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[Dead Man]

You'd have a point if that was linked anywhere on PlayStation.com.

There are only two ways you can find that page and that's via an external search engine or by opening the online manual and searching (you can no longer browse to that section) for "Other OS". You can't even find it via the main PlayStation.com search.

Unless you already knew it existed, there's no way you'd accidentally stumble upon it.

I think you'll find out otherwise. Search for Linux prompts other recommended searches of 'yellow dog' which gives these results: http://us.playstation.com/search/index.htm?id=yellow dog&site=support

First result is this page: http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=469

which says for more information, go here: http://www.playstation.com/ps3-openplatform/index.html

 

[Oozinator]

Would it be okay for guys if Sony removes PS2 BC from phat models because a hack was found that exploits this feature ??

 

[Burai]

I think you'll find out otherwise. Search for Linux prompts other recommended searches of 'yellow dog' which gives these results: http://us.playstation.com/search/index.htm?id=yellow dog&site=support

First result is this page: http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=469

which says for more information, go here: http://www.playstation.com/ps3-openplatform/index.html

Isn't that pretty much proving my point though? You have to specifically know what you're looking for in order to find it and jump through hoops in order to get there.

That's not exactly advertising is it?

 

[snoopeasystreet]

Would it of been possible for Sony to stop people who try to load Linux onto their PS3 after the update but still allow people who had it installed prior to the update?

That seems much fairer to me anyway.

 

[Kafel]

Classy.

 

[krioto]

To anyone defending this decision - fuck off.

I've got linux on my ps3 and use it a lot - and now I've got the choice of the optional update to no longer have it, or the choice to not play online - great options.

Fuck you too sony - a bigger pack of useless cunts I have never met.

 

[Trailblaster]

Would it be okay for guys if Sony removes PS2 BC from phat models because a hack was found that exploits this feature ??

Yeah ,because PS2 BC in older models and Linix are the same thing. :lol

 

[mclem]

DS, Wii, 360, PS1 and PS2 are/were all also widely pirated and still sell/sold assloads of software.

While I agree that I don't believe that piracy is the sole reason for the state of the PSP, I think it's probably worth pointing out that, unlike those others (but like the DC), the PSP can run unsigned code *without* requiring any significant extra purchases; the Wii is the closest since it requires Twilight Princess (most commonly, at least) to get to that state - or can you do it without that now?

 

[Dead Man]

Isn't that pretty much proving my point though? You have to specifically know what you're looking for in order to find it and jump through hoops in order to get there.

That's not exactly advertising is it?

What, search for Linux, then clicking three links is jumping through hoops? How do you navigate around the net?

 

[iapetus]

Again, it's not. You have to specifically search for "Other OS" in the manual to find it. It cannot be browsed to.

You are wrong, and demonstrably so.

Go to the PS3 manual online:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/index.html

Click settings:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/index.html

Click system settings:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/index_system.html

Click install other OS:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/osinstall.html

Three clicks into the manual, and you've got a page on installing other operating systems.

Oh, and what's this?

Install other system software on the hard disk. For information on types of compatible system software and obtaining the installer, visit Open Platform for PlayStation®3.

It's a direct link to the site you said wasn't linked directly from Sony's website!

 

[spwolf]

To anyone defending this decision - fuck off.

I've got linux on my ps3 and use it a lot - and now I've got the choice of the optional update to no longer have it, or the choice to not play online - great options.

Fuck you too sony - a bigger pack of useless cunts I have never met.

what do you use linux on ps3 for?

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Would it of been possible for Sony to stop people who try to load Linux onto their PS3 after the update but still allow people who had it installed prior to the update?

That seems much fairer to me anyway.

once you had to deal with linux on the ps3 you would scream "kill it with fire!"
it has no gfx-card support, 256mb ram and runs like dogshit... every 150$ netbook runs linux 10 times faster then the ps3.
plus the goddamn hustle that is switching between ps3os and linux.

this really is more of a gaf-fanboy thing then anything else...sony did us a favor and decluttered the xmb a little.

 

[Azerach]

It's a direct link to the site you said wasn't linked directly from Sony's website!

Gives me "The page you requested was not found." when clicking the "open platform for ps3" link

Could be because of my location, as the link is http://www.playstation.com/ps3-openplatform/en/index.html
with the added /en

 

[iapetus]

Gives me "The page you requested was not found." when clicking the "open platform for ps3" link

Could be because of my location, as the link is http://www.playstation.com/ps3-openplatform/en/index.html
with the added /en

Yeah, seems to be a localisation issue. All works fine from here.

 

[Safe Bet]

First it was the BC, the SACD and USB ports, now it's the Linux support... what will you take from the PS3 next Sony..?!

Most open, powerful, feature-packed console ever released.

Third Place

...

 

[Visualante]

The upgrade that removes the Other OS feature is optional and if you feel strongly about continuing to be able to run Linux, you can do so at the cost of some of the PlayStation Network features and games that rely on future firmware updates.

As I mentioned before, we're increasing our efforts to provide excellent PS3 coding experience to those pursuing a career in this field via the many universities looking to teach console and video game development, by providing a supported development kit programme using our professional equipment. Ultimately this is the best experience one could get before starting out professionally.

I've cc'd Maria Stukoff who is managing our PS3 programme. if you'd like to put your teaching staff in touch with us it would be good for us to have a contact there so we can ensure your university stay up to date on how they can get involved.

Kind regards,

Sarah.

Sarah Lemarié
Infrastructure Manager & Academic Liaison
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited

.

 

[test_account]

Got OtherOS installed. Screw Sony.

Let's hope geohot gets the PS3 fully hacked. I'm not budging now, cos I'm pretty sure the opensource community can write a better fucking OS than Sony can these days.

Out of curiosity, what is wrong with the PS3 OS? It seems like a pretty solid OS after my experience Or do you mean the problem with playing some regionfree Bluray movie on a US PS3? :\

 

[Ninja Moomin]

You all know the only reason the feature was ever there was to get the PS3 in the same tax bracket as a PC... and not a games console... right?

 

[mclem]

So if you *are* using it as a linux box - and must do - they are in fact taking away the ability to play (new) *games* (and probably LBP, thinking about it)?

Put like that, it's a rather scarier firmware update.

 

[Prezhulio]

Jesus. I maybe use it once a month but it's still bullshit. I'm assuming to get that 10gb partition back I'll have to format the whole drive?

 

[Visualante]

You all know the only reason the feature was ever there was to get the PS3 in the same tax bracket as a PC... and not a games console... right?

I think that was in the PS2 era, I think the EU scrapped it sometime during that era and Sony simply continued it on to support hobbyists, education and research.

 

[Dragon]

Out of curiosity, what is wrong with the PS3 OS? It seems like a pretty solid OS after my experience Or do you mean the problem with playing some regionfree Bluray movie on a US PS3? :\

Dragona is mad about her Blu-rays. There are some significant head-scratchers regarding the OS with the PS3 (downloading/installing is one), however I find it pretty easy to use which is the biggest thing for me.

 

[gregor7777]

What a fucking failure company. Fuck off Sony.

 

[N-Bomb]

Consumers > Corporations

If 3D TV takes off, consider yourself proven wrong D:

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I love how everything becomes either the second coming of Christ or the end of the world at GAF. :lol

 

[badcrumble]

Only reason I'm upset about this is that 3.21 isn't adding features. Linux sounds cool, and I'd love to have taken the time to get some emulators up and running in it, but if they're genuinely worried about hacking (aka piracy), I suppose I can understand, though this comes across as awfully heavy-handed.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

It's certainly not the end of the world (used it once), but it's a dick move, pure and simple.

 

[andycapps]

Eh, doesn't matter to me. Hope they're stealthing in some worthwhile updates.

 

[RedNumberFive]

Eh, doesn't matter to me. Hope they're stealthing in some worthwhile updates.

I wouldn't get your hopes up.

 

[iceatcs]

Fuck off Sony
Now am I cool?

 

[gofreak]

You all know the only reason the feature was ever there was to get the PS3 in the same tax bracket as a PC... and not a games console... right?

Myth. Consoles and computers have had the same tax bracket in the EU for yonks now.

Would it be okay for guys if Sony removes PS2 BC from phat models because a hack was found that exploits this feature ??

Different. That's Sony's own codebase, patchable by Sony.

They can't force a patch of every flavour of Linux to close off vulnerabilties or potential vulnerabilities it exposes on PS3. The only level at which they can affect installations of Linux on PS3 is at the hypervisor level, defining the sandbox Linux can operate in. Closing off these vulnerabilities at that level would likely mean disabling access that would be required for Linux to run at all - i.e. it's likely an all or nothing thing, either they allow Linux to run or not.

With something like vulnerabilities in their own platform, within GameOS software or the BC software, they can actually patch that at a very granular level. When there was some TIFF vulnerability in the PS3's photo viewer, Sony didn't yank out the Photo Viewer feature - they patched it.

People catastrophising with a 'what next' issue, focusing in on BC for example, (or, reading the last page, Blu-ray playback :lol ), are just FUD-ing things up. The Linux feature is unique in this context, because it was uniquely out of Sony's control.

 

[Dynoro]

You all know the only reason the feature was ever there was to get the PS3 in the same tax bracket as a PC... and not a games console... right?

You all know that this is totally irrelevant to the discussion. The OtherOS was a selling point (albeit for a tiny niche market) and hence why there is a discussion - some people bought the PS3, at least in part, due to this feature which is now being removed if you want to go on PSN again.

Imagine if Microsoft disabled friends and parties on XBL; there would be chaos. Sure, more people would be affected by that, but it is still a selling point of the system which is not explicitly advertised at the point of sale much like OtherOS. This is also bait and switch tactics and I am almost certain it is illegal at least in the UK.

 

[Clear]

Nothing about this makes any sense.

Well I'd expect MOVE support within the XMB, so that's extra code that needs to be loaded from the FW and be memory resident at boot-time. Removing the wedge that allows for OtherOS loading will provide some kind of memory saving, however small. Every byte saved is a help because it is then available for future system enhancements.

Not to mention that a big focus of Sony's firmware team has been reducing the memory footprint required for the OS.

The bottom line though is that OtherOS support was removed from slim models last September for some reason, and there was very little controversy over the decision at the time and absolutely no measurable impact on sales.

Hence there's little argument that removing the functionality on older models is going to impact the PS3 business in any meaningful way now.

 

[A7MAD]

I won't be updating my PS3 if this is true, actually if this true I'll be hacking my PS3 to rip Sony another one.

MS closed off doors to JTAG'ing but they didn't gimp features to do it, just patched loopholes.

Sony has continued to gimp the PS3 to lower the price or to cover their asses, I hope some mofo rips the sob PS3 open for homebrew and to rip Sony a second rim.

 

[gofreak]

MS closed off doors to JTAG'ing but they didn't gimp features to do it, just patched loopholes.

How do you propose Sony patches Linux? How do they force such a patch? 'JTAG' and vulnerabilities within their own software is one thing, vulnerabilities exposed by a whole other platform not controlled by them is completely another. MS never had that problem to deal with because they'd never have let you put a whole other platform that's outside of their control on their system.

Sony has continued to gimp the PS3 to lower the price or to cover their asses

People keep referring to usb ports and SACD - this is not remotely like those things. They did not 'gimp' existing PS3 units. Units with SACD support or PS2 BC support or extra USB ports still have all those things. This is the first time they've moved to take out a feature via firmware across all systems. (I'd also note that they've added a lot of functionality via firmware and also in hardware in newer units - the characterisation of Sony constantly whittling away features is rather unfair).

 

[The Faceless Master]

I've yet to see a firmware for the Xbox 360 , Wii or PSP that did not involve modifying the original software (which is a copyright violation). I'd love to be pointed to one if it exists.

depends on how it's done.

the earlier PSP CFW's actually had Sony code inside, but for years now, they require you to get the official update yourself or are made to automatically download it from Sony.

Wii is the same as that, except with Nintendo.

360 DVD fw's pre BenQ require you to read your original FW first, then it applies patches to it.

360 JTAG just modifies certain things to enable the hack.

so yeah, in most cases, there's no copyright violation for the FW mods, just a DMCA violation.

 

[jett]

Not two blurays. More like ten. One is even Region A, just like the PS3.

Why should I spend more money on what should be a redundant device? Especially when the PS3 I bought with the intention of playing blurays previously played these discs just fine before a fuck up on Sony's end? Really?

If I had the money laying about you'd bet your ass I'd buy myself an Oppo BD-83. But I don't.

I have to ask you Dragona, what are these BDs that don't play on your PS3?

 

[Burai]

You are wrong, and demonstrably so.

Go to the PS3 manual online:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/index.html

Click settings:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/index.html

Click system settings:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/index_system.html

Click install other OS:

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/osinstall.html

Three clicks into the manual, and you've got a page on installing other operating systems.

Oh, and what's this?



It's a direct link to the site you said wasn't linked directly from Sony's website!

It's a direct link to the site that someone has posted on GAF. How does that even count?!

All of those things are buried away and you know it and are being purposefully obtuse. How is that even advertising a feature?

Your original point is that Other OS was an advertised feature. Burying something away on their website and not mentioning it on the product packaging or included literature hardly seems like advertising to me.

I won't be updating my PS3 if this is true, actually if this true I'll be hacking my PS3 to rip Sony another one.

How exactly are you going to go about doing that?

 

[Cornbread78]

I won't be updating my PS3 if this is true, actually if this true I'll be hacking my PS3 to rip Sony another one.
MS closed off doors to JTAG'ing but they didn't gimp features to do it, just patched loopholes.
Sony has continued to gimp the PS3 to lower the price or to cover their asses, I hope some mofo rips the sob PS3 open for homebrew and to rip Sony a second rim.

Really? Seriously? It's people like you that make life even more difficult for the rest of us. Gives them reason to change even more. It makes me wonder if there are any legalities with the hacking the PS3 system itself. Is there? I think someone said it earlier, but I can bet this actually affects less than 5% of the community. I know I bought my PS3 to play games and watch Blu-Rays, I have a PC to do "computer" stuff. Bring on the update Sony...I'm sorry for those that use that function, but you're definately in the minority

Sony has continued to gimp the PS3 to lower the price or to cover their asses,

Really, and a software update saves them money exactly how?

 

[gregor7777]

Bring on the update Sony...I'm sorry for those that use that function, but you're definately in the minority

I agree. As long as they're only fucking a minority of users, I say bring that shit on!

 

[The Faceless Master]

hey, Sony reps reading this, send me a PS3 to use on the PSN and i'll stop bitching.

 

[Princess Skittles]

I won't be updating my PS3 if this is true, actually if this true I'll be hacking my PS3 to rip Sony another one.

Ooooooh! What a rebel!

 

[PetriP-TNT]

This would be actually horrible if Other OS was good for something OR someone would actually use it, but it really isn't. You are better off installing your favorite Linux distro on your pc anyway.

 

[-PXG-]

Some where Geohat is sitting infront of his computer, with a big shit eatting grin on his face becase his actions got a rise out of Sony even if he didn't fully hack the PS3.

Don't give that fool any credit.

 

[snap0212]

All of those things are buried away and you know it and are being purposefully obtuse. How is that even advertising a feature?

"What? You've read about feature XY being actually there? You must be mistaken since we intentionally put those information on page 3 of the manual."

 

[captmcblack]

Removing features is always lame.

Always.

No matter what.

Fuck Sony.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Seriously, how many of you who are so against this have actually TRIED the Other OS?

 

[A7MAD]

How do you propose Sony patches Linux? How do they force such a patch? 'JTAG' and vulnerabilities within their own software is one thing, vulnerabilities exposed by a whole other platform not controlled by them is completely another.

Geohot made references to where the exploit could be manipulated from, why can't Sony use what he's freely given everyone (the info was freely distributed) and patched the feature right there? Or is this really about needing more memory for more game related features?

People keep referring to usb ports and SACD - this is not remotely like those things. They did not 'gimp' existing PS3 units. Units with SACD support or PS2 BC support or extra USB ports still have all those things. This is the first time they've moved to take out a feature via firmware across all systems. (I'd also note that they've added a lot of functionality via firmware and also in hardware in newer units - the characterisation of Sony constantly whittling away features is rather unfair).

Sony seems to be the only corporation this generation giving less to the consumer upon every revised PS3 to lower costs or fix something.

Which corporation has ever given their consumers the very best and then dropped off features? The characterisation is evident, they do this with the PS3, take this away here, disable this here, "oh we're saving you money", they were better off leaving it.

The PRO's for the PS3 were the; available USB ports, SCAD & Other O/S. Features the 'outdated' 360 never had which was true once upon a time. Slowly they're taking more features away they see unfit.

I do see one difference now with Other O/S than I did with the SCAD & USB and that is people right now are still using Other O/S and they're telling people to kiss it goodbye.

How exactly are you going to go about doing that?

With patience and the same way I JTAG'd my 360 & installed the WODE to my Wii...

Really? Seriously? It's people like you that make life even more difficult for the rest of us. Gives them reason to change even more. It makes me wonder if there are any legalities with the hacking the PS3 system itself. Is there? I think someone said it earlier, but I can bet this actually affects less than 5% of the community. I know I bought my PS3 to play games and watch Blu-Rays, I have a PC to do "computer" stuff.

I'm one of their consumers, minority or not, I use the feature now I'm told I can't use it because Sony lack the ability/knowledge to patch something that a 20 year old hacker gave the 'readme' to. Address what Geohot compromised & fix it, leave the feature and spend some real time to fix something (Y2K bug wouldn't hurt either).

If this is really about needing that memory because of the serious issues the devs face with needing more memory then I can grasp that better but what their saying seems like such a load of hot crap.

I'm serious, hell yes. Really! Modding in Australia is legal. Got to love homebrew, many with the PSP do also (I don't like them).

 

[NinjaFridge]

I love how everything becomes either the second coming of Christ or the end of the world at GAF. :lol

No man, this is huge. fucking huge. OtherOS is a feature used by literally tens of people and they are just to get rid of it man. What about those tens of people, what about them?!

 

[wsippel]

How do you propose Sony patches Linux? How do they force such a patch? 'JTAG' and vulnerabilities within their own software is one thing, vulnerabilities exposed by a whole other platform not controlled by them is completely another. MS never had that problem to deal with because they'd never have let you put a whole other platform that's outside of their control on their system.

The main problem isn't Linux. The exploit isn't based on Linux (or Other OS), Linux is just a convenient way to work with the actual exploit. It's just one vector, hackers expect to find other vectors in the future that work on the Slim as well - which should be possible because the actual hack does not really rely on Other OS in any way.