Linux tag

Well our media center PC is half way done. I put in the components that I have. So now all we need to wait for is the RAM (Thursday), the digital TV card (Wednesday) and for a new graphics card (still to be ordered). So the machine will probably be ready by Friday (as I also need to clear out the old house).

However, the TVNZ channels are moving over to the new Optus D1 satellite on Wednesday and this will take at most three days to complete (three days longer than they expected) because of the error that the satellite went up with. So won’t be of much use until then anyway.

I decided to set it up with Ubuntu, but take out the Gnome and use Blackbox (a lesser load and can run the other apps as well). And because we don’t have broadband, it’ll take all day to download the stuff anyway.

Officially the Playstation 3 has launched in the US to queues of awaiting fans. But hey, it’s already been out in Japan for a week.

The main point of this post is to point out that Sony has now launched the Open Platform website. From here you can get full instructions on installing compatible Linux distributions onto your PS3. Compatible distributions are those that have a PPC build (which is almost all of them) and a PS3 bootloader (which is apparently kboot). Fedora Core 5 has been confirmed to have full support, and Yellow Dog Linux is also available.

• Playstation 3 Open Platform.
• PS3 QuickJournal has full instructions on installing Fedora Core 5.

This enables you to use your PS3 as if it was a normal computer. The PS3 can be set to boot into Linux by default (this can be overridden by holding down the power button for 5 seconds).

Now those of us in European territories have to wait until March next year for the Playstation 3 to reach our shores. However, SCEE are creating some pretty neat marketing short-films that can be viewed on their website (in HiDef even).

• Playstation 3 - This is Living.

Terrasoft has today announced that they will be making their Yellow Dog Linux available for the PlayStation 3 - but not with it. You’ll have to either burn it or buy it yourself (though, you’ll have to wait a month of the PS3’s release before you can get it free).

This is some good news as to knowing that there will be a Linux platform in the Playstation 3, but we are still waiting on confirmation of an official version from Sony. They have said in the past that every PS3 hard drive will come with Linux pre-installed, however not much has been said since.

The PS3 is a month out from release now, so expect lots more details about specifics to be released.