Add-on PlayStation 3 HDD will run Linux

[Steve]

Linux on your PS3... no hacks required!

In an interview with Impress PC Watch, Kutaragi disclosed that he plans to install the Linux operating system on the PS3's hard disc drive (HDD) so it will be recognized as a computer, rather than a mere console.

Read the story, along with a translation of the Impress PC Watch interview at Gamespot.

[Trippledence]

Ok, so thast sounds pretty cool.

[Stoo]

ooh, and with the cell going open source, we could end up with a nice little coding scene a la the days of the amiga/atari/etc

[ajbrun]

This might be a daft question, but why would you want/need linux on a console? I'm asuming you'd need a keyboard/mouse to operate it, so what would be the difference between that and a normal PC?

[cm_uk]

Originally Posted by ajbrun

This might be a daft question, but why would you want/need linux on a console? I'm asuming you'd need a keyboard/mouse to operate it, so what would be the difference between that and a normal PC?

cheaper and still a sh*t hot gaming machine and pc all for around 300quid(ish)

[DavidM]

And it means you finally have the potential of a REAL home computer once again, instead of a bloated system with a protected O/S - with no real access to any low-level programming abilities.

[beanbandit]

Originally Posted by ajbrun

This might be a daft question, but why would you want/need linux on a console? I'm asuming you'd need a keyboard/mouse to operate it, so what would be the difference between that and a normal PC?

Sony have supported the home brew development scene since the original PS was released. They had the Net Yaroze (sp) then they offered the PS2 with the *Hdd/Network adaptor and pre-installed Linux so it only makes sense for the PS3 to come with Linux as standard and let the bedroom coders have some fun. After all the orginal Net Yaroze spawned competitions and some of the winners were offered jobs in the games industry.

*So Sony did actually release the Hdd in Europe, but you had to buy a new PS2 to actually get it.

[directhex]

Originally Posted by beanbandit

*So Sony did actually release the Hdd in Europe, but you had to buy a new PS2 to actually get it.

www.linuxplay.com

actually, i hope sony DO allow some low-level access to the hardware with ps3, ps2 linux was a silly emulated sandbox, you could't touch the vector units

[directhex]

Originally Posted by PrivatePyle

doesnt ps2 run linux?

the ps2 linux kit is a separate purchase.

[Yohji]

That looks pretty beast. Still not sure whether I'll get a PS3 though..