| Widescreen Gaming Forum http://www.wsgf.org/phpBB3/ |
|
| PS3s dumping Linux support http://www.wsgf.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=19537 |
Page 1 of 3 |
| Author: | Tanuki [ 31 Mar 2010, 00:47 ] |
| Post subject: | PS3s dumping Linux support |
Is this news? I don't really know. I never knew they had this to begin with. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20100329/bs_nf/72456 A new software update to be released this week will eliminate the OS-choice feature. Sony said it had its consumers in mind when it made the decision to disable the feature. |
|
| Author: | StingingVelvet [ 31 Mar 2010, 00:54 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
Popular opinion I have read is that Linux was supported to try and prevent hackers from enabling piracy just to have a different OS, as hackers like to do, and now Sony knows the PS3 is either hacked or almost hacked so they are getting rid of Linux. I know nothing about this crap, just repeating what I read. |
|
| Author: | The_cranky_hermit [ 31 Mar 2010, 01:32 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
I'm quite positive I remember reading about two months ago that the latest firmware update removes "Install other OS" functionality. |
|
| Author: | Abram [ 31 Mar 2010, 04:01 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
Restricting users' options is always a poo-poo, if you ask me. PS - posting rfrom Puerto Vallerta. Woo! |
|
| Author: | LeeNux [ 31 Mar 2010, 10:29 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
yeah, removing a feature that the console has been advertised for ... wanna see what legal shitstorm this idea of sony is going to raise, as theres either total disbelieve from the linux userbase or total disinterest from people who don't. either way, some people are not happy at all. |
|
| Author: | StingingVelvet [ 31 Mar 2010, 11:36 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
It is kind of an interesting development that something advertised as being in the hardware is then taken out by firmware later. I am sure this has happened before though, and if a lawsuit won over it we would know. Still, it tests the bounds of an EULA I am sure. |
|
| Author: | dopefish [ 31 Mar 2010, 13:01 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
All 0.03% of the PS3 population are saddened by this. Regarding advertised features and the EULA, I'm sure it's stated in there that features may be added and removed. As for what SV said, that isn't true. Sony has supported Linux, and homebrew, ever since the original PSX regardless of piracy. Their support wasn't to preempt piracy, otherwise they would have just let people install Linux to begin with. Instead, they not only supported Linux, but they also provided full developer documentation for the hardware and APIs. PSX had the Net Yaroze, PS2 had the Linux kit, and the PS3 basically had Linux support built-in. You could develop software specifically for the PlayStation hardware with each of these. The PS2 and PS3 (I'm not sure about the PSX) run through a hypervisor which restricted access to certain hardware components. For the PS2, access to the DVD drive was blocked, but you could freely access everything else, including the graphics hardware. For the PS3, you can access pretty much everything except the graphics hardware (this is due to a restriction placed by nVidia). So as far as security with Linux goes, there's really nothing you can do to exploit the PS3. If there are security flaws in Linux libraries and such, you'll be able to exploit Linux to the fullest, but the hypervisor will still block access to the hardware itself. However, these are separate from hardware bugs. If you've ever read processor errata for any processor, you'll see that there are plenty of bugs and flaws within the processor itself. Sometimes they can be pretty severe. From what I understand about the PS3 exploit discovered not long ago, they are taking advantage of a processor bug with the PowerPC architecture. The person that discovered it said that it should work on other systems that use the same kind of processor, like the Xbox 360 or the G5 Mac. They can exploit this regardless of whether Linux is present or not. I think there's probably two main reasons why Sony would want to remove Linux support. 1) While Linux cannot be used to exploit the PS3, if they do use the processor bug above, it may open up the full hardware for use in Linux, including the graphics processor which is under lock and key. If the system is exploited, you still won't be able to launch and run PS3 games from Linux. I believe they're just trying to protect access to hardware. 2) They need the room in the firmware. Firmware is a limited space. With the PS3 Slim out, they no longer have any use for Linux support in any future firmware update. By removing Linux support they'll free up a lot of room in the firmware for future updates. Linux won't be the first feature removed from the PS3. PS2 backwards compatibility was promised and touted as a major feature of the PS3. That got removed some time ago. There has been no legal fallout or anything because of it. PS2 BC support is a million times larger than Linux support. People may complain now, but in the end no one will care. |
|
| Author: | StingingVelvet [ 31 Mar 2010, 13:04 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
As for what SV said, that isn't true. Sony has supported Linux, and homebrew, ever since the original PSX regardless of piracy. Their support wasn't to preempt piracy, otherwise they would have just let people install Linux to begin with. Instead, they not only supported Linux, but they also provided full developer documentation for the hardware and APIs. Not really what I said, but what forums are saying... I am the first to admit I know nothing about this stuff. |
|
| Author: | dopefish [ 31 Mar 2010, 13:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
[quote]As for what SV said, that isn't true. Sony has supported Linux, and homebrew, ever since the original PSX regardless of piracy. Their support wasn't to preempt piracy, otherwise they would have just let people install Linux to begin with. Instead, they not only supported Linux, but they also provided full developer documentation for the hardware and APIs. Not really what I said, but what forums are saying... I am the first to admit I know nothing about this stuff. Oh, I didn't mean it as you literally saying that. I was just referring to what you saw others saying. |
|
| Author: | StingingVelvet [ 31 Mar 2010, 14:28 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: PS3s dumping Linux support |
My knowledge of Linux goes like this: "Does it play games?" "Not really." "Not interested." |
|
| Page 1 of 3 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|