Linux Petitioners Want Access to RSX

[mcy_999]

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39112

Linux petitioners want Sony to open up access to PS3 Nvidia GPU, otherwise the Linux's future on PS3 will be limited.

[Nismobeach]

Good luck with that.

Sony is far too paranoid to allow RSX access. Furthermore it's BS to say that Linux development on the Cell has reached its limit.

The only thing that Sony needs to open up is Linux's access to RSX memory, IMO.

BTW, with the exception of running 3D graphics RSX doesn't limit anything else that the petition claims.

[takezo]

It's not going to happen.

The whole premise of Linux is Open Source, homebrew. Unless you have an Enterprise distro of Linux where a company such as Red Hat backs it up completely.

The code to RSX may not be Open Source, It could be property of Sony or Nvidia. Your not going to release code that you spended millions of dollars in time and effort to create for free?

To me PS3 linux will be forgotten. Why? Because the vast majority of Gamers don't know Linux. Heck, I have seen some people who could not hook up a gaming console without the manual. Most People who buy PS3, buy it because of games. They need it for nothing else. Then there is a smaller , yet growing crowed who are buying PS3's for Blu-ray.

All that Sony needs to do is to forget about Linux already, the vast majority of it's users don't even know that you can use a PC with another OS other than Windows. Just relax the AVC codec, and throw in Dvix and Xvid support.
Oh yes improve web browser, the Wii's opera browser is superior to PS3's browser. Then release software that will alow you to stream from your PC, if Microsoft will let them.

[WickyWoo]

I think people are failing to understand why Linux runs on PS3

Sony doesn't care about supporting it, it's there purely to avoid some rather large European taxes so they can call the thing a computer.

And they certainly don't want to open up hacking from the linux side. It ain't happening. By crippling the linux side for example, they keep you from running game copies and such.

[desmond]

Originally Posted by Nismobeach

Good luck with that.

Sony is far too paranoid to allow RSX access. Furthermore it's BS to say that Linux development on the Cell has reached its limit.

The only thing that Sony needs to open up is Linux's access to RSX memory, IMO.

BTW, with the exception of running 3D graphics RSX doesn't limit anything else that the petition claims.

actually it does. if you are into computing this might interest you

www.gpgpu.org

[takezo]

I don't think there are many people who actualy use linux in this forum. But let me tell you of my experience.

Linux distros such as Fedora, Gentoo, Debian, SUSE, etc.. will NOT support 3D graphics excelleration out of the box. Linux Distros are designed to install a generic driver via Plug and Play, much like how windows installs a VGA driver on a new card that is not supported by Window's large library of preloaded vendor drivers.

However linux generic drivers are more advanced than VGA driver in windows, because it alows the max resolution to be displayed, and can be used for 2D graphics.

In order for full 3D support in Linux, you need a vendor provided or 3rdparty opensource driver for the GPU chipset you use.

As of right now, ther is no driver for Linux for RSX.

There are other issues that most so called PC gurus forget.

PS3 does not run on x86 hardware, development for Linux would be far easier if it were. Cell is a brand new architecture, most opensource programers are not familliar with. However Cell is backwards compatible with PPC architecture. Not only is PS3 linux is limited because of PPC code which was not optimized for cell, it lacks the physical memory to even utilize the PS3 as a full fleged PC. 256MB of system ram is more than enough for console gaming where there is no Overhead from an OS, background apps, and processes. But in a comptuer environment, 256MB just does not cut it.

Sony wanted a full fleged linux that makes use of Cell. But i Believe it's just a too costly project to take on for a very small niche based market.
Linux on PS3 is there for all those DIY people to pat them selfs on the back.
However it will totaly be a underground pratice that will receive far less attention than Xbox 1 modding.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by takezo

Sony wanted a full fleged linux that makes use of Cell. But i Believe it's just a too costly project to take on for a very small niche based market.
Linux on PS3 is there for all those DIY people to pat them selfs on the back.
However it will totaly be a underground pratice that will receive far less attention than Xbox 1 modding.

There are already Cell optimised distros out, Yellow Dog is obviously the officially sanctioned one, but there are others out there. In fact I have heard rumblings that Mark Shuttleworth wants to make Ubuntu properly Cell compliant rather than just generic PPC code because he loves the PS3 that much.

Once the geeks get to grips with the Cell and they find a way to retro-fit more XDR, as the 256MB is rather paltry, the PS3 will be a properly good number-cruncher (useful for media applications like Gimp or Blender) even encoding (once optimised) in x264 will see a significant boost on the Cell due to the repetitive nature of the task.