A group of Xbox security researchers say they’ve found a way to run the open-source operating system on the game console without using a so-called mod chip.
Group Claims Linux Advance on Xbox
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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1) to see if Linux could be put on the X-box
2) since it can, get every geek to buy the X-BOX (which MS was selling and still is selling at a huge loss) not buy any games, and just put linux on it and use it as a home PC?
First of all, I have a very high esteem for these guys that are able to hack the Xbox. Not a simple task at all, whatever OS they manage to make work on it. In fact, I hope that their work will be conducive to having NetBSD running on the Xbox, too. And to have a working driver for the Nvidia graphics chipset would be a very nice added bonus.
Ummmm… I actually prepared a funny comment, but seeing as thou people are modded down very swiftly these days, I’ll restrain myself.
I wanna hear funny joke!!!
I have this pair of brown suede shoes which I don’t use much. A bit too tight. Maybe I should kickstart a project to port Linux on them? After all, I can’t even play Xbox games on them, so they aren’t much use as it is.
So why don’t they just show it to the lindows dude so he pays them $100,000 promised and then bother about a public release.
Otherwise they got no cash and no release.
So I suspect that this is vaporware.
The article at Zdnet says it needs a small amount of solder. They need to make it work without the solder for the the $100,000. I think anyway.
Also if Microsoft sas they are considering (ZDNet article) it, then it is probably not vaporware.
There is only one problem with that: game manufacturers are going to see an inflated market share for the Xbox, more games are going to be released (and more exclusives), and MicroSoft is going to be happy.
The only way to offset this I can think of is to set up a site reselling Xboxes installed with Linux (incapable of playing games out of the box), and then you will undoubtably get the press’ eye, and then games companies will aproach sales numbers very suspiciously. It probably doesn’t matter if the company selling LinuXboxes doesn’t ever sell any.
News?
At the moment, game consoles are cheaper than they should be because the vendors know they can sell the system at a loss and make a profit on the games. However, if people keep hacking these systems to make them do things they were never designed to do, the prices of these consoles could go up significantly.
Though I support people’s right to do whatever they want with a console, think about whether it’s worth paying $400-$500 for the next-generation consoles, especially when you could just buy a whitebox (full-blown PC) for that price and not only have video capture capabilities (so you can use it like a Tivo if you want), but you also do whatever you wanted with it right out of the box without having to install a mod chip, and plus it’s actually upgradable!
My point? Instead of getting an XBox, spend a couple hundred dollars more and just get a PC, which is basically what an XBox is – you’ll be better for it.
hmm… maybe you shoulda refrained after all… 😉
Well said Darius.
I am the only one that has major problems playing games with game controllers? That may be because theonly console i ever owned is the original NES, but i find playing anything but racing games with today’s game controllers extremely difficult. Mouse+keyboard is sooo the way to go. Which is another reason why i think people should buy PCs instead of consoles.
The wise words of a non-gamer.
And mario, you probably should have refrained, that joke was horrible.
Ehrr, when will there be a netbsd available or some other BSD for the XBox.. I wouldn’t wanna run any bloat if I buy one…
I’m sorry, but everytime I hear someone say that Microsoft will start losing even more money because everyone will go out and buy an Xbox and use it as a PC/Linux machine, I laugh myself silly. I _highly_ doubt that more than 10 people will buy an XBox and put Linux on it, even if it is easy…please, they’re not actually that fast anymore compared to <$200 Wal-mart machines…
I can’t believe these morons take themselves so seriously to think that Microsoft would comply with their request, no matter how nicely they asked.
Mouse+keyboard is sooo the way to go. Which is another reason why i think people should buy PCs instead of consoles.
Well, that works if you’re playing an FPS, but this kind of thing depends entirely on the game. For example, if you can play Robotron with the keyboard and actually not die rather quickly, then you are most certainly a better man than I
Kai
I _highly_ doubt that more than 10 people will buy an XBox and put Linux on it, even if it is easy…please, they’re not actually that fast anymore compared to <$200 Wal-mart machines…
Actually, if there was a way I could get another NIC in there, I would definitely do it. $150.00 for a Linux firewall/router doesn’t sound like a bad deal to me. Hell, I could even put an email, ftp, or web server on it if I wanted to.
For Real-Time Strategy games and First-Person Shooters, you’re right, nothing beats mouse and keyboard. However, for practically all other types of game (Action/Adventure, Platform, Racer, etc.), then game controllers are the best (PS2, Xbox, GameCube in that order for my taste).
I disagree – a “smart” set-top boxe (like a Xbox running Linux, for example) can be quite useful for A/V duties, such as a TiVO-like PVR, a MP3/Video Jukebox, or even a video-conference thingy – i.e. all things most people would rather do lying on a couch instead of sitting at a desk.
As far as the Xbox 1 is concerned, I don’t think this will have enough of an impact to significantly affect sale price. We’ll have to wait for next-gen consoles (PS3, which will likely run Linux, and Xbox2, which most definitely won’t) to see if the long-awaited fusion between game console and ultimate media set-top box will happen or not…
True, MS has a bigger problem with people buying an Xbox and then buying only 2-3 games to go with it, then using it mostly for watching DVDs. That’s the big money-loser…
The XBox has an excellent Conexxant SVGA -> NTSC converter chip inside. Because of this, the XBox would make an excellent DVD/digital media player for any NTSC television.
Microsoft is still the only one that looses money on their console sales. so this will only hurt M$ <sarcastic sigh>.
“Because of this, the XBox would make an excellent DVD/digital media player for any NTSC television.”
You can purchase a DVD remote and IR plug (~$30) to be able to use the XBOX to play DVDs. By the enb of the year the Music Mixer, http://www.xbox.com/musicmixer/, kit will be available for ~$40. This kit will include an enhanced media player (you can currently rip CDs to the XBOX and play them back both in games that support the feature and through the dashboard) and the ability to share files between your PC and the XBOX. Not only that but because you purchased officially licensed hardware to do this you can continue to enjoy the XBOX to play games.
I’ve seen “blackmail” or threats of sanction often done in business negotiations. Why is it that when it’s done by some relatively unknown individual, it’s painted all wrong. Make up your mind. Is maneuvering and machinations wrong or not.
In this case, I’d say the end justifies the means. Not that the means is a clearcut wrong either.
>Actually, if there was a way I could get another NIC in there, I would definitely do it.
I believe you can use an USB nic with the Xbox.
Is it worth $100,000 to have linux available on the X-box?
After all, I agree, virtually no one will use it for this purpose.
But rather, there is value in demonstrating that such attempts to lock down systems can always be broken.
The question is though, in this case, who does it help more, Microsoft (who can make it much more difficult in the next version), or the community?
This is quite an achievement.
But I’d rather purchase a nice and possibly quieter Shuttle SN41G2.
You can use it for:
– Gaming
– Running Linux
– Media Center (Modding the http://www.xboxmediaplayer.com/)
That last one would be sweet because it has Dolby Digital output. Just think of the power of the machine I mentioned vs the XBOX. It can fulfil all the needs of XBOX linux and more.
Obviously it is not as cheap as the XBOX, but you do have a hardware platform where the hardware hardly changes.
I think I linked to the wrong site.
http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de
That is why it is important to have hackers to hack the closed systems which are thought to be closed _just_ to make as much money as it can.
Even if just one geek would do that, every eye which see the screenshot of the neat hack will know that closed systems are to be open, and static to be dynamic. Just for h4ck’s sake.
Thanks Anonymous,
That’s the website I mean’t that is such a cool project, I saw the video on TechTV.