The Game Cube Linux project recently released a short tutorial to show how to patch and recompile a vanilla kernel to let it run on your Game Cube. This story at PPC Nerds mentions that fact and a few other tidbits about Linux on gaming consoles. With the gamecube and the future xBox running on PowerPC hardware, all that time spent tinkering with Linux on old Macs may do you some good.
I know, I know…because you can.
But really, why?
The xbox cluster is WEIRD, really. Cannot even think people are so sick
Because you can!
I think it’s good that these people waste their time this way. Otherwise they would probably torture little animals or something like that…
I think it’s good that these people waste their time this way. Otherwise they would probably torture little animals or something like that…
Or they could actually do something useful instead …
Your definition of useful or mine? FWIW in my opinion people complaining about the usefulness of things are mostly sad people that can’t get anything done themselves, and the rest are trollers.
It’s the $100 PC! There you go Mr. Ballmer!
Why ask why….try bud dry
A better alternative for Linux on a console is the Nintendo DS. Enough power, wireless, touch screen, memory, etc… http://www.dslinux.com
if you can get linux to run on the gamecube with a few minor patches (from what I read) – why would it be so hard to make a gamecube emulator for regular PPC hardware? I would assume there’d be less to emulate if the architecture is so close.
just a thought.
The next generation Xbox won’t come with a hard drive. I also thought that the PPC970 next generation xbox had been confirmed, but the article states that its still just a rumor. Anybody know where that story originated?
The real question isn’t how long it takes to get linux running, the real question is how long before somebody manages to make Mac OS X run on $100 worth of hardware.
Why is it wierd?
I use my XBox (along with a Celeron 366 and a Duron 750) to render frames from Blender animations using drQueue.
I also use it to run Freevo, which gives me a nice interface to stream mp3s and avi’s over USB wireless LAN without missing a beat.
You can certainly build a more cost-effective cluster, but the question of absolute expenditure is an issue.
If you only have $500 to spend, a couple of XBoxes represent quite reasonable bang-for-buck.
They are quiet, stackable, reliable and dont consume a lot of power.
If you have $5000 to spend, you can achieve a significantly better $/CPU ratio, but you probably won’t be able to plug any of the nodes into a TV and play games or movies when your animation is finished rendering.
about the same amount of work/difficulty as making a Xbox emulator for x86/windows. I think that I also remember hearing that the gamecube uses straight openGL for its graphics and if thats true that makes emulating it even easier. The hardest part would probably be reading the disks, which are small and backwards.
“The next generation Xbox won’t come with a hard drive.”
Error. The XBOX 2 will come with an alternative ype of non-random non-mechanic memory, the same type used into NASA satellite around Mars (with special PowerPC processor and VxWorks kernel).
It isn’t knew if this memory will be used in a very large (10GB or so) removible memory card, embedded into the mainboard or both. There is all on the web.
I think it is pretty neat. Why do they do it? because they can and they enjoy it, what you have against it. It is a hobby and it interests them. It’s like people who build say model cars. They don’t really serve a purpose but they still do it.
graphics hardware, I expect; I doubt the PPC processor handles that, and it is after all most of the point of what a games console does. I wonder if Best is right that it just uses OpenGL, though…
dslinux? hmm, interesting idea, but the page seems a little optimistic. quake3 at 60fps? not likely, with the 3d capabilities of the ds. psp linux, now, there’s an idea…
what the hell! the PSP… are you drunk? the DS has more power… and eats batteries like they are candy.
but the PSP… like jeezuss! stop following the “Sony is better because it…. it… it is Sony!” crowd.. (too many of them in my area)
wake up and smell the Napalm
I thought about the psp linux before starting dslinux , but I think the touch screen makes a huge diference. Also the price and the batteries. and the fact that the sony psp uses umd discs and the nintendo a more common memory media. Anyway I´m sure some one will start psp linux. I thought about doing it myself, but I don´t have enought time, so it´s dslinux.com ;o)
look at movies of metroid hunters, then look at movies of that metal gear for psp. they arnt even comparable, neither is the price. unless you are a zealot, the specs speak for themselves. the psp will cost about the same as a mid range computer, if it doesnt sell well there wont be many games, if there arnt many games noone will buy it. the ds will have the advantage, as nintendo has totally dominated the handheld market for years. the lower price, and cashcow titles (like pokemon) almost guarentee the ds will be a success. that being said, to say that the ds is more powerful then the psp is completely redicules.
512 gamecubes running one linux kernel image ….thats alot of CPU power…it would cost 50 grand…but i dont think u can do better performance for ur money…heck for about 5 grand u can link up 60 in a closet somewhere and have a mini super computer…these little tricks could be very usefull
Haven’t calculated the whole thing, but I’d bet it would be cheaper to link PC hardware instead of GCs. Reason is that the GC contains lots of hardware that is unused in a super computer network (e.g. the graphics chip, unless you use that too).
With “PC hardware” I mean just motherboard + cpu + memory + network. A cheap combination would be $150, and that would include a 1,8ghz cpu and 64 megs of ram. Better yet, I’d spend $200 per node – guess these will quite outperform two GCs.
BTW a similar thing has already been built out with the playstation. Someone found that these are cheaper than a “conventional” supercomputer. Don’t know a link though.
Please explain to me how you would get the linux os ‘onto’ the gamecube. Because I read that A. the gamecube runs the small DVD’s and I’ve never seen DVD-R that size (only regular) and B. the discs are supposedly burnt ‘the other way round’, not sure wether it was they spin counter-wise or the track starts inside and goes out, but it was not possible to make these discs at home. So how boot another os?
erm. why don’t *you* wake up and smell the coffee?! the DS is a great machine; it’s innovative and well designed and I’m sure it’ll have killer games like Nintendo always gets.
but the PSP has BUCKETLOADS more graphics power. they’re not even in the same category; have you compared the screenshots of Tiger Woods on both machines?! It’s a point that just takes no argument at all. The DS is somewhere below the PSX in terms of 3D power; the PSP is between the PSX and the PS2, and closer to the PS2. yes, this means it’s going to *eat* batteries, but it’s still true.
personally, I’m buying both.
fair points – just as a machine to run Linux on and use as a PDA or something, yup, the DS makes more sense. But if you get Q3A running at 60fps, I’ll mail you a video of me eating my hat.
BTW, as for storage, the PSP has a memory stick slot. If someone could hack up a way to boot from that, it’d give you enough storage to run Linux.
“The next generation Xbox won’t come with a hard drive.”
Error. The XBOX 2 will come with an alternative ype of non-random non-mechanic memory, the same type used into NASA satellite around Mars (with special PowerPC processor and VxWorks kernel).
In other words, the XBOX 2 won’t come with a hard drive… I dunno, but I’m guessing that’s kinda what Best meant when he wrote “The next generation Xbox won’t come with a hard drive.”
yes, powerwise the ds is comparable to the n64 iirc. The psp has more power.. but much mroe expensive nad bigger. and i like the touch screen, would be possible to have a full feature linux distro that you can use easily since theres a touch screen
Now only if they figure out how to get run gamecube games on linux. That would actually be useful.
(BTW, I know some prim & proper person is going to have a stab at this comment so in advance, go screw yourself!)
PSP dimensions – 170x74x23
DS dimensions (closed) – 149x85x29
gives PSP a volume of 289.34 cubic cm and DS a volume of 367.29 cubic cm, fact fans.
you’re going to crap your pants on the spot over this:
Linux port to Game Boy Advance
http://wwwhsse.fh-hagenberg.at/Studierende/hse02006/uclgba/
*lol* I see your point.
I can already hear them crying out “WHY????????”
that’s nuts.
now, how do I make it work?!
🙂
Who cares why. I’m sure everyone who’s been complaining so far does things for no real reason, be them hobbies or every day actions.
If they enjoy what they’re doing, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong what so ever with what they’re doing.
Why? Because they WANT to.
Imeant functionallity…a DS could be a touch screen pda like thing that is NOT a pda… but guys really doesn’t the PSP seem, wellhokey like there is just something not right with it,like it wont be delivered with the “Production” hardware (the PS1 was also kind of crippled.. i remember I was disappointed, though I can’t remember exactly why, My memory fails about 2years or so,so…
Here’s one answer to the ‘Why Linux on xxx device?’ question. The game consoles are very similar to embedded systems. The whole method of cross-compiling and getting linux to load on these systems is great practice for someone wanting to get some experience doing embedded linux. You can get a new or used X-Box, Playstation2 or Dreamcast a lot cheaper than you can most embedded system boards that have equivilent features.
“In other words, the XBOX 2 won’t come with a hard drive…”
The question is why? Does not the hard drive make it easier for saving games and other purposes? Why leave it out?