PSPLinux project

So there's not too much going on over there yet, but they've got some message boards up and a developer sign-up form, so go on over and get involved, codemonkeys. The project to port Linux to the PSP is something we'll definitely be keeping our eyes on. This device is begging to be tweaked!

[Zak @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

The bigger picture would be the ability play any music or movie format with a Linux base. Also, playing some old ROMs would be a nice touch.

Otherwise, I'm pretty bored with the need to put linux on every new device that comes out.

[pheen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Why put Linux on the PSP? Why not, look at what it did for the Xbox.

[Donald Cayer @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Freaking Linux zealots. If something has a hard drive RAM or flash media you try to put linux on it. You all are as bad as the Japanese and their toilets.

[Me @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I think the japanese and their toilets are kinda cool, but then again, I'm a linux zealot...

(not the I-will-rape-you-verbally-for-using-something-else kind though)

Jokes aside, where's the zealotry in thinking "oh, it would be cool to run linux on that, maybe even useful"? It's not like they're forcing you to use it.

[hecatomb @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Honestly, I'd like to see a GBA emulator or a NES/SNES emulator for the PSP... I love the new games, but I would like to be able carry around all the Final Fantasy games (well, the early platform ones, not VII on up) to play whenever I want... I don't get much time to sit in front of the PC or TV anymore, but ever since I got my flash cart for my GBA, I'm always playing it...

[Trejkaz @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Linux was great on the Xbox, but then XBMC came out, a native video player which could play every format without having to boot into Linux. Most people's needs for it were dissolved at that point.

I get the feeling that the PSP will go the same way. Are there any video formats which the PSP can't support? If so, then a Linux will be a big hit... but if someone knows how to hack it to boot Linux, someone else will know how to hack it to run a custom native build of MPlayer, and that would be better.

(Side-note... development for the PS2 is performed on Linux according to a PS2 developer friend, so development on the PSP probably is also. Does this mean a Linux on the PSP will let you develop PSP games on the PSP? j/k)

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

how is it zealotry to want to be able to install your own apps, perhaps your own games on this? linux just happens to be the best platform to do that. you don't expect people to hack it to run XP, do you?

[tainted @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I have to agree with some of you. I'd love to see a good set of emulators for the games released in the 16-bit era and earlier. I'd much rather carry around a PSP than a Nomad.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

"You all are as bad as the Japanese and their toilets."

Yep...those crazy Japanese. Imagine...trying to make a sanitation appliance more... sanitary...and overall more useful for improving health and hygiene while doing so more efficiently.

ANARCHISTS!

Seriously though, I see where you're comming from 'Donald'. I too am querulous about the linux communities aparent need to have every free floating electron pass through a device running linux (even though I follow some of the ongoing projects progress myself). And yes, if you're a reader of multiple blog or tech news groups (especialy /. ) the linux rhetoric can be rather think to wade through.

But IMHO, so long as the Japanese don't try to install a camera or a lyposuction machine or a respirator in/on MY toilet (this being said by someone with about 50 pics of various different kinds of toilets in Japan that I've encountered), and the linux zealots don't try to overwrite MY OS of choice with the latest 'distro' of Linspire...where's the harm ?

[Rence @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

doesn't the psp have some kind of wifi built in? would be cool to be able to check email, surf around a bit, use IM, etc.. provided they do bring out a keyboard periferal.
Too bad it hasn't got that DS touchscreen, would be awesome to do some portable sketching in the GIMP :)

[matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

the psp would make an excellent war walker, spotting open wireless hotspots and use them for email, web etc. i can understand linux zealots want to put linux on everything, because they can! i just dont understand linux zealots.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

No linux would be crap... HOWEVER XBMC on the psp would be WICKED... and if sony would also add a mobile version of there sync.... like say a samba share? so you can get to the unit without having to connect a cable come on i mean cables are so yesterday

[Brad Spry @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I'm dreaming of a handheld, cheap, color, full-featured web browser.

PSP Linux with Firefox, using WiFi would be awesome. Use PSP analog stick as the mouse, and one of the buttons to click... dream come true.

And no telcos charging me crazy recurring fees.

[H.264 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Who wouldn't want to write programs for such a nice piece of hardware?

On a related note, can software be run off of the memory sticks? Could a community be built for downloadable programs for the PSP as is? If not, that is definitely a reason to get Linux onto it.

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

anarchists or not.. this whole 'fighting tooth and nail for support' says alot about linux..

so does the iTunes hack..

what a bunch of neato cool dudes

[Peter_Newter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

this is just in!!!!

In a few hours microsoft will give a private conference about the future of X-Box.
Some people have said that Microsoft is going to demostrate a handheld option of the Xenon!!
I think a Xbox portable is gonna blow the PSP away for sure!

[Epivanilson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

just one quote from the site...
"Only a small majourity is qualified for the project"
...I hope the "big minority" isn't too sad they didn't get involved
:)

[max909 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I am very sorry looking at this site. This is a simple approach to make money out of Google Ads. Why the hell we are not going to learn that whenever such a sites are formed there is more to 'HACK' then to make money. I am very disappointed by looking at that site and i think sites like engadget and similars should not be promoting such attempts.

[Kroc Camen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Sorry, but I find the idea of running firefox on a PSP with a screen *that* good is actually useful. Afterall, I don't think I can rely on the commercial world to provide me with acceptable internet access on PSP that isn't spammed to hell and locked into the provider's service only.

This is one of the better Linux-on-toaster ideas that has come around, this would be a genuine advantage for a very capable machine.

Just sort out a decent interface you loons! If I see KDE on that thing, I'm going to throw it at a wall!

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

"If something has a hard drive RAM or flash media you try to put linux on it."

now wait a minute... there is an Airport Base Station version of Linux out there. and it has no hard drive... no display... and only built-in on-board memory. so they aren't even really needing *that* much hardware to want to put Linux on it.

in my opinion... it's cool (i guess) to try and port an OS to as many different platforms as possible... just because you can. but more time could really be spent on making the desktop Linux realistically viable than putting Linux on every piece of hardware ever released. it's representative of a lack of focus in some ways that will eventually just keep Linux a hobbyist OS. which is dumb... cause it has the capability of being taken much more seriously by the everyman mainstream society.

that said... a PSP version of Linux loaded up with a ton of emulators would be totally cool. and maybe support for a USB keyboard would be good too.

[jake with a snake @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

The picture has a watermark from PSP-Vault. Content swiping...again? I thought you WIN guys were past that.

[configuration @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Umm.. why is my image posted on Engadget without my permission?

[Crypt0 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Linux is already becoming somthing more than just a hobby. If you havn't noticed Microsoft has actually started paying attention to Linux, and has stated that the future is not in software, but the 24/7 help that comes with it. Microsoft addressing anything except for its bugs means somthing must be up. Also, many companies i've visited only use Linux, as it is more secure than windows.

Back to the topic...which im not sure of. Is it yelling at the people who are porting linux to the PSP? or actually putting linux on a PSP?

For the first topic, why would you make fun of people who want to do somthing? Seriously, if you want windows, then port it yourself... You shouldn't get angry cuz people are active in a community.

Second topic: Linux on a PSP would be pretty awesome. When sony releases a usb keyboard, or any 3rd company does, a Linux distro would be sweet. Keep up the good work!

[winrar @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

The picture has a watermark from PSP-Vault. Content swiping...again? I thought you WIN guys were past that

[Vincent @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Seems pretty sweet. I don't understand the gripes about putting linux on anything. It's a powerful, versatile piece of programming--and so, why the eff not?

I'd love to see what new exciting things the reverse engineering will reveal about this beautiful piece of hardware. Surely, Sony didn't give away ALL its secrets when they released this thing. (I'm thinking along the lines of the mic in the iPod's earbud--an asset Apple didn't really openly say the iPod had.) So we'll see. Hack away, folks, and make the few and enlightened happy in the process.

[Rom-psp @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

is anything known about PSPLinux requirements for the firmware version of the PSP? Can you run this on 1.5 only or will it work on 2.0 too?

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

The allure of Linux on PSP is not simply that it will run linux... The new firmware versions disable the PSP's ability to run home made games and the like. If you like to code your own stuff, or just want to watch movies/listen to music/browse/chat, then linux is the way to go (unless you want to stick with the outdated firmware). I don't know if they'll be able to get commercial games to run on it, but if they do that would be AWESOME.

The main reason I might want PSP linux is that I could have irc, aim, and ssh on my PSP without having to do it through a website. I wouldn't sacrifice my game playing ability for that though, but it might be worth it for others.

Good luck PSP linux!

[nolovelust @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Thats brilliant, is it legal to hack it?

[BeauIXI @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

That's great! Could you connect to the internet using Wi-Fi?

I like new games and all, but the classics are just too great to be ignored. Chrono Trigger on PSP? Maybe even a Playstation Emulator, where you could play Final Fantasy anywhere you went? The sky's the limit!

Well, at least, the hardware's the limit...

[[e-mail] @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I am waiting for somebody to crack for the PSP version 2.5.

[Killah @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

This is dead... Wonder why.. :(

[Joe Mama @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Yuk. Why degrade the PSP?

[Xaiver @ Jan 3rd 2006 8:38PM]

What's up with the Account Suspended Message..

I home this effort is not dead....



X.

[Xaiver @ Jan 4th 2006 11:30AM]

Hope that is...



We must keep hope Alive!!!