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Installing Yellow Dog on your PS3

Posted Nov 26, 2006 at 11:42PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3 Tags: Fedora, Linux, playstation 3 updates, Sony, Terra Soft, Yellow Dog Linux

Yellow Dog

Since most of you have probably already have Fedora installed on their PS3's, you basically know the basics involving OS installation into your PS3. But just in case, here's a rough how-to for installing Yellow Dog for your PS3.

Your Drive
Basically, the drive in your PS3 is just one big partition straight out of the box. So before you install Yellow Dog Linux, you need to use the PS3 GameOS to split the drive into two partitions, one for save game data, music, photos, pr0n, or whatnot, and the other for Yellow Dog Linux.

Two Systems, one PS3.
This means that the GameOS is the essential and acts as a hypervisor, an operating system that allows the hardware to communicate with the outside world.

Yellow Dog basically runs on top of the GameOS. The GameOS will let Linux and the hardware communicate.

The Prep
Prepare a YDL installation DVD. You probably know already where to get a copy.

PS3 Prep
Attach a USB keyboard and mouse to the PS3. Go to settings, then system settings, then format utility, then format HD. Select Custom for the partition setting of the HD. You then get the option to either allot 10GB to the other OS or 10GB to the PS3. If you've got a 20 GB drive, you better select 10GB for the PS3, this should leave you around 6.5 GB for Linux. Not enough for full install, but ample enough for a default YDL install.

The PS3 will then start formatting the HD. Do not mess this part up. When the format is complete, press x on the controller to exit and wait for your PS3 to reboot.

You will then need a Memory card or a USB thumbdrive to facilitate transfer of the bootloader installer and bootloader from your PC to your PS3. Just be sure that it has 10MB free space. Now create a directory called "ps3" in it and then in that directory, create a sub-directory called "otheros"

Now go download the bootloader installer from Sony's website, www.playstation.com/ps3-openplatform/ and save it into the ps3/otheros directory that you just made as "otheros.self"

Then you better get the bootloader "kboot" from Terra Soft's site, www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/install/ps3/otheros.bld and save it as "otheros.bld" in the ps3/otheros/ directory.

The point where you might damage your PS3
This is where you might brick things. Plug in the USB drive and then on the GameOS menu select settings then system settings then install other OS. Do not power off or remove the source of the data otherwise things might get damaged.

The PS3 screen should blank a bit, and then you should be prompted with "Other OS Installer Version x.y.z" it should go on and then eventually be lead to a "back" prompt. Then you must now select "Other OS" in order to install YDL. Go to Settings, System Settings, Default System, then set the "Other OS" (in this case it's YDL) as default.

Reboot your PS3, put the YDL install DVD into your PS3, and the bootloader kboot will be displayed on-screen. If you're lucky enough to have a 720p TV, you'll be able to perform a graphic install of YDL, but if you don't then you better select "installtext" instead of "install." This will force the YDL installer to run in a low-res mode.

Enter Anaconda - the YDL installer Â– and from there you should be guided by a set of screens throughout the installation.

As we've said, most of these are the same stuff from the Fedora install, but we're posting it... just in case you need the help. For more details on the Anaconda part of the installation you can click on the VIA link that we've got below.

Via YDL Installation Guide

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I contacted terrasoft yesterday and asked them about installing YDL overtop of Fedora Core (otherwise you would have to reformat the drive and lose all savegames, demos, music, photos, movies, etc.).

Good news is that within the YDL installer, it will give you the option to format ONLY the linux partition, thus getting rid of Fedora, while still keeping all your PS3 shish intact.

BTW, go to terrasoft's site and check out the e17 screenshot...it's very, very pretty. Can't wait to get ahold of this. Anyone know where to get it?

# diference with fedora? — Guest 2006-11-27 04:24

hi i got some questions:

did yelow dog has a better speed as fedora?

yellow dog use the ps3 multithread or use only the ppc mode like fedora?

and yelow dog use 2d frame buffer or use the rsx ps3 video acceleration?

(fedora use only framebuffer)

# meh — Guest 2006-11-27 04:27

it's the same same, running on the ppc fedora 5 core

no multithreading, no RSX, worthless if you already have fedora installed.

# are you sure of that? — senjutsu 2006-11-27 07:06

if yes I suppose I'll take fedora, but if yellwo dog is faster and better especially for the ps3 I'll take yellow dog!

# Yellow Dog Linux 5.0 — Guest 2006-11-27 08:57

Yellow Dog Linux 5.0 is built with the PS3 in mind, so if I where to install linux it would be that one. Any word on how much space it takes up?? 4 - 5 GB for the install is my guess.

# Screens and detailed Reviews? — Guest 2006-11-27 13:56

Hi - does anybody know a link to detailed reviews of YDL on the PS3? I' very interested in performance, overall handling, capabilities and all tha stuff --- some nice screenshots would be very appreciated too

# Much Better than Fedora — Guest 2006-11-27 14:44

YDL has access to 6 of the Cell processors SPE's, while Fedora only allows access to 1. Furthermore, YDL allows HD resolution, while fedora only 480i. YDL also has sound. This is why those kids who benchmarked the PS3's CPU vs a MAC are idiots. Fedora works on the PS3, but was never built with it in mind. Go with YDL, above all the other benefits, the interface is much better.

# yelow dog better — Guest 2006-11-27 23:18

hi it seems yelodog got ps3 specific driver ;)

game emulation on yelow dog will run realy faster i hope

and xp emulation too (but dont try to play on xp i dont think it will work great)

# damned — Guest 2006-11-28 03:12

lollow dog use the full power of the cell

but dont use at all the nvidia rsx video card!

http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/hardware/breakdown/index.php?hw_cat_id=15

** The Nvidia graphics card is not supported beyond framebuffer mode. This does does not reduce the quality of the image, but does not provide accelerated video nor OpenGL support.

sorry no 3d games on linux sony and nvidia dont allow it...

# hopefully — [BOT] Bob 2006-11-28 11:17

some coding genius can make an opengl shader for one or two of the SPEs

# Wireless working — Guest 2006-12-03 16:15

Has anybody got wifi up and running on the PS3 under Linux? It doesn't detect it so I'm at a loss for how to configure it.

# Help with my YDL installation!!! — Valekeyes46 2006-12-06 06:30

I've followed all intstructions on how to install YDL. Now it is on my PS3 but now what? It goes through a bunch of text and stops at "kboot" Waiting for somethin. Then it goes on and then sits at a black screen. I can't hear anything either. Now I feel like an idiot.

I had Yellow Dog burned to a dvd-r. The otheros and the btd are on a memory stick. I followed every step and all seems to have gone smoothly. Once it was done installing it told me to reboot the system after removing all media used during the installation. I did that. Now it won't automatically load yellow dog like I was told. I just stare at a couple of penguins for a minute. Help Please!

I'm a newb! Don't wanna brick my ps3! Although it would be the best looking brick out there!

# Having the right otheros.bld file — brekstar 2006-12-08 12:10

You can't use the Fc otheros.bld to load yellow. It sounds like this is your problem.

# I'll second that! — brekstar 2006-12-08 12:12

FC 5 and 6 Suck!

# Re: Help with my YDL installation!!! — Guest 2006-12-12 10:23

enter ydl when the kboot is waiting. this will load yellow dog

# No openGL support? — Guest 2006-12-14 01:26

If there is no onenGL support then what is the point of installing LINUX on your PS3? Don't wast the harddrive space. The Cell was designed for graphics and sound not running OS. Leave that to machines with more ram. I am sure there will be a hack, but if its not supported by Sony nor Nvidia then watch out. $&#^#^ companies who do not want us to use OUR hardware the way we want to use it. This machine could have been great for my OpenGL class.

P.S. XBOX360 offers XNA with support for DIRECTX for free..

# I NEED HELP PLLZZ!!! — Guest 2006-12-20 21:57

So i am having the same problem. the kboot text would show up. I followed every single step. But nothing happens when i type Anaconda as the instruction tells me to do. And when i restart how do i just go to the ps3 OS?

Please help me!!

# PS3: the corrupter — CrashCore 2006-12-27 08:01

I put the otheros files on my flash drive, and then I safely removed it from my computer. I took it to my PS3 and stuck it in. The light flashed on and off instead of staying lit like it normally does, and the PS3 wouldn't read it at all, so I took it back to my computer. Lo and behold, my flash drive (1GB Vault Drive) is recognized as a "SKYMEDI USB Drive". Oh yes, and it's unreadable and the recovery software (only Windows stuff so far) has given me nothing but errors. Is it wrong to think that Sony is responsible for this and should therefore repair it? I had other important files on the drive that I would prefer not to lose.

# , — CrashCore 2006-12-27 08:48

I've changed my mind: I don't even care about recovering files anymore. I just want to be able to use my flash drive. Is there a way to tell WinXP to use a certain driver file when it would otherwise automatically select one?

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