[SOLVED}Can Linux be loaded to PS3?

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Ozo

[SOLVED}Can Linux be loaded to PS3?

Post by Ozo »

It is simple to install a 2.5" hard drive in a PS3 according to the link below from Popular Mechanics. I had a 120GB ssd so upgraded the hard drive first. It also says Linux can be loaded to the PS3 console.

There is a utility in Software Management called kboot which will be installed in the installation process to aid the boot obviously.

I am only getting ready to do this with the instructions in this link. First step is backup which is part of the console. I am going to install Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.3 "Serena" on the Playstation 3. Ironically, this is not possible with Windows etc.. :mrgreen: This is authorized by the manufacturer so totally legit in case you were wondering (view link)

These are the instructions from Popular Mechanics, keep in mind they are not experts so try not laugh: :)

"The first step in loading the new operating system is to create a drive partition. Select "System Settings," then "Format Utility" from the menu of the PS3. Choose "Custom" and allot 10 GB to the "Other OS." Choose "Quick Format," then restart.

Once the partition is made, the OS can be loaded from the Ubuntu disc using the "Install Other OS" function under "Settings" in the PS3 menu. This installs kboot, which allows the PS3 to install Ubuntu.

Switching between the Play­Station operating system and Ubuntu is not as straightforward as dual booting a standard PC. In fact, after installing the kboot file, you need to delve back into the PS3's System Menu to designate "Other OS" under "Default System" before the PS3 even installs the full Ubuntu OS. When you restart the PS3, plug a mouse and keyboard into the USB ports."," The console will boot using your Ubuntu disc and install the new system. (Expect it to take about an hour.)

With Ubuntu installed, you can use your PS3 to run programs such as OpenOffice for spreadsheets and word processing, Firefox for Web surfing and VLC for movie playback. In short, your console will be able to do anything a normal PC can do.

There is, however, a trick to getting back to the native PlayStation OS. To make the switch, reboot the console, and at the boot prompt, type "boot-os-game," then press Enter. This brings the PS3 back to game land".

https://www.popularmechanics.com/techno ... 3/4263321/
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 4 times in total.
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silfox2000
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Re: How to Turn Your PlayStation 3 Into a Linux PC

Post by silfox2000 »

This was possible with the first PS3 Fat only, and with the first firmware when they came out in 2009 (if I remember correct). It is no longer possible with the newer firmwares.
Ozo

Re: How to Turn Your PlayStation 3 Into a Linux PC

Post by Ozo »

Thanks for the heads up. I will edit my title and will not attempt loading Linux. Darn, I hate it when a plan fails to come together.
Nate

Re: [SOLVED}Can Linux be loaded to PS3?

Post by Nate »

If interested in having it on your PS3, you might want to check out homebrew sites. There was a method to install it after Sony gave official OtherOS support the can, which I used myself a good half a decade ago, but you needed a custom firmware and it only worked on some of the models. Chances are there's a new exploit by now anyway though, so that may not even still be a limitation. Also, you need a distro for PowerPC architecture, at the time I was using Yellow Dog Linux on mine I believe.
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