Official, Linux on PS3!

General Discussions
#1

its now officially confirmed that Linux will be able to run on PS3 with internet capabilities, surely this means Java will be available on it?

seriously this could be cool, especially for us java gaming ppl!

  1. http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/15/ps3-press-conference-it-begins/
  2. http://spong.com/article/9770/PS3+worldwide+ship+in+November+2006?cb=372&cb=935
  3. http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/15/1551246&from=rss

what we also know is that the blueRAY drive may be using a JRE, so the PS3 could also come with a JRE.
also the fact that PS3 also uses OpenGL ES could allow wrappers such as JOGL and LWJGL to be ported over easily

all sounds really good, i guess the above is just hopefull wishing but you never know :slight_smile:

#2

I wish it was that simple…

Linux doesnt necessarily mean Java, though it does mean an easier port.

BUT the big question is if Linux will be a first class citizen? PS2 had linux… and by the time you were done loading it there was damn little room to do anything else.

#3

yes very true about the PS2 and linux, since the PS2 only had 32mb ram, however the PS3 will have at least 512mb ram and a pretty meaty processor, which hopefully should be enough!

#4

ps3 has 256 mb of ram which could be used by linux and jvm, next 256mb is only available for gpu, xbox has 512 of ram available both for game prog and gpu, but that 256 mb should be enough…

i also recently heard that sony will add with new firmware, flash player for psp, so psp web browser will be able to use it, so brobably on ps3 flash will be for sure,
more info on flash for psp:
http://www.flashinsider.com/2006/03/15/flash-player-on-psp-officially/

if flash will be available probably shockwave 3d in some time will be available for ps3 too… at that time there will probably be no enough space for java+jogl

#5

I bet I could fit my VM and LWJGL on it though…

Cas :slight_smile:

#6

i’m sure 256mb ram should be enough for linux (without a desktop like gnome or kde) + jvm + lwjgl and still leave like 128mb if not more for games!

not to forget the 60gb hard disk, so maybe something like swap memory could also be used.

#7

I just care about that Cell processor…

drools

…sorry about that… ::slight_smile:

#8

I used to run linux (with a very lightweight windowing system) on my old P200 with 32 meg of ram, so I would hope you could fit it into 128 meg…

#9

Umm, err, the is Java on the PS-3
It is called BD-J, Blu-ray Disc Java. It is a JME profile.
it will actually be on ALL Blu-ray Disc players.

The primary purpose for BD-J is to make better DVD menus and subtitles
That is pretty myopic, IMHO.

So what will the Java community do with a (limited) java engine that also provides:

  • 25-50 Gb resources (libs, data)
  • internet connection (may not be active)
  • api for sync’d audio, video and 2 channels of overlay graphics
  • at HD resolution (at least for video. overlays may be reduced res)

15+ years ago I was building CDTV titles. That was the Amiga wrapped up as a consumer device to compete with Phillips CD-i. Big downfall of those systems was:

  • NTSC (resolution, esp of text was terrible, color choices were a royal pain)
  • very poor video playback (it was 1990 after all, quicktime and avi players were barely out of the lab)
  • poor titles. too much ‘shovel-ware’: we got it elsewhere and shoveled it onto a cd for you.
    Still there were some very interesting titles built… encyclopedias, cookbooks, history explorers

There isnt a BD-J developers kit yet. The standard is still a bit in flux (as i understand it)
But when has that stopped hard core Java people?

jerry