Sony held coding contests for people coding on the PS2-linux, all they really need to do is to put out the kernels.

Microsoft won' t be releasing a browser, or a OS on their system.
If they do, they will no longer be able to hold their network closed, since developers could have microtransactions in a webpage, instead of via Live and so on. They also would get a much more open server enviroment, loosing Live customers.

Sony dosn' t seem to worry about open competition, they' ve gone and encouraged the developers to create content wich will enable the players to create extra game-content (i.e. maps and similar).

To be fair KongRudi MS has taken the extra step with XNA express in offering anyone a chance in creating arcade games for Live.

Erm...

In developing v5.0, the company integrated and enhanced code from Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Sony Group, and Fedora to offer the following:

* kernel 2.6.16
* gcc 3.4.4 and glibc 2.4
* Cell SDK 1.1
* OpenOffice.org 2.0.2
* FireFox 1.5.0 and Thunderbird 1.5.0
* Nautilus 2.1.4
* ... and a suite of Personal Accessories, Development Tools; Sound & Video, Internet, and Networking applications.

Installation can be one-click easy for the uninitiated, or options-diverse advanced to select from more than " fifteen hundred packages, as is expected from a complete Linux distribution." We can assume that for the budding programmers out there (you know who you are), the SDK is going to be a must-have.

Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for the PS3 will be made available through YDL.net Enhanced accounts, through the Terra Soft on-line Store, retailers, and public mirrors worldwide. You' ll also know Terra Soft as the company that plans to make a supercomputer out of PS3s. Talk about a working relationship with Sony.

...CELL SDK?!

So my " illformed" thoughts weren' t illformed at all!!!!

Sounds like you' ll have to download it and install from the HDD (strange!) or purchase through retailers. Either way, if you want Linkux, it looks liek you' ll be PAYING for it...

Still, for those that want it, it' s worth nothing that you' ll be able to install other software, likely through their online service but again, you' ll propably have to pay for them.

Official Press Release...

Terra Soft to Provide Linux for the Sony PLAYSTATION®3.

LOVELAND, Colorado - 17 October 2006 - Terra Soft is proud to announce Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION®3 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI).

Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Terra Soft' s next generation Linux operating system for Power will support PLAYSTATION 3, providing an end-user experience far surpassing previous versions. Through an aggressive, rapid co-development project conducted by Carsten Haitzler and the Enlightenment development team, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, built upon Fedora Core 5, now integrates the next generation " E17" desktop in order to provide an unprecedented level of function and interface aesthetic. Designed for users of all ages and all levels of experience, Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 is Terra Soft' s most advanced distribution to date.

" We have worked closely with the energetic, determined E17 team to bring this advanced graphical user interface to a state of interface euphoria. It' s not about eye candy and unnecessary special effects, it' s about finding balance between a lean, uncluttered desktop and a personal environment that is both familiar and powerful. E17 is simply the most incredible thing I have ever used --with any operating system," states Cesar Delgado, System Administrator for Terra Soft.

Owen Stampflee, Lead Software Engineer of Terra Soft Solutions expresses, " From the days of the Commodore 64 to modern overclocked and water cooled home computers, a battle has raged between dedicated game boxes and home computers for highest quality game play. PLAYSTATION 3 provides an industry first exceptional Linux OS experience ... and Terra Soft the first Linux OS. I am proud to have played a part in this development."

Under basic agreement with SCEI, Terra Soft was granted a unique opportunity to develop and bring to market a complete Linux OS for the Sony PLAYSTATION 3. In development of Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Terra Soft integrated and enhanced code from Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Sony Group, and Fedora in order to offer the following:
- kernel 2.6.16
- gcc 4.1.1 and glibc 2.4
- Cell SDK 1.1
- OpenOffice.org 2.0.2
- FireFox 1.5.0 and Thunderbird 1.5.0
- Nautilus 2.14
... and a suite of Personal Accessories, Development Tools; Sound & Video, Internet, and Networking applications.

A simple installer enables absolutely anyone to install without instruction. Post-install, the default suite of applications presents an intuitive, self-guided means of exploring Linux without the confusion of multiple applications in the same family. An Advanced installer mode enables selection from greater than fifteen hundred packages, as is expected from a complete Linux distribution.

PLAYSTATION 3 is an advanced computer system designed to provide next generation computer entertainment contents in the home, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell microprocessor with super computer like power.

As a guest of IBM at the annual SC2006 tradeshow, Nov 13-16, Tampa, Florida, Terra Soft will showcase Yellow Dog Linux v5.0, Y-HPC v2.0 beta, and Y-Bio v1.1. Yellow Dog Linux v5.0 for PLAYSTATION 3 will be made available through YDL.net Enhanced accounts, through the Terra Soft on-line Store, retailers, and public mirrors world-wide.


About Terra Soft Solutions, Inc.
As the recognized leader in Linux for Power since 1999, Terra Soft provides turn-key integrated solutions built upon IBM and Mercury systems, board support packages for Power OEMs, and develops cross-architecture Linux applications for high performance computing. As an IBM Business Partner, Mercury and Apple VAR, Terra Soft provides turnkey HPC systems. Terra Soft develops Yellow Dog Linux, an historic 32/64-bit Linux OS for the Power architecture and first to market with support for the Cell processor; the Y-HPC cluster construction; and Y-Bio, a cross-architecture gene sequence analysis suite for both workstations and clusters.

For more information, visit www.terrasoftsolutions.com


PLAYSTATION is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Power is a trademark of IBM. YDL, Y-HPC, and Y-Bio are trademarks of Terra Soft Solutions. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Additional product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

LINK

hehe...sorry posted in wrong place

Majik, you talked about Microsoft offering XNA for Live Arcade...do you know if Sony has made something similar to XNA?

If they will it won' t be written by Sony themselves but by a third party. Microsoft is the software giant of the world and Sony wouldn' t be able to compete with them directly in this aspect. It would be very expensive for Sony to have something created that beats XNA. If it happens it wouldn' t be in the first year of PS3s life.

ORIGINAL: Hidemoto

Majik, you talked about Microsoft offering XNA for Live Arcade...do you know if Sony has made something similar to XNA?

Nothing solid. They have previous experience though and the only real reason why Yaroze didn' t take off was that Sony didn' t supply all the necessary information and software to the end user.

Supplying the CELL SDK and " development tools" certainly points towards user created content.

I' ve been looking at the XNA beta for a couple of weeks now, and i' m definitely interested in whatever Sony are putting together. I don' t see a downside to any of this.

Whether they develop a platform specifically to make " proper" game development easier is another thing. It' s costly and they don' t have the expertise.

Interesting news. Wasn' t really expecting it either. How controlled/restricted the SDK' s and other tools they give remain to be seen but it looks like there' s more to this than meets the eye. Payment for dev tools would be a given naturally, and how digital distribution pans out will be interesting. Sony' s online plans are still a little too hazy to draw any conclusions here.

Nice find.

edit: It' s still a mystery to me how they' re going to offer some sort of moderation to all of this. If they were to completely open the system up, I can just see a plethora of PS3 specific hacks/garbage and possibly virii (if they were determined enough) that will be cooked up in no time.

ORIGINAL: UnluckyOne

Interesting news. Wasn' t really expecting it either. How controlled/restricted the SDK' s and other tools they give remain to be seen but it looks like there' s more to this than meets the eye. Payment for dev tools would be a given naturally, and how digital distribution pans out will be interesting. Sony' s online plans are still a little too hazy to draw any conclusions here.

Nice find.

What is interesting is that it doesn' t come pre-installed. Sony could potentially make deals enabling other OS solutions to be downloaded/installed.

ORIGINAL: Majikdra6on

ORIGINAL: UnluckyOne

Interesting news. Wasn' t really expecting it either. How controlled/restricted the SDK' s and other tools they give remain to be seen but it looks like there' s more to this than meets the eye. Payment for dev tools would be a given naturally, and how digital distribution pans out will be interesting. Sony' s online plans are still a little too hazy to draw any conclusions here.

Nice find.

What is interesting is that it doesn' t come pre-installed. Sony could potentially make deals enabling other OS solutions to be downloaded/installed.

Ah, so if it doesn' t come pre installed, then doesn' t that render Sony' s strategy of evading import tax useless?

ORIGINAL: UnluckyOne

ORIGINAL: Majikdra6on

ORIGINAL: UnluckyOne

Interesting news. Wasn' t really expecting it either. How controlled/restricted the SDK' s and other tools they give remain to be seen but it looks like there' s more to this than meets the eye. Payment for dev tools would be a given naturally, and how digital distribution pans out will be interesting. Sony' s online plans are still a little too hazy to draw any conclusions here.

Nice find.

What is interesting is that it doesn' t come pre-installed. Sony could potentially make deals enabling other OS solutions to be downloaded/installed.

Ah, so if it doesn' t come pre installed, then doesn' t that render Sony' s strategy of evading import tax useless?

No doubt they' ll have a framework in place to be able to claim that it is a " computer" and try avoiding the import tax anyway.

I do however thing that there' s more to this than avoiding paying tax. I think Sony are actively seeking to outdo Microsoft in every aspect. This kind of thing will allow a community to develop very quickly, which Sony obviously needs as their online service right now has ZERO users.

What will Microsoft do now? Anything?

No doubt they' ll have a framework in place to be able to claim that it is a " computer" and try avoiding the import tax anyway.

I do however thing that there' s more to this than avoiding paying tax. I think Sony are actively seeking to outdo Microsoft in every aspect. This kind of thing will allow a community to develop very quickly, which Sony obviously needs as their online service right now has ZERO users.

What will Microsoft do now? Anything?

No no, what part of " it' s a frigging supercomputer everybody! I' m being super cereal!" didn' t you get? That sentence alone will define the console as a computer.

Sony is seeking to outdo Microsoft, and Microsoft is countering in the spots that Sony' s been bragging about. HD-drive, 1080p, exclusive titles, and hopefully free online.

...CELL SDK?!

So my " illformed" thoughts weren' t illformed at all!!!!

Sounds like you' ll have to download it and install from the HDD (strange!) or purchase through retailers. Either way, if you want Linkux, it looks liek you' ll be PAYING for it...

Still, for those that want it, it' s worth nothing that you' ll be able to install other software, likely through their online service but again, you' ll propably have to pay for them.

Source: IGN

Following the company' s standard release system, v5.0 will be made available in a three-phase product rollout. At launch, users of the company' s YDL.net service (which comes at a cost) will be able to download the OS to their computer and burn a bootable disc for installation on the PlayStation 3.
Two weeks later, the company will offer ready-made installation discs for purchase through the site.
Two weeks after that, it will be made freely available on public mirrors. In short, if you' re willing to wait one month after the system' s release, you' ll be able to download Linux for it for free.