Taking full advantage from a playstation 3 under Linux
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Seems that the cell can run any PPC binary.
As explained: the vast majority of Linux apps will not take advantage of the SPEs.
- So which app can we recompile just now (with >=gcc 4.0) in order to go in full throttle mode? MPlayer/MEncoder, VLC, the kernel...?
- Is it a good idea to recompile gcc first (if it's possible of course)?
- Fedora or Yellow dog? Or? Slackintosh?
- Is distcc possible as server on the PS3?
- PS3 as server: What can be best handled? Quake 3 ?
Last edited by Linux.tar.gz; 08-02-2008 at 05:09 PM.
A friend of mine just get it.
We installed Yellow dog, as it's officially supported by sony.
First thoughs: too much packages, and not enough icons. Noobs who wants to try Linux on their PS3 will be disappointed.
No divx support, pathetic.
No ifconfig, PATHETIC. (Shame on all distros which don't include ifconfig)
No wireless, support on the way.
Sendmail enabled by default!!!
The rest is good. Very easy install, removable stuff well handled, sound works.
I compiled mplayer using -j4 switch, and it compiled at a "normal" speed. Not the thunder i expected. Seems SPU were not used.
I put the ppc codecs into /usr/lib/codecs and the divx worked. I forgot to try sdl video output, but gl and xv didn't work. So the video wasn't in fullscreen.
I'll try to install xmame or sdlmame next.
Questions:
- Do you think it's simple to install Slackintosh on it?
- Can Gentoo be a lot more fast than Yellow dog?
Every PPC supporting distro should be able to be installed on it. That's what i've heard. More information is that from kernel 2.6.20 PS3 things will be included in it. In that release the CELL architecture should be supported even better, meaning that all of the CORES will be working and performance should radicly be increased.. I have a source on this, which is :
A benchmark has been done with a PS3, and with the current kernel, ur ps3 runs only @ the speed of a P3 800mhz.
I don't know if it's possible to run a x86 distro on it, since the cell arch is based on PPC by IBM. Perhaps you should try with virtualization ? (Xen? / VMware?)
I thought it might be fun to give another update..
There's now also a Debian Live CD for PS3. And with this CD you can also install Debian on your PS3.
however it is dutch.. But perhaps with something u can translate it .
[...]
I'll do a ugly translations:
Quote:
On december the 4th, Sony added a few patches to the 2.6.20 version of the Linux kernel wich enabled Linux support for the PlayStation 3. This made the development for PS3-Linux-distributions a lot easyer.
The first Cell-processor support for the PlayStation 3 was allready added to the 2.6.13 version of the Linux kernel around the year 2005. This code however was very basic and only added support for one of all eight available cores. The by Sony donated code also added support for the memory architecture, the dma model and the smp model of the PS3. Basicly, this should also mean that all eight Cell-processor cores should be recognised. Because of that it's asumable that the true performance would be a lot better compared to the Pentium 3 800mHz, as mentioned earlyer this week, if all Cell cores are used.
Ever sinds oktober Yellow Dog Linux is, in co-operation with Sony, offering support for the PlayStation 3 in her distributions. It should, however, not take long before other distro-builders follow this example. They no longer have to add patches to the kernel code themselves to make their distributions work with Sony's latest game console. It is expected that version 2.6.20 of the Linux kernel will be released early next year. Those who rather want to bake the modified kernel themselves can download the patches from the git-repository of the Linux kernel
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