[ydl-gen] Response of Fixstars to end of ps3 otheros

[Sam Lummis]

A lot of people in the Linux community believe the Console will be hacked
now that Sony have discontinued Linux support. This would be great as
obviously a PS3 where you have access to the complete array of hardware
would make a great inexspensive machine for programming with a Cell
architecture. However it would be rather bad for Sony as commercial hackers
would take advantage of the hack (supposedly) opening up the possibility for
pirated games.

I was wondering if the Hypervisor is ever illegitimately hacked will the
friendly YDL developers optimise YDL to work with the Cell, RSX and the 8
SPE's? I would hope if someone in the Linux community ever does hack the PS3
they do it in a way which doesn't give pirates easy access to modify the
gameOS to allow pirated games. It would be sad to see Sony get ripped off,
but maybe they have created the unhackable Hypervisor they believe they
have, however the Xbox 360's hypervisor took a year to hack for linux so I'd
give the linux enthusiasts a while to figure it out. I personally don't
understand the methods of hacking, and hypervisor/silicone security but it
seems very low-level bitwise inspection is necessary to find points of entry
through established processor routines finding instances where the
encryption wanes or gives instances where it is possible to extract the
encryption key.

Oh the possibilities, the price of these new Slim PS3's is rather amazing as
well there are stores in New Zealand selling them at $520, any reasonable
computer built by myself would cost around $800 NZ here and the PS3 offers
the Cell functionality. With the price only going to drop from here, a
future where I can purchase a PS3 and utilise it's hardware fully is a
beautiful possibility. I only hope by that point Sony aren't making a loss
on their hardware and can make a reasonable shilling off the scientific
organisations/researchers, businesses and enthusiasts purchasing their
hardware not to play games but to play with the cell (And have a sexy little
desktop on top).

On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 1:35 AM, Derick Centeno <dcenteno at ydl.net> wrote:

> Thanks Kai for taking the time to explain a little bit of what was
> necessary so that the Sony GameOS and YDL could function together so
> that PS3 owners could have the unique opportunity to benefit and
> utilize both. I also appreciate that you've attempted to present
> to all of us an explanation of what may have been behind their
> decision.
>
> I discovered a useful but perhaps brusque report on The Register
> discussing Sony's decision:
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/28/sony_ps3_slim_linux_install_loss/
>
> The article makes clear that support for Linux on the older models of
> PS3 will continue.
>
> Although I didn't choose to buy a PS3, I feel great sorrow and
> compassion for everyone caught unawares by Sony's decision.  There
> were other options which Sony could have considered or explored which
> Mr. Modine mentions at the close of his article.  Although I don't
> appreciate how he ended it, apparently he was referring to the
> impossibility of getting through to Sony that other choices existed.
> The OtherOS option could have been kept had they chosen to allow the
> Linux community the option to provide for a solution themselves at
> no cost to Sony or if that didn't appeal to them because Sony feared
> to allow it's technology to become just another do it yourself
> computer hobby kit -- they could have asked or allowed Fixstars for
> more involvement or allowed them an expanded role. Had they chosen
> that option then Fixstars would have been able to at least make an
> effort and had Fixstars been successful of course then the PS3 Slim
> would have kept the OtherOS option.  The PS3 Slim would also remain
> proprietary technology,
>
> It is Sony's right and perogative to do as they please.  I don't know
> what happened of course.  Obviously Sony is not the first corporation
> to make puzzling choices.  The phrase describing Sony's approach best
> is -- penny-wise, pound-foolish.  They are not the first, nor the
> last.  I am sad for those who relied on them though. Sony, let Kai and
> the Fixstars team, find out from a media report released the same
> week?  How is such treatment even described as polite or justified?
>
> The rest of us who were considering the Cell as a possible workstation
> for ourselves and families will have to look elsewhere.
>
>
> On Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:39:15 -0600
> Kai Staats <kstaats at us.fixstars.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > > In the cbe-oss-dev ml Geoff ...staff?
> >
> > Sony was quite diligent about testing,...
> >
> > If a component on the mobo changed, the hypervisor code would
> > change to support the new component, and then the testing starts
> > again.
> >
> > While I am not aware of a time when the GameOS was modified... I can
> > state that with nearly every third release of updated GameOS
> > versions, something broke in Linux for which we compensated on our
> > end, often with the assistance of Geoff (who was great to work
> > with, BTW).
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > kai
>
>
>
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