Yellow Dog Linux to be used on Playstation 3!
by Nick Doerr 
{ Oct 17th 2006 at 2:30PM }
A friend attending Wake Forest learned his way around the Linux OS last year and switched to it full-time from the Windows OS also on his laptop. With that superiority in mind (at least, one example of Linux being the favored OS) we can see why Sony would choose a flexible system like Yellow Dog Linux to power their next system. The OS will ship with the PS3 in November and soon after, support the Apple PowerPC line. Now, correct us if we're wrong, but wasn't it talked about a long time ago that PS3 would support Linux systems? Now we know that it's Yellow Dog, but the whole Linux thing isn't exactly breathtaking news. It's most assuredly cool, though. You can check out any sort of specs or other technical tidbits over here, but the point is the same: PS3 hearts Yellow Dog Linux, and you will too.
[thanks to everyone and their uncle who sent this in!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SuicideNinja @ Oct 17th 2006 3:15PM
I was wondering what happened to the "Linux" that Sony was going to defoul and destroy (just like PS2 Linux!). They haven't said anything about it for a long time.
Yellow Dog, eh? Hmmm...I would have thought they would have used a more common distro. It's probably better they didn't, actually. Hopefully it will allow them to keep some control over it for a month or so.
*sarcasm* I can't wait until the hackers destroy everything because of this. Since the jerks do it every single time. It starts with useful programs...and then the cheats come in...
ozymandias @ Oct 17th 2006 4:02PM
open source meets ps3, surely this is a hackers wet dream.
Andir2.0 @ Oct 17th 2006 7:12PM
You two apparently have no clue about Linux. Thanks for showing your knowledge.
Jess S. @ Oct 18th 2006 2:47PM
Will Yellowdog linux be run as an app selectable from the menu, or will the PS3's main operating system be yellowdog linux?
ozymandias @ Oct 17th 2006 9:55PM
Andir2.0
Maybe you could explain the finer points of a Linux os for me.
btw i use a version of SUSE
Andir2.0 @ Oct 17th 2006 10:57PM
I'm taking a stab in the dark, but I think it's a selectable menu option. We've seen the PS3 boot up and it seems to boot right into the cross menu. Though I'm not sure if there is a preloaded game that it will load it like the PS2, but we'll come to find out soon enough. But again, I think the OS will probably be a menu item, not the main entrance.
Andir2.0 @ Oct 17th 2006 11:06PM
@ozymandias: I would ask you what "version" but you'd just google a version number and throw it up. And I suppose you log in as root as well?
If you do a quick search for "Linux Virus", there is an article that explains it fairly well. I don't need to explain it. http://librenix.com/?inode=21
My friend who is an XBox owner was freaking out today for the same reason. I delved into it and asked whey he was scared of Linux on the PS3. He brought up the same thing you did. He even went as far as to say that Europe and the Slavic(sp?) nations would hack the US and Japan because they were pissed at being delayed and would steal all our money. He bluntley stated that he would never trust his credit card to the PS3 and will only buy Live game cards. I guess it's nice to live in a tin foil shell.
atsura @ Oct 18th 2006 10:32PM
I've personally ran a version of yellow dog linux on my Powerbook G4 a while back. Didn't like it much. Nothing worked well "out of the box", and it took me close to a week to get everything in working order. Especally my Airport card and the sound. Since then I've switch to ubuntu on my desktop (x86) and Ubuntu on my ppc also. I personlly think they should have went with either Ubuntu (growing to be the one of most popular distros) or Mandrake (now Mandriva). But meh... Since this is being made specifically for the PS3 there shouldn't be a problem, and it's somewhat of a smart choice because the YellowDog team only deals with the PPC architecture. It would be interesting to see if we can install/compile anything made for the PPC, that would definitely make the PS3 a monster. Opensource FTW!
apoc @ Oct 19th 2006 12:17PM
"Will Yellowdog linux be run as an app selectable from the menu, or will the PS3's main operating system be yellowdog linux?"
I think sony wouldn't be replacing the XMB completly, I've already seen there's a menu option on the XMB named "Other System Install" wich a sony rep couldn't explain, so this must be what it is for.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/740/740005p1.html
ozymandias @ Oct 20th 2006 5:45PM
Andir2.0
sorry it took me so long to come back to this post, but with so much added over the last few days, it slipped my mind. so with that said, i have 3 points to make that you wont find on google. although i dont feel i need to prove myself to you, i hate being called a lier.
1.)Your post is shows that you are knowledgeable, but completely missed what i was trying to say. i was talking about console hackers, (i.e.) modders. in this sense, hackers are guys that get their console to run unauthorized code(pirated games, homebrew software, etc.) I never said anything about potential security issues, your misinformed buddy did.
2.)a linux OS is open source meaning the code is open for anyone to access and change. This practice is encouraged in the linux community and updates, security patches, and other user friendly tweaks are uploaded to the web daily. in an open source system, it is possible to add your own scripts to run at boot without disturbing any of the files installed by the system. This is a GOOD thing, and once the PS3 has been "hacked" you will have a powerful, relatively inexpensive machine to run homebrew games and software. hince my statement "...a hackers wet dream." in short, the ps3 will eventually develope a large modding community like the original xbox. This could be bad for online gaming, but good for the overall use of the machine. the original xbox has homebrew software that rivals the media extender functionality of the 360.
3.) dont insult my intelligence, suse boots up and functions very much like OS X. The only difference is that it checks various parameters during the boot process that OS X and Windows usually dont check. next time, try to aviod personal attacks and read what we post not our minds.
btw,
"*sarcasm* I can't wait until the hackers destroy everything because of this. Since the jerks do it every single time. It starts with useful programs...and then the cheats come in...
Posted at 3:14PM on Oct 17th 2006 by SuicideNinja "
im pretty sure the word sarcasm before his statement means he was being sarcastic.