PS3 with Linux

[JABBERJAW]

I now have a operating system called Yellow dog Linux on my ps3. Pretty much makes it a computer, but the cool thing about it is any linux emulator can work through it, making every system up to probably xbox working at nice framerates. Oh, linux has everything emulated. Haven't tried it yet though since my tube tv at 1080i is hard to read unlike the regular operating systems menus. I will need to get a LCD and then I should be just fine. OH, and by the way, I just played fzero,super mario world and mario 64 on my 1.5 psp. It is probably the last time I'll use it, since I mainly play wipeout, but still I thought it was kinda neat.

[Sausehuhn]

you can also run Windows 2000 :)

source (http://ps3.qj.net/Windows2000-Pro-on-PS3-O-rly-Ya-rly-/pg/49/aid/79917)

[The Gracer]

Why would you ever run Windows over Linux if you know how to use Linux? Personally, the only reason i use Windows is because my parents use this computer too - and they are so technophobic that the start menu is a challenge to them.

[Rapier Racer]

More applications are windows friendly

[Lion]

the only reason you'd run windows on a ps3 is one of the most common reasons to do anything with new technologies... because you can :P
personally I don't see why you'd want to run a desktop OS on any console. There are linux releases available for PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360, Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Dreamcast, and probably other consoles. but as I say, I can't see the point other than to prove that you can.

[Sausehuhn]

Concerning that the PS3 is a very powerful machine you could use it as a PC. Connect a CD/DVD burner and an external HDD to is and it's still an affordable price for a computer with that much power. Not to mention, that you also get a BluRay-player, too.
But as far as I know you have limitations in the OS, you can't use the PS3's full hardware power. So that were a point for your statement, Lion.

[Lion]

in-case it was read as such, I didn't mean to imply that it was a bad thing to be able to install a desktop OS on console hardware... if nothing else it's an educational tool to go through the install process.
but for what I could think of to do with it, I can't see any reason why I'd run a general purpose OS on a console... if you have any compelling reasons, please, share them, I am genuinely interested!

on a side note... the xbox360 would in theory be a better platform for a general purpose OS such as linux than the ps3 due to all 3 of it's cores being general purpose, vs the ps3 only having one general purpose processor plus the 7 stream processors (if I'm remembering specs correctly)

[JABBERJAW]

Linux is the ultimate gaming machine: There are emulators for every system on linux. As far as the educational piece I brought it in to my students computer tech class and let a couple of guys install it on my ps3. Now for the fun stuff(when I get an lcd screen)

[Sausehuhn]

Lion: if you could access all the PS3's power, you could probably also run all the PC games that need expensive graphic cards etc. And that is a reason I think ;)

[Lion]

nvidia already makes good linux drivers for their hardware, and the PS3 uses nvidia graphics hardware. So it's not unreasonable to hope that a ps3 version might be created.. that would be pretty cool

but even if you could access the 3d hardware properly, there are no commercial games that could take advantage of it... no quake3, no ut2004 etc.. pity. they are all binary only and compiled for x86
but it would be the most powerful tuxracer system to date! ;)
also that would allow some other emulators to work properly... eg: epsxe

now that would be interesting... comparing results between the ps3 running psx games and epsxe on the same hardware running the same games

[Medusa]

Has anyone used Office suite on Linux on the PS3, and printed from the PS3? I haven't found anything on this through Google, and believe it or not I was kicking around the idea of using the PS3 as my next PC. If I can word process and print off of it, I'm sold (and for that matter connect a burner, as you say, Sausehuhn).
I'd just like to have some firsthand account of how it works as a PC before I shell out the cash (erm...credit).

Do you switch back and forth from the Linux OS to the PS3 os, Jabberjaw? Or just when playing the PS3 games?

(Thanks in advance for answering my dopey questions...)

[Max A K Challie]

Yeah, it is too bad that you can't something like Quake 3 on the PS3. I'd really like to finally get Quake 4 running, even if it means using a console. I've wanted that game since it released, and by the time I can play it with a new PC and ADSL, all the servers will be empty. Damn.