Mac OS X homebrew on Xbox 360? Not likely.

A very dubious looking video of an Xbox 360 running Mac OS X has popped up on YouTube. Despite the recent revelations regarding unsigned code on the 360, the combination of the low resolution video, some strange background noise, and the out of shot mouse -- nevermind the anonymous submitter and complete lack of explanation -- means that we're not willing to accept that OS X is truly working on the Xbox just yet. The video itself shows an Xbox 360 booting into black screen with a stream of command line text, followed by an OS X desktop, and the submitter plugging in an external flash drive into the front USB port. He or she then yanks the drive, and the usual warning about unplugging devices without dismounting them appears in a timely fashion. Hardly evidence that would stand up in the court of Mac geekery, but that said, previous teasers have hinted at OS X running on the Xbox 360: even if this particular example isn't real, it can only be a matter of time before someone else comes out with a similar hack, and some clearer proof to go with it.

[Thanks, Paul]

[michael @ Apr 22nd 2007 5:58PM]

Exactly what's the point of running Linux, or any other OS, especially OSX on a Xbox 360? Shouldn't a computer be different from your TV? Or is this the age where everything has to be done on one thing?

I don't see any point in doing this.

[ravuya @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:05PM]

It seems possible if the Xbox360 is actually a CHRP machine as one of the previous 'homebrew Linux' videos asserted.

However, not having a lot of knowledge of how OS X manages bootloading on PPC (or even if the New World Macs implemented CHRP) I remain cautious about being too optimistic about it.

[Akbar @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:08PM]

I know for a fact that this is a complete fake. I am running OSX on my intel (windows) machine through x86 hacks, and I get the same exact thing at boot. And besides, the only way you get that last second of code (white text on black) on the booting screen is when you're running it off an IDE hard drive. Since the Xbox 360 doesn't have IDE and uses SATA, it's not true. Also, even on my wintel machine, I had to download special drivers and hacks for my video card and cpu, and still didn't get absolutely perfect performance like this guy. Therefore, he is a hoax and should burn.

[ravuya @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:18PM]

Um, if you run OS X in single-user or verbose mode at the bootloader, regardless of PPC or Intel Macintosh, you can get the console on boot.

Just hold V (or is it command-V?) on any OS X Macintosh and you should get something similar, or provide -v to the mac-boot command in Open Firmware on PPC machines.

Not that it's not necessarily a hoax.

[Paul @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:32PM]

Akbar, you don't really know much with x86 hacks do you? the white text on black doesn't mean you have IDE, its verbose mode (-v) on boot. i have sata on my laptop with x86 hackingtosh and i get that as default after the install of a hacked osx.

[Akbar @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:57PM]

Sorry about that guys you're right. However, I still doubt the guy booted osx off a 360. Wouldn't they do Windows first?

[Penguin Warlord @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:23PM]

I think that people would want to run an os off their gaming console because gaming consoles are much cheaper than pcs. Instead of running media center extender software off your elite 360 why not make it it's own media center so that you can record tv shows directly onto your 120gb hard drive. I would definately consider doing this especially if their was very easy removal.

[AndrewNeo @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:40PM]

Not only that, but I don't even think you can -buy- a triple core processor for $300 (and if you took out everything else that comes with the 360 it'd be even less)

[eh @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:26PM]

Why is it connected to a standard computer monitor? I think thats the biggest giveaway. That little monitor sure as hell doesnt have HDTV input. It would be more likely that it would have to be run through a TV, almost nobody buys those VGA cable connectors for consoles. Also its missing the mandatory "About This Mac" shot everyone and their grandma does to show its not a regular mac.

[Grant @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:14PM]

the xbox 360 actually has a VGA cable output as one of the 3 you can buy for it, and it's actually fairly common since most moniter's native resolution is at least 720P, and most people don't have HD tvs, so it's a cheap solution to using your 360 in HD, as for the video.

as for the video, if you want ANY credibility, don't smear petroleum jelly on the lens before filming. Oh, and the power light(in the center, not neccesarily the ring which indicates controllers connected) on the console should be on as well.

[Bob @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:45PM]

Ya he got mac osx... but uhhhh can it still work as a 360 other wise whats the point of another mac... ?

[Christopher Price @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:51PM]

It won't even come close to confident about these batches of (fake) videos until someone posts a (working) OpenFirmware shell set of screenshots. And yes, I'll know if they're fake or not. Any idiot can put an OF screenshot on their TV. A true hacker will know what to type into it to make it work.

And no, I'm not confident it will ever happen. Microsoft probably has an OF-loader for the system... I doubt it will ever leak out, as it is probably one of the most guarded pieces of Xenon code.

- Christopher Price
http://www.phonenews.com

[Alexander @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:11PM]

I'm going to say this one is plausible. The timing on the USB drive is pretty good, but as other posters have noted the startup text is VERY familar to those who have PC's--it looks like a BIOS POST screen, which a 360 would not have, as it has no BIOS.

And at the end, when they shut it down... The green light turned off. Not many people commenting on that, eh? Yea. Watch it all the way to the end, and you'll see as they shut it down it actually turns off the light when the screen goes black.

Sure, nothing that couldn't be done with timing... but it'd be awfully hard to time it that good methinks.

Can't confirm it myself (don't own a 360 or a Mac) but it's just a bit too good to deny at this point. I'm calling plausible, until I see evidence otherwise.

[max @ Apr 23rd 2007 6:35AM]

The timing? Do you not understand what everyone's getting at?

I'm pretty sure he has another computer by his feet. When he puts in the USB disk into the Xbox, his mates on the floor making sure he inserts it at precisely the same time.

As for the light going off, his mate could just turn off the power at the mains. Doesn't take a genius to work that out. He could probably do it all by himself, especially since we never see the guy throughout the video.

Calling fake, if I had done this breakthrough, I would have almost certainly clicked 'about this mac'. That would have stopped the doubters

[Sefirosu @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:18PM]

Hm, I say bullshit.

If you look closely at the initial startup screen, you can clearly see a PC BIOS enumerating it's devices followed bt the "Darwin" bootloader as it is used by the various hacks available to install OSX on a regular PC... this one is fake.

However, I'd be curious if OSX would run under Linux using MacOnLinux on the 360... and the PS3. Since they are both PPC based it may work... someone tried ? ;)

[ravuya @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:23PM]

Hm, I think you're right -- that does look like standard PC bios to me, and it seems to be saying "Darwin/x86" at the bootloader.

Of course the 360 has a "BIOS," just not the PC BIOS.

[Reg Muffet @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:18PM]

Simply coming full circle...

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspx?i=2420&p=5

Check out the last 3 pictures on the page (with captions indicating what they are).

[2ASquared @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:19PM]

It took me quite a while to get OS X running on my intel machine, I can't imagine what it would take to get it working on 360.

[andy @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:51PM]

getting osx to run on ANY ppc machine that isnt made by apple is impossible, to my knowledge, its never been done, not even on the ibm machines, the chances of ppc osx running on a CELL processor, thats not the same as a powerpc is very slim, this is VERY fake, it wouldnt install on non apple hardware and osx would need fundamental changes to run that nice on a different cpu.

[andy @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:56PM]

not to mention the os is pretty snappy on an xboxs small amout on ram

[Mike10010100 @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:25PM]

WOULD YOU STOP CALLING IT A CELL PROCESSOR?!?

[AndrewNeo @ Apr 22nd 2007 9:59PM]

Because Windows won't run on a PowerPC, whereas Mac OS X came out for it first?

[t-bone @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:16PM]

1999 called, they want their low-quality video back. I can't believe it is 2007 and people can't take at least decent pictures or video.

[Deezee @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:16PM]

I just got my XBox OS to run on my Mac Pro.

[Ayle @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:02AM]

Shouldnt it be easier to do that on a ps3 since it was designed to run other os?

[Dan @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:34AM]

Perhaps its just really a mac (or hacked pc) running in the background, and in xbox 360 infront for show? And someone just unplugs a device when it shows it being unplugged from the xbox, and its turned off by the controller when it shows it being shut down?

Fooled so easily.

[taylor @ Apr 23rd 2007 12:35AM]

Who wants to bet someone stuffed a mini into a stripped console and modified the boot screens a little to look like mac boot screens!!

[vipFREAK @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:09AM]

Be funny if that's just a PC with an OSx skin, then again I don't know how easy it is to get it looking like a PC period.

[Somebody @ Apr 23rd 2007 6:07AM]

This is a total fake.
I'm guessing he has somebody there plugging in and unplugging a USB device.
Also why would he have it on a monitor not a TV screen, and how is he moving the cursor around, nothing is connected because you can see that the ring of light is not on.
And to turn it off it was well timed switch off from the mains.
He needs to show where the cable from the back of the 360 is going, then I will beleive it.

[Mike10010100 @ Apr 23rd 2007 5:08PM]

OMG! So fake!

To springboard off of what one guy said earlier, but not only does the xbox's light go off, but so does the monitor's! When is the last time you saw a monitor's light go off when the computer shuts down? You usually have to turn it off afterwards, and it turns orange.

I can see it all now, he has the xbox, mac(pc running macX?), and screen hooked onto one surge protector, and when the mac/pc shuts down, he switches it off with his foot, and down goes xbox, screen, and mac/pc.

[Sliggy @ Jun 26th 2007 9:56AM]

Look at the comments on this video, this is 100% real, in a way. Sombody modded their 360 so there is an intel PC inside the case. I quote from a couple of the comments:
"idiots . . .
this is an intel pc crammed inside a 360 case. Take a look here and notice the surroundings.
freewebs(dot)com/electric0ant/xbox360pc.htm"
"Well most you you seem pretty angry, seriously comeon its only a joke. whereas other are complete idiots, and have so little knowledge about what is actually inside computers and consoles.

time to shed the light, this is actually my modded xbox 360 pc, i have modded a pc into my xbox 360. I will be posting up pictures (or a link to the pictures) of the mod soon, so keep your peeled if you're still interested.
"
I rest my case.