I have a question about certain details concerning my experiences in installing Linux on PS3. So to install what I did (as I recall) was this:
0. downloaded ydl6.2 and made an iso DVD
1. backed up my game data (had a bunch) on usb attached drive
2. put in a new 2.5 disk (not taking chance with my game data).
3. had to re-install firmware 2.8 before I could do anything
4. let the system format the disk
5. restored the previous system (it reformatted the disk)
6. created the new partition for linux (again reformatted the disk, that deleted my game data)
7. restored the game data again (it wanted to reformat the disk yet again - very worrisome!)
8. picked install other os from xmb, with the iso DVD in the drive
9. picked change default os to other
10. install system boots and installer found ps3sa of 10GB size despite the reformat in (7)
11. I found the install to be much like Fedora and others and no sweat (but I'm not a noob either) .
I have booted up Linux got wireless working in no time - YeeHa. I booted back and forth between Linux and Game OS a few times. It seems like a very reasonable Linux but there were a few things I have some questions on.
In step (5) when creating the 10GB partition, it is (just barely) reasonable the disk be reformatted. But when I installed the game data later, I am supposing that despite the vague warning about reformatting the disk, it only reformatted the presumably smaller game partition or at least remembered the information about the other os partition. I asked the question in an email to Sony but (not surprisingly) they could not give a reasonable answer.
It would be nice to know exactly what went on in steps 5, 6 and 7. In the normal Linux world, you can easily find out what partitions are on a disk and you can be sure that when you make a filesystem (which is what I suspect PS3 "format" really means) you are dealing with a particular partition. In this case there is not that comforting knowledge, only vague messages. It seems to have worked but it took some faith on my part that the restoration of the game data did not clobber the Linux partition. I suppose that the partition will stay around so long as you do not go back to XMB format and reserve all the system for the PS3 OS (you would have to backup first and restore after words). The documentation leaves a lot to be desired but it does work.
I was by the way able to start my disk based games and some of my downloaded game (Like nucleus and MGS4 DataBase) but I was not able to start Fat Princess or Flower. It asked that I go to account management to activate the system which I did do but it would still not let me start the game. I eventually got around that by deactivate the the system first and then activate it again. DRM? UFDA!