Linux for the Playstation 3 confirmed - looking good!

[autopilot]

TERRA SOFT TO PROVIDE LINUX FOR THE SONY PLAYSTATION 3

LOVELAND, Colorado - 17 October 2006 - Terra Soft is proud to announce Yellow
Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION®3 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
(SCEI).

Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Terra Soft's next generation Linux operating system for
Power will support PLAYSTATION 3, providing an end-user experience far
surpassing previous versions. Through an aggressive, rapid co-development
project conducted by Carsten Haitzler and the Enlightenment development team,
Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, built upon Fedora Core 5, now integrates the next
generation "E17" desktop in order to provide an unprecedented level of
function and interface aesthetic. Designed for users of all ages and all
levels of experience, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 is Terra Soft's most advanced
distribution to date.

"We have worked closely with the energetic, determined E17 team to bring this
advanced graphical user interface to a state of interface euphoria. It's not
about eye candy and unnecessary special effects, it's about finding balance
between a lean, uncluttered desktop and a personal environment that is both
familiar and powerful. E17 is simply the most incredible thing I have ever
used --with any operating system," states Cesar Delgado, System Administrator
for Terra Soft.

Owen Stampflee, Lead Software Engineer of Terra Soft Solutions expresses,
"From the days of the Commodore 64 to modern overclocked and water cooled
home computers, a battle has raged between dedicated game boxes and home
computers for highest quality game play. PLAYSTATION 3 provides an industry
first, exceptional Linux OS experience ... and Terra Soft the first Linux OS.
I am proud to have played a part in this development."

Under basic agreement with SCEI, Terra Soft was granted a unique opportunity
to develop and bring to market a complete Linux OS for the Sony PLAYSTATION
3. In development of Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Terra Soft integrated and
enhanced code from Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Sony Group, and Fedora in
order to offer the following:
- kernel 2.6.16
- gcc 3.4.4 and glibc 2.4
- Cell SDK 1.1
- OpenOffice.org 2.0.2
- FireFox 1.5.0 and Thunderbird 1.5.0
- Nautilus 2.1.4
... and a suite of Personal Accessories, Development Tools; Sound & Video,
Internet, and Networking applications.

A single-click installer enables absolutely anyone to install without
instruction. Post-install, the default suite of applications presents an
intuitive, self-guided means of exploring Linux without the confusion of
multiple applications in the same family. An Advanced installer mode enables
selection from greater than fifteen hundred packages, as is expected from a
complete Linux distribution.

PLAYSTATION 3 is an advanced computer system designed to provide next
generation computer entertainment contents in the home, incorporating the
state-of-the-art Cell microprocessor with super computer like power.

As a guest of IBM at the annual SC2006 tradeshow, Nov 13-16, Tampa, Florida,
Terra Soft will showcase Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Y-HPC v2.0 beta, and Y-Bio
v1.1. 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.

http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/...er/020714.html

See also - http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/y...playstation-3/

Sounds good, yes?

[GeorgeTuk]

I assume by this they will also e creating a keyboard and mouse because I don't fancy using a Dual Shock to control Firefox!

Also so by making the OS for their PS3 so open to everyone to download won't it mean that vunerabilities will exist and be exploited which otherwise would be ignored or never discovered?

[directhex]

e17 isn't considered stable yet, so i'm mildly concerned by that choice (though it is 90% eye candy, which is appropriate for ps3)

[GeorgeTuk]

Well they haven't got long to sort out stability...any stability tests I have done have meant the PC being active and used for at least 7 days with several burn in tests, and thats for a smallish network of 200 PCs. How are they going to do that replicated for over 1m units worlwide?

They really are taking some big risks on this...

[kreeeee]

Hmm... I doubt Sony would allow you free reign to install and run your own applications though.

[unreal]

Am I the only one who reads E17 as the lame boyband? (Who ironically, lived on my street during their first year of fame)

[directhex]

Originally Posted by unreal

Am I the only one who reads E17 as the lame boyband? (Who ironically, lived on my street during their first year of fame)

http://enlightenment.sourceforge.net...htenment/DR17/

"beware - it is not even ALPHA yet" - really uneasy about e17 :/

[directhex]

Originally Posted by GeorgeTuk

I assume by this they will also e creating a keyboard and mouse because I don't fancy using a Dual Shock to control Firefox!

Also so by making the OS for their PS3 so open to everyone to download won't it mean that vunerabilities will exist and be exploited which otherwise would be ignored or never discovered?

the ps3 has usb ports. you can use any old usb keyboard/mouse

[Bunjiweb]

They had a linux pack for the PS2 available, it was the biggest pile of crap known to man and turned out to be horrendously slow to use.

I wait with held breath to see if they fudge this version up aswell..

Ben

[AlCapacino]

We all know it's way overdue and is going to be ****

Get a gameboy ds instead

[Veles]

I really can't see the point in this, it's a console, it's main purpose is for playing games. I think sony have forgotten that.

[charleski]

I got the impression that the main use of Linux on the PS2 was to allow people who wanted to get into the games biz to work up some coding skills.

[directhex]

sony are actually trying to market the ps3 as the only computer you'd need - a games box, a high def video player, and a web browser box. whether they'll succeed? i dunno. but i know e17 isn't in any fit state for being on a major distribution

[GeorgeTuk]

Originally Posted by directhex

the ps3 has usb ports. you can use any old usb keyboard/mouse

Are you sure you can plug any old USB keyboard and mouse in? After all what about drivers and the fact Sony are notoriously proprietry over they hardware and software. Its one thing having USB ports...its a whole other thing having them enabled for any USB device.

[directhex]

Originally Posted by GeorgeTuk

Are you sure you can plug any old USB keyboard and mouse in? After all what about drivers and the fact Sony are notoriously proprietry over they hardware and software. Its one thing having USB ports...its a whole other thing having them enabled for any USB device.

the ps2 supported any old usb keyboard & mouse for supported apps (e.g some FPSen and RTSes)

the ps2 linux kit came bundled with a sony-branded keyboard & mouse combo

the ps3 doesn't have any plugs EXCEPT for usb

and it'd be backward & stupid for terrasoft to remove the mature HCI stack from the kernel, given they plan on using their own distro for some fat-assed clusters (where you'd want to be able to use a sensible keyboard & mouse option)

so yes, i'm positive that ps3 linux will support any old keybaord & mouse

[pauldarkside]

Originally Posted by GeorgeTuk

I assume by this they will also e creating a keyboard and mouse because I don't fancy using a Dual Shock to control Firefox!

Well I'm sure it'll be fine. At least your controller won't vibrate when a page isn't found and you can always use the tilt feature to navigate up/down a page and left/right to go back/forwards