Installing Linux over PS3 Op/Sys

[Spyhunter]

I am new to Linux and want to install it on my PS3 so I can then run MAME and other emulators.

I have a few 'newbie' questions before doing this if anyone could possibly help...

1) When formatting rhw PS3 ready for Linux Op/Sys, will this delete my installed GAMES on my PS3? If so, is there any way to back up these games and place back on.
2) Can I still use the normal PS3 Menus after installing - so I can use my PS3 as normal for playing PS3 games, watching vids, listening to music (from USB HDD) - The PS3 is currently my Media Centre just need Emulators now for a complete unit. (aka Linux)
3) Will this invalid the warranty and if I want to change my mind at a later date, can I remove Linux and run the PS3 as normal?
4) Does the PS3 still require (more importantly; can it still obtain) the latest PS3 firmware updates?
5) Can I still use the wireless PS3 controllers in Linux on emulators (eg: Mame, WinUAE)
6.) As question 5 above, can I also use my PS3 controller as mouse (and is there an onscreen keyboard)

Many thanks

[ppietro]

I have a few 'newbie' questions before doing this if anyone could possibly help...

Sure - here goes!

1) When formatting rhw PS3 ready for Linux Op/Sys, will this delete my installed GAMES on my PS3?

Yes

If so, is there any way to back up these games and place back on.

Yes. You can do this from the PS3's GameOS, using an external USB hard disk, formatted FAT32. You would backup, reformat/repartition, then restore.

2) Can I still use the normal PS3 Menus after installing - so I can use my PS3 as normal for playing PS3 games, watching vids, listening to music (from USB HDD)

Yes - you run either PS3 GameOS or OtherOS (i.e. Linux). Not both at the same time - you switch between them.

3) Will this invalid the warranty

No. Sony has included support for OtherOS as part of the feature set of the PS3. This is how we run Linux. YDL is one of the Linuxes that Sony uses internally - it works quite well for the PS3.

In fact - you can upgrade your hard disk without invalidating the warranty. Any 2.5" 5400 SATA notebook drive should be safe to use. I'm currently using a 250 gig drive in my PS3 - and it works great.

and if I want to change my mind at a later date, can I remove Linux and run the PS3 as normal?

Yes

4) Does the PS3 still require (more importantly; can it still obtain) the latest PS3 firmware updates?

Yes

5) Can I still use the wireless PS3 controllers in Linux on emulators (eg: Mame, WinUAE)
6.) As question 5 above, can I also use my PS3 controller as mouse (and is there an onscreen keyboard)

The answer is yes, with varying degrees of success. There are many users of our forum working on this - use our search feature to find out more.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

thanks that helped a lot.

so the backup actually backs up the games not just the game saves?

[ppietro]

thanks that helped a lot.

so the backup actually backs up the games not just the game saves?

The backup saves the entire content of your PS3 hard disc. Movies, games, game saves - all of it.

Make sure you have a big enough drive to backup everything though.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

wow thanks - is there a file structure i would need to use on my 500gb usb hdd - and would it delete whats already on my external drive when backing up?

[ppietro]

wow thanks - is there a file structure i would need to use on my 500gb usb hdd - and would it delete whats already on my external drive when backing up?

Yes - I mentioned that already. It has to be FAT32. NTFS won't work.

It won't delete what's already on your drive. The PS3 backup basically creates a series of encrypted files in date stamped folders on your hard disc.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

thanks. i will begin to back it up tonight before downlaoding the YDL versiob 6.1 on their site (3.7Gb)

Thanks for your comments - if you need to add any more advice, I would welcome it...

[Spyhunter]

right i backed up last night to a nice size of 30Gb backup files.

If I format the drive, can i choose what size the PS3 is to be or is this a default of 10Gb if using another operating system?

If this is the case, I would like to restore everything back under a 30Gb or 40Gb Hard Drive or even change the drive to something larger (is this an easy process of swapping the 2.5" drive and restoring? - I did try this on my old xbox but the drive was locked to the console, etc etc)

[ppietro]

If I format the drive, can i choose what size the PS3 is to be or is this a default of 10Gb if using another operating system?

Not really - no. You have 3 options.

10 gig to OtherOS (i.e. 10 gig to Linux - all the rest to PS3)
10 gig to GameOS (i.e. 10 gig to PS3 - all the rest to Linux)
All to GameOS (i.e. all to PS3)

That's it - those are your options. Not too cool, I know.

If you only have a 40 gig drive, and you've backed up 30+ gig - you probably can't partition 10 gig to Linux and restore reliably. You'll have to get a bigger drive, which leads to your next question.

If this is the case, I would like to restore everything back under a 30Gb or 40Gb Hard Drive or even change the drive to something larger (is this an easy process of swapping the 2.5" drive and restoring? - I did try this on my old xbox but the drive was locked to the console, etc etc)

Exactly - you put in a bigger drive. The trick is that your backup is keyed to your console. You can't restore to another PS3 - only to yours. When you format the hard disc, it will also encrypt it with your PS3's built-in key. Then, you can restore to it.

You can put in any 2.5" SATA drive you like. We recommend 5400 RPM drives because they run cooler and take less power, and we're not sure how well modern PS3s handle overloads.

So - you would put in your new 2.5" SATA 5400 RPM drive, partition/format it - 10 gigs to OtherOS - and then restore from your backup. Then, start the Linux install.

This won't void the warranty - Sony markets this as a feature.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

thanks that helps.

damn - that means if i want to run MAME under Linux using my roms (some 25Gigs worth), then I will lost my PS3 downloaded full games.

also, apart from me googling it - how easy is it to change the hdd in the ps3? quick swap or opening up machine?

[ppietro]

thanks that helps.

damn - that means if i want to run MAME under Linux using my roms (some 25Gigs worth), then I will lost my PS3 downloaded full games.

also, apart from me googling it - how easy is it to change the hdd in the ps3? quick swap or opening up machine?

You can always use an external USB drive - or a network share - for PS3 Linux.

It's easy to change the HDD in the PS3. There's a "pop-off" panel, then a couple of screws, and it slides out.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

ah sweet. so my usb hdd can be used for linux files (eg: MAME)

That's great - 10Gb to Linux and rest to PS3

Although I may upgrade the HDD at the same time as it appears to be very easy to do

[Spyhunter]

right just installed it on tonight and it impressed me how easy to install and use it was.
i'm a linux newbie but have yet a few more questions...

1) Is this the best PS3 Linux there is? It did appear to be one step behind me when clicking objects or is that just Linux?
2) How can I boot back into the operating system (Linux)? Do I need to change the default op/sys under the PS3 menu every time?
3) Is there a better performance Linux for PS3 out there which will run MAME, etc? or is YDL up to this job?
4) Where can I download Linux MAME - I cant find it anywhere?
5) Is there anyway to backup the Linux partition? Not only for my personal backup in case of emergency but if I wanted to upgrade the HDD in the PS3, I could reinstall the partition back again.
6) Can Windows be installed on PS3 - I think I now the answer but had to ask?

Many thanks (yet again)

[ppietro]

right just installed it on tonight and it impressed me how easy to install and use it was.
i'm a linux newbie but have yet a few more questions...

1) Is this the best PS3 Linux there is? It did appear to be one step behind me when clicking objects or is that just Linux?

That's a loaded question here on this forum. Of course it is.

You might try the alternate built-in desktop Gnome, and see if that works better for you. Choose it from the "Sessions" pick at the YDL login screen.

2) How can I boot back into the operating system (Linux)? Do I need to change the default op/sys under the PS3 menu every time?

To boot into Linux from the PS3 GameOS? Yes - you change the default op/sys under the PS3 menu every time.

3) Is there a better performance Linux for PS3 out there which will run MAME, etc? or is YDL up to this job?

It's not the Linux that's the limiting factor here.

There's two things.

Number one - whenever you run any Linux on the PS3, you're actually running under a hypervisor, much like a virtual machine. This is done to convert the non-standard PS3 architecture into something resembling a modern PC which allows you to run something like Linux. Unfortunately, it also abstracts the nVidia RSX graphics chip, making it look like a simple, non-accelerated framebuffer display. You cannot access the 2D & 3D acceleration of the RSX - the hypervisor layer prevents you. So - any emulator must run in a software rendering only mode, where the CPU handles all of the drawing.

Number two - most of the programs we run are ported directly from Intel (x86) Linux. This means that the programs only use the PowerPC PPE core of the Cell. The PPE is a 64-bit, moderately fast, in-order execution, single core, dual-threaded processor. The Cell has an additional 6 SPE processors, but since they're not binary compatible with the PPE, and require custom programing architecture to use them, they go unused by most programs. This limits the speed of the emulation as well.

4) Where can I download Linux MAME - I cant find it anywhere?

You need to add the extra repos listed here:
Howto: Install software (the easy way) YDL 6

In addition, you should search our forums for MAME. Many folks here run it, and they've posted a lot of help for it.

This post is quite useful too:
Please READ ME FIRST (known issues, useful links, and help)

5) Is there anyway to backup the Linux partition? Not only for my personal backup in case of emergency but if I wanted to upgrade the HDD in the PS3, I could reinstall the partition back again.

Yes - standard Linux backups work fine. They're a little too complex to go into here - Google is your friend - but I describe a simple archive utility here:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3563&p=15255#p15255

You would use this to backup directories - not whole drives. You normally use a program called dd to do full disc imaging backups.

6) Can Windows be installed on PS3 - I think I now the answer but had to ask?

The answer is yes....but you're probably not going to like it.

Since Windows runs on Intel (x86) processors, and the PS3 uses a PowerPC core, you can't run Windows directly. You can, however, run an emulator called QEMU that will emulate an x86 computer on your PS3. However - since it's emulating - it runs slowly. x86 benchmarks of QEMU on the PS3 show performance roughly equal to a Pentium 90.

For Windows, this limits you to Win95 or Win98 for best performance. You should be able to search for qemu & windows on our forums and read more about this.

Cheers,
Paul

[Spyhunter]

thank yiou, your replies have helped a lot.

although i have just found YDL version 6.0 on ebay? Is this any good to buy when compared to YDL 5.1 Free Download?

Also as I'm now seriously considering upgrading the HDD, I understand that I need to go for a 2.5" SATA 5400rpm drive - but any particular make I should purchase or even avoid?