Linux on an external hdd

[atoal]

does anyone know if its possible to run linux off an external hdd with the ps3?? or if anyone could direct me to a place that would know how??

thanks in advance

[Frumious Boojum]

I'm going to check on that... The first time I tried installing Yellow Dog on the PS3, it installed to my 1TB drive (yeah, it was my first time installing Linux on anything -- I've since installed it several times on other computers and flash drives), but it didn't seem to want to boot correctly at all -- lots of errors.

Be aware, though -- Linux on the PS3 isn't as great as you'd hope it could be. They've blocked off some important memory functions, so you really can't do much that involves any kind of advanced graphics on it.

Another bad thing about it -- you have to make an important choice: either 10gb for PS3 and the rest for Linux or 10gb for Linux and the rest for PS3. I think I'd rather run from an external drive when it's like that.

[atoal]

thanks for lookin into it. i primarily wanted it to use VLC Media Player. do u know if it will even be able to output at 1080p?

[jermwhl]

I doubt that it will work unless sony made an option in the bios to boot from an external device.

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by Frumious Boojum

I'm going to check on that... The first time I tried installing Yellow Dog on the PS3, it installed to my 1TB drive (yeah, it was my first time installing Linux on anything -- I've since installed it several times on other computers and flash drives), but it didn't seem to want to boot correctly at all -- lots of errors.

Be aware, though -- Linux on the PS3 isn't as great as you'd hope it could be. They've blocked off some important memory functions, so you really can't do much that involves any kind of advanced graphics on it.

Another bad thing about it -- you have to make an important choice: either 10gb for PS3 and the rest for Linux or 10gb for Linux and the rest for PS3. I think I'd rather run from an external drive when it's like that.

i would also be interested in hearing if this is possible. have you ever installed linux on a mac?

[desmond]

Originally Posted by monkeytap

i would also be interested in hearing if this is possible. have you ever installed linux on a mac?

try using vmware. much easier.

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by desmond

try using vmware. much easier.

at the moment I dont have an intel mac. im using a G4 dual processor which is causing me a lot of pain now that im trying to deceide on getting a fastmac blu-ray drive.

installing linux on a power PC mac is possible I know (yellog dog for example has powerPC support) but I am unsure how complicated it will be. if anyone has any experience with the matter, please lend me some time

[Frumious Boojum]

I guess I found the answer....

http://psubuntu.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1271

Looks like the PS3 can't yet boot Linux from the USB at all, so I guess that's why I was having problems, even though it did install to the hard drive.

As for linux installs, I haven't done any macs yet. The PS3 was my first, followed by several flash drive installs, then a compaq laptop dual-boot install (partitioned drive), a Sony Vaio desktop dual-boot install on a second hard drive, and an older dell (a computer at work, actually -- it was either the computer get trashed or get a second computer so that I don't need to run Windows for everything). And I've done a couple installs on a couple of those computers, too. My next will probably be a Vaio laptop so that I can try to play with BD in Linux.

I don't have Linux on my PS3 at the moment... when the new one came in, I just didn't bother to do it. Linux can run a bit slow on PS3 at times.

However, I see this thread that might help speed things up a bit: http://psubuntu.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1408

[atoal]

thanks for all ur help!