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PlayStation 3 GPU accessed though Linux?

Posted Dec 1, 2007 at 7:05PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3 Tags: Gentoo, Linux, nVidia, YouTube

0
Some hackers have announced that they've discovered a way to access the 3D contexts on the Graphics Processor Unit of the PlayStation 3. If what they say is true, then this will allow homebrew developers to create their own 3D applications for the console.

CNLohr posted a video on YouTube of the PlayStation 3 running some code in Linux. Allegedly, the hypervisor is talking with the nVidia RSX video card of the console to render the three animated quads in the foreground and the triangles in the background.

According to CNLohr, the demo being used is a modified version of IronPeter's libps3rsx from ps3dev.org. For those who want to try replicating his setup, the PS3 is running using a patched 2.6.24 experimental, unofficial kernel on Gentoo Linux.

We're sure that there are quite a few out there who would like to see the video and judge for themselves. Here it is. Enjoy!

Thanks to kskid4life for the tip!

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I hope they are never able to run backups on Linux (which seems like a possibility since it takes system resources to run the OS itself so any game would take a hit in performance). Piracy ruins the market. If you can download every game for the ps3 now, that's a few titles that would never see the light of day and many others that were produced with the loss in profit calculated into their development plan.

# Even That Video Is 2D — CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS 2007-12-02 09:46

It is just a bunch of circles moving around giving the impression of a worm. They don't even scale in and out. They just move back and forth on the screen connected together. If the circles spun in 3D where they looked like a circle collapsing into an oval then that would be more convincing. Hell I would even think 1 circle doing that was more convincing than both of these videos.

# Oh Let Me Clarify What I Said — CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS 2007-12-02 09:49

The circles don't move back and forth, they move side to side and up and down. Back and forth would be scaling.

# // — 2.6,CRACKED! 2007-12-02 10:53

IM referring to the cube

# Major hit under the belt... — Canis Lupus 2007-12-02 13:17

Yeah, with how expensive development for the PS3 is, piracy would cause some major damage. MGS4 has to sell quite a bit to cover development costs. But yeah...even if piracy comes up, hopefully it won't get to big because of the size of the ISOs.

10GB+? I don't think that's going to look attractive to anybody to download.

# not true — Stealth! 2007-12-02 23:15

Even if this is nothing good can come with it. I mean now hackers can screw around with the PS3. seriously why do you people think its great news.

But just cause someone made a video doesn't mean its true.

# very low priced PC — tinglemaps 2007-12-03 03:54

You're thinking of this only in terms of gaming. I'm an animator, 2D and 3D and we have a PS3 in my office. We are eagerly waiting for the day when we can use the rendering power of the PS3 to expedite the animation process. We could get 10 PS3s for the price of 1 of our current PCs. That graphics processing power would really hit the spot for us.

# // — 2.6,CRACKED! 2007-12-03 05:46

one, yes something good can from this.

IT IS REAL YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS. i just want to smack ignorant people like you, the information is there ffs.

# no — ks4life 2007-12-03 06:41

i believe as long as u have a linux os running, u can run this

# Well.. — Shatterdome 2007-12-03 08:28

Most people (and all hardcore pirates) have 10MBS + internet connections with 100+ gigs of bandwidth a month...

In the last two days i've downloaded 20 gigs of movies/tv shows.....I would put that towards a game no problem......the biggest hurdle actually would be dropping $1000 on a BRDR-ROM to burn them...

# ahhh... — Shatterdome 2007-12-03 08:33

I love ignorant people that obviously have no idea about what they are looking at and then try to say it's "fake"

For your info chucking, there are MANY "2D" applications out there that use OpenGL and other 3D libraries to accomplish their feats.

Every program I wrote on the PSP (mainly Helicopter) used 3D funtions to portray a 2D scene....

The difference is that these people are using functions of the RSX to perform these operations (even if they are 2D looking) instead of writing software based rendering tools that the Cell would have to interpret...

I don't know why is surprises you guys.....it seems Sony didn't "cut" the RSX from linux, but just didn't provide any drivers for it.....there are TONS of smart people on ps2dev and it obviously was just a matter of time until they wrote their own toolchain for the PS3....just like they did for PS2 and PSP....

# tinglemaps.... — Shatterdome 2007-12-03 08:36

Yeah, this will probably be the factor that makes me buy a PS3...

If they can gain access to the vid card, and theoretically the other 256mb of ram, I would love to see them support Linux versions of Photoshop, painter and even though i'm not into 3D that much i'd still like to see how well it could render/setup scenes in 3DS, lightwave etc....

It would also make a killer movie/sound editing box....where most funtions in those progs are straight number crunching, which PS3 rocks at....

# Kinda... — Shatterdome 2007-12-03 08:39

No ordinary linux version works according to the article....

It says you need a version of linux with a specially modified kernel, as well as the know how to setup the linux environment to mirror theirs......not a noob procedure, definately hav e to know what you are doing in linux for this...

# Shatterdome — CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS 2007-12-03 08:39

I'm not saying it can't be done but the video of the spinning triangles and the worm don't prove anything yet unless the procedures for displaying them is revealed. That is all I am saying. I am sure someone will get it working.

# tinglemaps — Stealth! 2007-12-03 23:56

Ok but how does this benefit everyone else. This article makes it sounds like everyone will benefit, if its something like the F@H then i can see the benefits for everyone. Unless your trying to say that it will benefit animators who makes games, then i agree 100% with you.

# // — 2.6,CRACKED! 2007-12-04 06:56

For god sake im not talking about the worm im talking about the cube in the top left. The procedures are available. Its called source code and its out there. It uses the Noveau driver - a very respected shader so if you dont understand this now, i pity your small intelligence

# .............. — Kingofdaberbz 2007-12-12 06:02

i hope the ps3 get hacked soon cuz im not buying any games 4 my ps3,Ill only play backups or rentals maybe used games if dere really good games.

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