DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Operating System On PS3

24 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/operating-system-on-ps3.80580/

naveen_reloaded
naveen_reloaded Original post #1
Feb 19, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Hi all..

i have recently biought ps3.. and found a option in menu to install other os..
is here a way to install os ?? if soo.. can anyone xplain..

ihave ubuntu cd..

and also vista...
shashank_re
Feb 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM
You can install Fedora 5 in it.I think you can even install Ubuntu.Just google it.You will find 1000s of links.
But you need a USB keyboard as well as USB mouse to install/Use linux in Ps3!

Have a look at it.Ubuntu 7.10 on PS3!!!
*news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-7-10-on-PS3-73272.shtml
N
Feb 19, 2008 at 11:57 AM
is it with the modded ones or original ones too?
Pathik
Pathik #4
Feb 19, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Try Yellow Dog Linux 5.0
naveen_reloaded
Feb 19, 2008 at 1:36 PM
i have ubuntu cd 7.10... is thaat enough and just tell .. will it be just like a linux on pc ??? can i install vlc, opera, etc???

is there a way to install vista???

can any one help.. if soo i can play even pc games .. hi hi :-D
shashank_re
Feb 19, 2008 at 2:08 PM
No dude you can install only Linux.It is same as that runs on PC.No diff so you can install all those opera,FF.Open Office etc!

BTW Which speakers have you connected to your PS3?
naveen_reloaded
Feb 19, 2008 at 3:00 PM
straight to pc..
only optical audio out is there ... have to think about it..

coz my philips 5.1 does nt have slot/port to support it..

canwe install VLC, other stuff then ???
wht about games... emulator+pc games ... can we play???
will it support???
infra_red_dude
Feb 19, 2008 at 3:06 PM
^^^ Everything :) Just like your PC. You will just need a keyboard and a mouse, it becomes your comp! There wre some issues in the past regarding resolution but I guess they are rectified now.
naveen_reloaded
Feb 19, 2008 at 5:35 PM
thnks infrared ...

is it possible to run vista... like in say some virtual machine??? within linux??
infra_red_dude
Feb 19, 2008 at 7:48 PM
^^^ Virtual machine mebbe possible, I dunno.. but look at the screen size and resolution. Plus there is no guarantee that you will get Aero...
naveen_reloaded
Feb 20, 2008 at 7:05 AM
ohhh....^^^

isthere a way to play pc games using some emulatior???
infra_red_dude
Feb 20, 2008 at 3:41 PM
If it runs on Ubuntu it runs on PS3. So i guess all the AA/Q4/Doom et. all will run. Some may run even with wine/cedega.
Quiz_Master
Feb 20, 2008 at 4:47 PM
Yellow dog is official so I suggest installing that.... or else Fedora.... The reports of Ubuntu isn't nice...
naveen_reloaded
Feb 20, 2008 at 8:01 PM
thks quiz master,,,

will install yellow dog..

is htere a way to install wine on it >???
Cyrus_the_virus
Feb 20, 2008 at 8:47 PM
Try Yellow Dog Linux 5.0

Yes, Yellow Dog Linux is optimised for the cell processor, no other Linux distribution is as refined for a cell processor as much as Yellow Dog Linux is.

Fedora core5 had reports of stable operation on the PS3

thnks infrared ...

is it possible to run vista... like in say some virtual machine??? within linux??

You can run virtual machines but since there is only 25MB XDR memory, things will be at snails pace.

ohhh....^^^

isthere a way to play pc games using some emulatior???

You cannot use the graphics core of the PS3 when you are running an altrenate OS. Which means there is no additional graphics capability, no games, no 3D editing. You will not be able to run all the usual games that run on a linux PC as the graphics core is still locked by Sony. You can only play arcade type games. There is a very good reason why sony has limited the graphics core but not that good a reason for general public.
shashank_re
Feb 20, 2008 at 9:06 PM
Whats the reason for blocking Core grafix?
Cyrus_the_virus
Feb 20, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Whats the reason for blocking Core grafix?

It's a really looooooooong story, but short point is, then it's going to become a full fledged PC and people are going to run PC games and stop buying PS3 Game Disks and that is too big a risk sony can't afford to take. It's not about letting people have the liberty to access it, but it's the amount of misuse that can happen because of it.

There are lot of other technical aspects for the graphics core being locked which is beyond the scope of explanation here. Do a google search and you will get more than enough links explaining them in detail.
M
mehulved #18
Feb 20, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Will wine even run on PS3? AFAIK, PS3 has cell processor and wine works only on x86.
Vista will definitely not run, AFAIK Vista can only run on x86 and x86_64 platforms.
infra_red_dude
Feb 20, 2008 at 9:31 PM
^^^ No idea. Thanks for the info guys. Didn't know many things about PS3 and alternate OS issues :)
Cyrus_the_virus
Feb 20, 2008 at 9:38 PM
Will wine even run on PS3? AFAIK, PS3 has cell processor and wine works only on x86.
Vista will definitely not run, AFAIK Vista can only run on x86 and x86_64 platforms.

Wine is still in development for cell but other common virtual machines work.

It doesn't matter whether it's x86 or any other platform, if it's inside a virtual machine, it's always independent of the hardware, that's the whole point why the industry wanted virtual machines. There are several videos out on youtube which shows a working xp installation in a virtual box in linux in ps3 but like I said before, since only 256MB XDR memory is available, it crawls at snails pace, no point trying it out.
naveen_reloaded
Feb 21, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Yes, Yellow Dog Linux is optimised for the cell processor, no other Linux distribution is as refined for a cell processor as much as Yellow Dog Linux is.

Fedora core5 had reports of stable operation on the PS3



You can run virtual machines but since there is only 25MB XDR memory, things will be at snails pace.



You cannot use the graphics core of the PS3 when you are running an altrenate OS. Which means there is no additional graphics capability, no games, no 3D editing. You will not be able to run all the usual games that run on a linux PC as the graphics core is still locked by Sony. You can only play arcade type games. There is a very good reason why sony has limited the graphics core but not that good a reason for general public.

afaik
sony does allow and does want to make or function ps3 like a home computer


The PS3's hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computing.[113] Terra Soft Solutions has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3,[114] and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed,[115] in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters.[116] In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3.[117] Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NCSU, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 512 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64, MPICH2, OpenMP v2.5, GNU Compiler Collection and CellSDK 1.1.[118][119][120] (for more information on PS3 clusters, see Playstation 3 cluster)

On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@Home project for the PlayStation 3.[121] This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the physical process of protein folding.


i may wrong but these are taken from wiki.. and soem wheere i read that ps3 is made to make ps3 a full fledged home entertainment system,..
mow now itself it has browser, and ability to install linux,
ya may be the ram is limiting factor, ook then wht about xp ??? home version or something that sort.????
Cyrus_the_virus
Feb 21, 2008 at 2:39 PM
afaik
sony does allow and does want to make or function ps3 like a home computer

“Though sold as a game console, what will in fact enter the home is a Cell-based computer.”
--- Ken Kutaragi (Father of Playstation)
The PS3 is intended to be used as a computer but sony doesn't want it to be misused because of it's computing capabilities.


ya may be the ram is limiting factor, ook then wht about xp ??? home version or something that sort.????

You can't run XP directly on the PS because XP is simply not built to run on cell processors, Microsoft has not managed to create a working OS for cell processors till today. Windows is not capable of running on the PS3 hardware. You can only get it to run via a virtual machine. Now when you need to run a virtual machine, it already need to be run on an OS, hence the OS+virtual machine already takes up the 256MB XDR memory space, and hardly any left for the actual working of the virtual machine, hence slow.

i may wrong but these are taken from wiki.. and soem wheere i read that ps3 is made to make ps3 a full fledged home entertainment system,..
mow now itself it has browser, and ability to install linux,

The PS3 as mentioned earlier can be used for complete home entertainment and the only thing you can't do on the PS3 is trying to play 3D accelerated games on the alternate OS like Linux, that is the only thing you can't do. Everything else is possible.

Since servers don't require to tap into a graphical core, the PS3 is excellent for sheer number crunching and is an excellent solution for servers. For eg, check out this:

Warhawk server racks, 45PS3s, £18,000 worth!

*forums.erodov.com/imagehosting/18846bcc90743298.jpg

*blog.us.playstation.com/2007/...rhawk-servers/


The Cell processor is so powerful that it can render amazing visuals itself without the need for a graphics card/core. That is because the cell has the ability to stream, which means, if you connect 2 PS3's via a LAN cable, both work hand in hand like a single CPU and crunch the sh1t out of numbers.

Watch this movie:
*www.gametomorrow.com/minor/ba...aders_560p.mov
infra_red_dude
Feb 21, 2008 at 2:40 PM
^^^ Nothing! None of the windows versions support architectures other than x86, x64 and other server archs. Except Linux (and possibly some hacked BSDs) no other OS will run on PS3.
naveen_reloaded
Feb 22, 2008 at 9:36 AM
cyrus i dont get u ??
ok i have read about this cell procy in digit mag some months/years ago...

can anyone tell me how it works in layman terms,,, how does it differ from normal proccy..???