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Linux takes the game to Microsoft | |
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| Time: 16:35 EST/21:35 GMT | News Source: ZDNet | Posted By: Alex Harris | ||
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A group of programmers seeking to put Linux on Microsoft's Xbox video gaming console has created the software that will eventually replace the machine's built-in system software. The new software, called a Basic Input Output System (BIOS), is the latest step towards turning the $199 console into a Linux workstation. The Xbox Linux Project, drawing on the skills of programmers in the UK, Germany and the United States, released a pre-alpha version of the new BIOS on Sunday. When complete, the BIOS will give programmers control over the Xbox's components and peripherals and allow the rest of the Linux operating system to boot. The replacement BIOS is intended to act as a template for future development, initializing the hardware's peripherals and performs a process designed to give full and stable control of the machine. Linux is a favorite of programmers because its open-source license allows the software to be freely modified and redistributed, as long as modifications are returned to the community. Its popularity led Sony to release a version of Linux for its PlayStation2 console, hoping to encourage open-source developers to learn the ins and outs of the hardware. |
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Read Only Comments Return to News |
Displaying Comments 1 through 5 of 5 |
This is an archived static copy of ActiveWin.com. |
| #1 By 20 (24.243.41.64) at Monday, July 29, 2002 05:54:17 PM |
| Too bad the Linux crowd can't harness some of that creative energy to make a new window server, because XWindows just has to go before Linux will be taken seriously as a desktop. |
| #2 By 6859 (204.71.100.215) at Monday, July 29, 2002 06:01:55 PM |
| Ahh, never underestimate the value of too much free time... |
| #3 By 3653 (65.190.70.73) at Monday, July 29, 2002 10:00:55 PM |
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Well its taking the open source crowd long enough. The xbox has been publicly available for 7 1/2 months now. Perhaps they should rename the "Xbox Linux Project" something like, oh I don't know, maybe Mozilla... based on the speed of development.
Alot of good Linux on XBox will do... when its completed in 2005. It'll be equal to running Linux on a 486. |
| #4 By 135 (209.180.28.6) at Tuesday, July 30, 2002 10:07:06 AM |
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Dufresne - "How else do you explain somebody paying $200,000 for this project? Is it an individual, a company? "
Simple, it's Microsoft. Notice how the donor was anonymous, and what has been the end result? Increased sales of XBox! More Xbox sold = More game's developed. It's a win/win. People aren't going to use the XBox as servers, firewalls, whatever. They'll use them for playing games, exactly what they were designed for. People will put linux on it, go "oh wow, ok that's boring... Where's Halo?" |
| #5 By 3653 (65.190.70.73) at Tuesday, July 30, 2002 06:43:26 PM |
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"Potential uses: Jukebox, DVD-player, mail-server, firewall"
LOL. Yeah, I can just see my CEO walking potential clients and investors by our server room window... when one of them asks "Isn't that an XBox in that rack?". At which point, my CEO answers "Yes, it is actually. We use it as a firewall to protect our network. And look over there, thats another XBox used for our corporate email". At which point, the potential client will immediately turn and leave. But if there are some linux freaks that wholeheartedly want to make this work, then let me help you work through the finances. You get a controller with each XBox. Since you won't need the controller after the conversion to a "mail-server", then you can sell it on eBay for $10. Wow, maybe you guys are right... this could be a boon to linux sales once you take that extra $10 into account. |
