Good news for those who use Linux on their PlayStation 3s!  Yellow Dog Linux v6.1 has been released, marking the final release from Terra Soft, and the first by Fixstars. Version 6.1 an updated Firefox and OpenOffice.org, and features ps3vram functionality, enabling the use of PS3 video RAM for temporary storage or swap.

More details after the link.

PlayStation 3 owners who still don't have Yellow Dog Linux on their gaming machines might want to check out today's YDL update. The folks over at Terra Soft Solutions have just released their software on several public mirrors for downloads. Interested? Check out the full article for more info.

Yellow Dog Linux v6.0 has been released, and according to the Terra Soft website, this version will come pre-installed with future PlayStation 3 units. Could this be another link to an unannounced SKU to be released in the future? More in the full article.

Thanks to R7i1c3K for the tip!

For those of you subscribed to the StreamMyGame web-based service offered for PS3 users, you might be happy to know that you can now run games off the free Linux Player offered for it.

This was promised by StreamMyGame a while back when the service first went online and is now currently in full swing for PS3 consoles running on Linux. Check out more details about this online streaming service after the jump!

Just how powerful is the Sony PlayStation 3 game console? We know for a fact that it can produce cutting-edge sound and graphics at a whim. We already know that it can help doctors fight tumors. Now we're about to find out that it's good enough to drive a car atop Colorado's Pike Peak.

Yep, and we're not talking about doing it in a racing game. We're dead serious when we say that you can take the back seat and the console will guide a car effortlessly when partnered with GPS, infrared cameras, stereo cameras and Yellow Dog Linux.

At the center of it all, of course, is the Cell processor which we've heard all too well about. Based on the same technology that fires up IBM's Power PCs, the Cell uses its mathematical muscle to do all the complex calculations at lightning-fast speeds to effectively pull off the automotive feat.

Racing's renowned team Axion will showcase this incredible development in the upcoming DARPA Challenge sponsored by the US Government. At stake is US$ 2 million to be won.

Axion has come close to winning the contest twice before as they ranked sixth a few years back and finished in at third in their last outing. Autonomous driving has always been their cup of tea but this time they want to add a little sugar to their spice by throwing in the high-end game console to the repertoire.

"We felt having cars drive themselves was getting a little too easy, so we threw the Sony PlayStation into our bag of tricks," says Axion team leader Bill Kehaly as he jokes around with the idea. The DARPA Challenge takes place on the 3rd of November in a venue yet to be announced.

Thanks to HELIOS Software and its modified Yellow Dog Linux, it's now possible to use the PS3 as a server. For the price of US$600, small enterprises can now avail of a server with powerful processors and capable HD space just by downloading free software.

Sounds good, right? Not for Sony. It's already a commonly known fact that Sony is losing money for every unit sold. What's keeping them in the fight is the income they can get from games purchased for the PlayStation 3.

Imagine: 1 million PS3 units are being used as servers. That much units would lose profitability because companies using them are not likely to buy games; all the while, Sony loses US$ 250 for every one of those units sold. Count 'em all: US$ 250 million in total.

More PS3s not used for gaming purposes would also put third-party publishers in a bind. If Sony cannot determine how many PS3s are being used as servers, publishers would think twice before investing US$ 20 million in a game that will be released on a platform which installed user-base is uncertain.

People used to wonder what Ken Kutaragi meant back then when he said the PS3 is not just a gaming console. Looks like we've found our answer right here. The PS3 is also a good server machine.

Have you ever heard of the PlayStation 3 OS? If not, then today is your lucky day, as we have tons of information for you on it. HELIOS Software GmbH has entered into a basic agreement with Terra Soft Solutions, and has now released a free download of its modified Yellow Dog Linux (YDL) software. This one's optimized to use Sony's PlayStation 3 as a test-drive server.

So, let's get on to the matter at hand. This stripped down version of YDL provides a lightweight, overhead server environment for the PS3, while giving you a test-drive platform for the file, print, PDF and image server software of the next-gen.

The HELIOS package will come via a CD disk image, which reportedly takes a total of six minutes to install. Apart from that, it's guaranteed to give you a high performance Linux server OS complete with DHCP network settings, support for Java 1.5 and Apple Talk enhanced kernel.

To give you a rundown of what advantages you may very well expect from the HELIOS PS3 Linux installation:

• Free download from HELIOS web site
• Easy installation, ready to run in a few minutes
• Excellent Linux on PS3 documentation from HELIOS
• Dedicated server operating system with optimized performance (40% more memory available)
• Java 1.5 runtime is pre-installed
• Easy maintenance shell from CD
• HELIOS services are pre-installed as a test-drive

Anyhow, to learn more about it, we suggest you check out the Terra Soft Solution website via our Read link below, along with the video presentation.

This just in from our mailing lists. Yellow Dog Linux is up with a new version, which sports a TON of updates, as well as extra goodies for the PlayStation 3 user hoping to get a new OS into their system.

The new updates for the PS3 version of the YDL are numerous, but here are the basics for everyone to think about:

• Support for the Sony PS3.
• More than 500 updated packages.
• Built-in Wi-Fi now supported.
• USB printers fixed.
• The bootloader is now included on the DVD.

The source has additional information on updating your Wi-Fi connection to support PS3 Wi-Fi, but we also have some additional help for you as well. There's a Yellow Dog Linux 5 walkthrough over here, as well as our coverage of the T-Break forums' in-depth tutorial on getting YDL 5.0 to work for you.

Thanks to Taimoor, we found out about a new tutorial for PS3 users to get even more out of their system. Over at the T-Break Forums, Solid has written a rather in-depth tutorial about installing Yellow Dog Linux and VLC Media Player on your PlayStation 3.

The tutorial has everything, from locations to download the applications you'll need, screenshots to serve as reference for installation, and a step-by-step guide to putting it all together. You will need a DVD-R or two to use the tutorial, as well as a USB keyboard and mouse to get things going, since you'll be burning a distributable version of YDL v5.0 and doing some mighty computing on your PS3 when you're done. All you have to do is read the instructions and you should be on your way.

As an added bonus, Solid's also put up a tutorial for installing SNES9X, an SNES emulator, just in case you needed even more reason to check out some gaming nostalgia. As for finding games, we'll leave that up to your supreme hacking skills.

Are you guys familiar with DVB-T? It stands for Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial and is actually the European association standard for transmitting aerial broadcasts to provide users with more channels. Anyway, magazine "c't" in its latest issue demonstrates how the PlayStation 3 (running on Linux) can receive digital TV transmissions.

Aside from having the free operating system (OS), you must first perform a few changes to your console. After implementing certain Kernel and driver modifications, not to mention an adjustment of the media player software Xine, you will also be needing an external DVB-T box to be connected to the USB slot of the console.

The way we understand it, this operation will also let the PS3 serve as a digital video recorder, provided that you keep in mind its 180 Watts capacity. As we all know, anything higher than that is not at all recommended. Step-by-step installation details as well as Yellow Dog Linux 5.0 will be included in the magazine.

"c't" will be available on March 19 for 8.5 Euro or roughly around US$ 11. The Read link below will take you to the mag's official site where you can obtain further details and ways to order its latest issue. We have to warn you though, it's in German.