Need PS2 Linux Kit Realease Info. ASAP

Me too, can''t wait to get one.

How does it work? Is it free?

You program on Linux to make Ps2 games?

Artificial intelligence is the devil... resist intelligent NPC''s

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you..."~Friedrich Nietzsche

Its not free, it will cost about $200.

And you have to buy a ''sync-on-green'' monitor, which, as far as I know, is just a Sony Trinitron (congratulations, Sony just pulled a Microsoft on you. )

"It''''s the Big, Evil Microsoft Corporation & Wicked, Greedy, Too-Fucking-Rich Bill Gates vs. the We''''re-In-It-for-the-Love-and-Free-Software-for-Everybody & the Self-Effacing (Seeming) Folk Hero Linus B. Torvalds thing."
- Linus Torvalds, describing how many portray him

And about how much will that cost?

Artificial intelligence is the devil... resist intelligent NPC''s

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster... when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you..."~Friedrich Nietzsche

about $200. With reguards to the VGA adapter that comes with the PS2 Linux kit, I won''t use it because I also plan to get the PS2 LCD Display. The full details of the kit: http://cgi.ca.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1289509229

Edem Attiogbe

Hello all,

Thought I join the fray considering I have one. So if you have any specific questions I''ll do my best to answer.

As far as I heard there are no plans on releasing it in the US. There is a big petition but so far Sony hasn''t announced anything.

On the ''sync-on-green'', originally I was afraid I would have to get a Sony monitor but luckily it worked on one of my monitors. I was also able to get it work on a ViewSonic 17GS.

How does it work?

The package includes a USB (Jap)keyboard, USB mouse, DVD-ROM, VGA adapter, PCMCIA net/HD card, and a 40GB external IDE HD. After hooking everything up, you then install a special version of Linux on the external HD. The last thing you make is a boot mem card. You then boot Linux on the HD at which point it is a full Linux system with development tools. (You need to at least use the VGA adapter once to install but you can make it boot to NTSC afterwards)

It originally cost $200 but that''s when it was released. I believe there''s only 2000 made. So getting at that price would only be possible if it was released in the US.

Think that covers most of the posts.

Nice vpu. It was officially announced for the US by a Sony Representative. I got the Info from Slashdot.com, ConsoleWire.com, and here, Gamedev.net.

Edem Attiogbe

Sorry bout that. Just got out of crunch-mode at work. Missed that rather BIG news.

Looks like it is not just US, it''s a worldwide release.

I keep checking Sony''s PS2Linux web page for info on its release date. Once it is released, I need to order it right away or else they will probably get sold out.

Edem Attiogbe

vpu, since you have the PS2 Linux Kit, can you tell me about it. First of all, does it come with drivers for the Dual Shock 2 controller? Also, is there support in PS2 Linux kit for Ip over 1394, a.k.a iLINK or Firewire? I would really like to know about any support for Ip over 1394. Since Windows XP has that support, I would be able to network my Dell Inspiron 8000 and my PS2 via 1394, and then bridge my networked PS2 with my University network via my Inspiron 8000. Of course, I will use the Ethernet adapter, but 1394 networking is for experimental purposes for me. Have you been sucessful in writing any code for your PS2 yet? If you have, how hard is it do develope for? I have read up on PS2's architechture at arstechnica.com(good technical article), and know it is a real challenge, especially programming microcode for the two vector Units(VU0 and VU1.) On simpler terms, though, how hard is it to get a simple program running on your PS2?(such as "Hello World") How are the beta libraries that Sony provides? Are they good? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but I REALLY want the PS2 Linux kit for my PS2. With reguards to the PS2 vga adapter: Can I just use a TV, or must I set up PS2 Linux utilizing a monitor? I will purchase the PS2 LCD display, and plan to use that. One more thing. What is the purpose of copying the kernel to the PS2 memory card? Does the PS2 need to be booted from the memory card? Doen't PS2 Linux create a bootable partition for the PS2 hard drive? I hope you can answer a lot of these questions of mine. It would be GREATLY appriciated. Thankx a whole bunch.

Edem Attiogbe

Edited by - KwamiMatrix on November 28, 2001 3:53:57 AM

Edited by - KwamiMatrix on November 28, 2001 3:55:35 AM

Edited by - KwamiMatrix on November 28, 2001 3:58:03 AM

KwamiMatrix:

i don''t have the PS2 linux kit, but i have been programming on the PS2 for a while. developing on the PS2 is NOT that hard if you have the right information. i don''t use the Sony binaries, so i''ve had to write my own "C" library functions and currently working on an OpenGL driver. if you are familiar with the MIPS architecture then you should be ok, else that''s where you should start {unless you plan on only doing "C" code}. getting a "hello world" program going shouldn''t be too hard. the hard part is learning how to use the vector units and the GPU effeciently.

To the vast majority of mankind, nothing is more agreeable than to escape the need for mental exertion... To most people, nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking.

jenova, are you an official PS2 developer who has access to the Playstation 2 TOOL(DTL-T10000)?

Edem Attiogbe

It has drivers for the Dual Shock2. They appear as character devices. (/dev/js0, /dev/js1).

Firewire, I''m not sure about. I''ll check but I would think it wasn''t high on their priority list. But since the source for the kernel is included I guess it would be possible to write your own driver if specs could be found.

Since I have a bit of time now I have been able to write small test code. It came with two sample programs. (A spinning textured cube, and a fireworks example you probably have seen).

When you say "hard to develop for", I''m going to assume you mean the development tools. Debugging right now is going to be tough because I can''t get gdb to display while a PS2 app is running. Right now I''m only making small programs it''s not a big deal yet. So I had to resort to log files. Otherwise it has all the compilers/assemblers you need.

I would classify a PS2 "Hello World" to be a polygon on screen. This is the first thing I did and it wasn''t tough once you understand how the GS works.

The Sony libraries are not bad. It''s a way to get started and since the source is provided you can see how they work. I use them currently just to get started and eventually intend to replace them once I understand how the lower level works.

On the VGA adapter, yes you have to use it at least once. You have to boot with the DVD disk that came with it since it is the only legal way. This initial Boot always come in VGA mode. It asks if you want to Install, Boot or Rescue. If you pick install it is going to boot with a kernel running in VGA. Once you have the boot card you can change it''s settings to boot into NTSC. I don''t think you can boot straight to the mem card. You have to use the disk, select Boot, then select Memory Card. At which this should boot the kernel in NTSC mode. I haven''t tried making it boot off the HD. Once I make a backup of my mem card, try rebuilding the kernel, then I''ll probably try making it boot off the HD.

Can you provide more info on this "PS2 LCD"? I think I missed that one too.

Also here''s a link that helped me. It''s in Japanese but you can use a translator (babel.altavista.com) to read it. He posted source code and screenshots of the installation process.

http://homepage2.nifty.com/MagicBoxSoft/

Thankx for the info vpu. The PS2 LCD Display will be released when Sony Computer Entertainment starts their online plans. The LCD Display, along with the keyboard, hard drive, mouse, and network adapter(only needed if you don''t have the PS2 Linux kit of course), could be released either this December or early next year. I am not sure if Gamdev.net forums support UBB code, so I am not sure if I can post a picture. I do have a picture at my website, though. Here is the link: www.rit.edu/~eka0998/PS2 LCD Keyboard Mouse.jpg. Another picture is at www.rit.edu/~eka0998/PS2 AOL.bmp. The PS2''s Graphics Synthesizer has a maximum resolution of 1280 X 1024, if I am correct, so the PS2 LCD should also run at SXGA. I am not sure if the PS2 LCD will use a VGA connecter, though. It might be a proprietry connector to the PS2''s AV out, meaning the PS2 LCD can only be used with PS2.

Edem Attiogbe

vpu, that Japanese website is great. The English translations are still cryptic, though, so I ended up reading the screen shots mostly. I was looking at the Beginners installation link. I just have a few more questions. First of all, I am still confused on the boot mem card. If PS2 Linux is being installed on the hard drive, why do you need a boot memory card? Secondly, under Installation type, what exactly is a WindowMaker Workstation? Thirdly, how did you partition your PS2 HDD? Did you use Disk Druid or fdisk? Also, what''s up with the "Low Memory" message? What exactly does that mean. I am still a little confused. One more thing. If you want to update your PS2 Linux distribution, you have to use the PS2 Linux DVD-ROM, right? Once again, thankx. Well, I have to try and get the PS2 Linux kit first before I can really get into it. I need release dates.


Edem Attiogbe

KwamiMatrix:

no, i am not an official developer (maybe someday). i used hacked (mod''d) PS2 and a hacked SN Pro debugger tool which communicates from PC <--> PS2 through ieee 1394 (firewire). all the tools i use, i wrote myself (assembler, linker, c compiler {still in progress}). i''ve been studying the PS2 for couple years and cannot wait for the Linux kit to be released.

To the vast majority of mankind, nothing is more agreeable than to escape the need for mental exertion... To most people, nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking.

nice jenova. Writing my own c compiler and assemblers is WAY above my head. I am only a undergraduate freshman Computer Engineering Student.

Edem Attiogbe

Edited by - KwamiMatrix on November 29, 2001 1:21:00 PM

Edited by - KwamiMatrix on November 29, 2001 1:22:05 PM

On the boot memcard, I did some checking and it seems that LILO is not even installed. Which means that someone at Sony wrote a loader for this distribution. So HD support might not be in yet. Another thing I noticed is that the HD doesn''t power and spin up until the kernel is loaded. This would mean that at boot up, only the DVD drive and memcard would be accessible.

Although this might be a limitation of the external HD, the internal one might not. Right now I''m only speculating.

The WindowMaker Workstation would correspond to something on RedHat as KDE Workstation. It''s basically installs a Linux Workstation system, with X-Windows and a default window manager of WindowMaker.

I partitioned the HD using DiskDruid.

The "Low Memory" I''m not sure about. The system only has 32MB. I''m thinking maybe the boot image doesn''t have access to all of it.

To update (which I have not heard of one yet), you could use the DVD-ROM, but if the updates are provided as source you could copy the data through Samba or FTP and install it locally, recompile the kernel and copy it to the boot card and you should be good to go.