as long as Terrasoft does a good job at it you should be able to pop it in and press 'enter' and it'll be installed. Select a hostname and user password and that should be it.

As for software compatability.. The Cell as seen by Linux is essentially treated as a PowerPC proccessor. After i486 the PPC is the best supported platform running for Linux due to the popularity of Apple products and IBM.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: drag
Who said that the PS3 is restricted to using the controller?

The PS3 has regular USB plugs on the back like any other computer.

I suppose you can do that..... but then again whats the point. If you can afford a PS3, you can afford a PC that can run linux.

I guess i haven't heard any good reason to run linux on a PS3, nor can i think of any. I can hardly see myself sitting in my living room typing papers or doing spreadsheets on my TV. Possibly surfing the web, but isn't PS3 supposed to have its own browser anyways?

 

[Brazen]

Because I've always wanted to control linux with my DDR pads

 

[jcmuse]

Originally posted by: drag
But if that's true then I guess that will probably make Enligthenment desktop the most widely used Linux desktop environment within a year after the PS3's release.

interesting point.

"Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION 3 will be made available through YDL.net Enhanced accounts, through the Terra Soft on-line Store, retailers, and public mirrors world-wide. "

if it is not going to be packaged with the ps3, i don't think it will take on that fast and will probably never be used in numbers to make e17 the #1 used desktop environment. i guess it all depends on what added functionality it provides.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: BlameCanada

Originally posted by: drag
Who said that the PS3 is restricted to using the controller?

The PS3 has regular USB plugs on the back like any other computer.

I suppose you can do that..... but then again whats the point. If you can afford a PS3, you can afford a PC that can run linux.

I guess i haven't heard any good reason to run linux on a PS3, nor can i think of any. I can hardly see myself sitting in my living room typing papers or doing spreadsheets on my TV. Possibly surfing the web, but isn't PS3 supposed to have its own browser anyways?

Well I don't do spreadsheets or typing papers on my PC either. At least not for a while now.

I think it's nice for people that want a Linux PC + a gaming machine. It would be a lot cheaper then trying to do that with a regular PC with Vista and dual booting Linux. Not that I think anybody will go out and buy a PS3 instead of a PC when they need one for work or whatnot.

Personally if I get one (which depends greatly on if Sony tries to 'lock down' linux on ps3) I would use it to play video games, I have a bunch of PS2 and some PS1 games at least and I'll probably end up getting some PS3 titles.

And then in addition I'd get Linux on it and install Mythfrontend so that I can do the DVR thing and watch sthe movies and such from my file server on my TV easily. (which I want to do anyways, just don't have spare money for a toy like that right now) Plus if I end up getting a HD monitor or whatnot then that would be nice enough resolution to use it like a regular computer for surfing the net and messing around with other stuff. If Nvidia ever releases drivers then I'd play quake and such on it.

Also you and I both know that whatever browser Sony creates it's going to be utter crap compared to something like Firefox.-

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: jcmuse

Originally posted by: drag
But if that's true then I guess that will probably make Enligthenment desktop the most widely used Linux desktop environment within a year after the PS3's release.

interesting point.

"Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION 3 will be made available through YDL.net Enhanced accounts, through the Terra Soft on-line Store, retailers, and public mirrors world-wide. "

if it is not going to be packaged with the ps3, i don't think it will take on that fast and will probably never be used in numbers to make e17 the #1 used desktop environment. i guess it all depends on what added functionality it provides.

Ah well. I missed that part.

I don't see Yellowdog doing it then unless they get a OEM deal.

Debian already has a very good PowerPC port. I could see Ubuntu coming out with a version tailored for the Cell or maybe a branch like Kubuntu or whatnot. I would expect the logical choice for the desktop then would be XFCE. If they do that then it would be much more popular then Yellowdog will ever get.

 

[phisrow]

This could be most interesting if (and only if) it means that the PS3 will be pretty easy to get Linux(and preferably anything else that will run properly on generic PPC) running as you want it.

If it is merely possible to install the one-true-cryptographically-signed-by-sony-RIAA-approved-consumer-experience-ori
nted-yadda, yadda distribution that will be largely outdated a year from release, and probably never updated, color me quite unimpressed.

If this means that we'll basically see XBox linux brought to PPC and the modern era, I'm quite interested indeed.