Linux On PLAYSTATION 3

I have finally done it. I mean I have installed Linux on my Sony PLAYSTATION3. This was my third attempt (third time lucky :), as they say). And now I am writing this post on the game console within the Firefox browser, using a wireless USB keyboard and the buil-in WiFi connection.

The first attempt was to install Ubuntu following the http://psubuntu.com/ page. This basically goes down to downloading and burning a PowerPC - based Ubuntu setup ISO CD. Sony has an option in the System Menu to set up a third party operating system on the console and following the prompts I had Ubuntu running on the PS3 in less than an hour. Unfortunately the WiFi connection was not working... I browsed a few forums and soon found out the only option to connect over WiFi was to go for the Yellow Dog Linux from terrasoftsolutions.com. I ordered an install CD for $50 + P&P and run the setup next weekend after it had arrived. The WiFi did not work again, but then I had no time to spare digging for the solution. Almost two months later (as my business activities no longer have to run on nitros), I came back to solve the problem. I soon found out I was not able to login to the system (must have messed with the passwords somehow...) so I went for another (third) reinstall. I takes a little les than an hour to have everything up and running. The setup application works flawlessly (no wonder, its target hardware configuration is very predictable...) and after a reboot I was able to log in to the YDL-powered PS3. During the install process I browsed the YDL help area and the WiFi solution is pretty straightforward - requires to remove the networking adapter and install the wireless one. It is not for the classic Vista clickers, as you have to know your WiFi channel number and your WEP key spelled in HEX (no support for WPA yet... - fortunately for such events I have a second WEP-based WiFi network running at home). But after additional 5 minutes the PS3 connected to the Internet and I was happy to surf the Web using Firefox.

Firefox seems becomes more and more THE universal (web) work environment. It really does not matter what hardware / OS combination you have. As long as there is Firefox version matching your environment, most of the applications will run. GMail started without a glitch. Google Reader was next to pass the test (although I could not make the Gears-based offline version run - Gears Firefox extension was reported as installed, but the option to go offline was still not there - anyway I left it for the time being, as it is rather unlikely I would be using the PS3 offline). Third test was Google Documents, I played with a spreadsheet and everything worked as expected. This just proves next time you think of writing a desktop application, to broaden your reach, you should target Firefox instead of any processor/OS specific combination. The Google Spreadsheet looked and worked identical on the PS3 as it does on my x86 Windows laptop.

There are still some drawbacks. Bluetooth intreface is non existant within the YDL environment (I shopped for a PS3 Bluetooth keyboard just to realize I need to have a standard USB one to run Linux...). Simple services as YouTube need complex installation of various plugins. System startup time is long... But I think Sony should strongly embrace the Linux strategy for PS3, making it easy for ordinary people to deal with, not just hobbyists and passionate geeks willing to dig the Internet for support information. There are many people who prefer to stay away from computers, but would buy a game console or a set-top box to be able to use simple Google applications like email, news, reader or YouTube. The other option for Sony would be to drop its own web browser (as it is not so very much compatible with current Web standards) and invite Firefox to the native XMB console user interface. This simple move itself could easily increase the number of PS3 boxes sold.