Ps3 linux support confirmed?

[Angelcurio]

Just check out this page:

http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/hardware/breakdown/index.php?hw_cat_id=15

They have the ps3 as one of their supported computers.

Please read!
The following tables (based upon Yellow Dog Linux v4.1; organized according to EveryMac.com) denote those items which have been historically challenging to support or are not currently supported across all models. Items not listed may be assumed to be supported and functional to a degree of usability based upon the knowledge of the Terra Soft Staff through internal testing and user feedback. Terra Soft cannot guarantee that a particular computer, independent of what is offered below, will function at your desired level. Statements concerning the functionality of widely used devices or protocol, such as PCI slots or USB drives, are offered at the bottom of this page.

PS3 2006 Video information

Supported? Yes*


* Coming soon!

 

[Bad_Boy]

It looks like it, nice find Angelcurio. I wonder how it will be integrated, will it be dual boot or on a seperate disc (ala knoppix).

 

[Titanio]

Hopefully it means it'll be generally available, and not just supported as part of this, which doesn't seem clear yet. Yellow Dog traditionally costs some $$ too (in a roundabout way..you get it free with some purchases at their store), so if it is to be generally available one wonders if it'll be free or not, or if Sony will strike a deal or what-have-you.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I imagine Sony strike a deal. Terrasoft would be looking at millions of PS3 sales, and potentially more Cell products, and promoting the software which could feed back into the PC space, so it'd be something they ought to jump at.

 

[Titanio]

Actually, I just found out that you can freely download YDL.

But the question remains as to whether anyone will be able to download and install it on their PS3, or if PS3 is merely being supported as part of their clustering project with Sony. Fingers crossed it's the former..

 

[n00body]

Actually, I just found out that you can freely download YDL.

Well yeah, it'd be a major GPL violation if they didn't allow people to download it.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Hopefully it means it'll be generally available, and not just supported as part of this, which doesn't seem clear yet.

I think it's worth mentioning they also support Mercury Cell blades
http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/news/2005/2005-11-15.shtml

It'd be a bit stupid to develop a full Linux build that works with Cell, have Sony say 'we're including Linux on the HDD', advertise YDL for Sony PlayStation, and then not include this on the consumer product!

 

[Titanio]

Well yeah, it'd be a major GPL violation if they didn't allow people to download it.

I'd not been very aware of the stipulations of the GPL in that regard, but yeah, I believe that's the case

I think it's worth mentioning they also support Mercury Cell blades
http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/news/2005/2005-11-15.shtml

It'd be a bit stupid to develop a full Linux build that works with Cell, have Sony say 'we're including Linux on the HDD', advertise YDL for Sony PlayStation, and then not include this on the consumer product!

TerraSoft is the one advertising PS3 support. Remember, that PS3 or beta PS3 kits are actually being used in this cluster at TerraSoft, not just generic Cell hardware. So it does seem possible they could be providing the distro just for that, and not to the general PS3-owning audience.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

TerraSoft is the one advertising PS3 support. Remember, that PS3 or beta PS3 kits are actually being used in this cluster at TerraSoft, not just generic Cell hardware. So it does seem possible they could be providing the distro just for that, and not to the general PS3-owning audience.

But if so, that'd mean for Sony to provide their supposed Linux, they'd need a second distro. What's the point? If you've got one that works already, derived from a Cell Linux that's 8+ months matured, why wouldn't you go with that one (unless you've abandoned the idea to include Linux)?

 

[Titanio]

But if so, that'd mean for Sony to provide their supposed Linux, they'd need a second distro. What's the point? If you've got one that works already, derived from a Cell Linux that's 8+ months matured, why wouldn't you go with that one (unless you've abandoned the idea to include Linux)?

I agree, as I said in my first post of this thread, it likely makes Yellow Dog a prime candidate to be 'the' Linux distro for PS3 if one is to be made available. But with recent talk and rumour, I guess I'd like to have that reconfirmed (or at least that it is their plan in the short term to have a linux distro available).

 

[SPM]

But if so, that'd mean for Sony to provide their supposed Linux, they'd need a second distro. What's the point? If you've got one that works already, derived from a Cell Linux that's 8+ months matured, why wouldn't you go with that one (unless you've abandoned the idea to include Linux)?

These are all the Linux distro that run on powerPC

http://distrowatch.com/search.php?c...esktop=All&architecture=powerpc&status=Active

They don't include any Cell SPE enhancements though, although it doesn't take very long to port Linux enhancements between distributions since it is open source.

Still YDL would make sense if they are programming Linux library files and drivers to use the Cell's SPEs.

 

[bobthebub]

I found this quote from Kai Staats CEO of Terra Soft Interesting

http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/pipermail/yellowdog-announce/2006-September/000125.html

As you can see from the scope of this review, we have been very busy. So much so, that we may have appeared relatively quiet from the outside. If the reference to the "lull before the storm" holds a water, then I would close by warning that we are about to unleash a storm.

 

[Arwin]

Definitely interesting ... Where are these guys housed, anyway?