[Cbe-oss-dev] HTTP-FUSE PS3 Linux is released

[Kuniyasu Suzaki]

Dear,

We released a kind of PS3 Linux distribution which is called
"HTTP-FUSE PS3-Linux". 
Have fun if you have time.
  HP: http://openlab.jp/oscircular/ps3/

-----
HTTP-FUSE PS3-Linux boots from Internet without Linux installation. 
The disk image is obtained by Internet Virtual Disk "HTTP-FUSE CLOOP". 
It includes Cell SDK 2.1 for PSE programming.
# It requires the installation of kboot.

Just type the options at kboot prompt. (The site depends on your
location. Please refer the usage.)
    kboot: http://aist-gate.com/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://aist-gate.com/ps3/initrd

* Requirement: 
 + DHCP service for kboot 
 + Least kboot. Old kboot can't get a kernel from HTTP server. 

* Boot scheme
 + It utilize the "kboot". kboot gets IP address and downloads kernel & initrd 
   from a HTTP server.
 + The disk image is obtained by Internet Virtual Disk "HTTP-FUSE CLOOP".
 + The boot procedure is described in the following URL figure.
     http://openlab.jp/oscircular/ps3/Cell-BOF-HTTP-FUSE.jpg

* Status of HTTP-FUSE PS3 Linux 
 + Based on Ubuntu 7.04 with CELL SDK 2.1. 
    vmlinux 7.8 MB, initrd 9.6MB 
 + Servers for boot: 2 sites in US, 2 sites in EU, 1 site in JP. 
   Please select the nearest server because it is sensitive for network latency.
 + Known Bugs: 
   + Device mapper is used for temporal update on the Read/Only
     HTTP-FUSE CLOOP. It takes 64MB memory but it will be exhausted.
   + The network driver is unstable. 

* Usage 
 + In US: aist-gate.com & aist-ncl.com 
    kboot: http://aist-gate.com/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://aist-gate.com/ps3/initrd 
    kboot: http://aist-ncl.com/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://aist-ncl.com/ps3/initrd 
 + In EU: aist-easyspace.com & aist-nodo50.org 
    kboot: http://aist-easyspace.com/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://aist-easyspace.com/ps3/initrd 
    kboot: http://aist-node50.com/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://aist-nodo50.com/ps3/initrd 
 + In JP: openlab.jp 
    kboot: http://openlab.jp/oscircular/ps3/vmlinux initrd=http://openlab.jp/oscircular/ps3/initrd 

 + LOGIN ACCOUNT: 
   user name: http-fuse password: http-fuse (sudo: http-fuse ) 

 + Cache the disk image (We recommend to use this option. It makes quick boot.) 
  Make a "blcokcache" directory on the top of devices. The acceptable
  file system is "ext2/3" or "vfat". For example make "blcockcache" 
  directory on a USB memory. The device is attached before booting. 
  The downloaded block files are saved in the "blockcache" directory 
  and re-usable after booting.

* BOF
  I will talk at Ottawa Linux Symposium 2007 BOF "Distributed Cluster
  Computing on Cell/PS3".
    http://www.linuxsymposium.org/2007/view_abstract.php?content_key=98

* Previous talk
 + CELF Embedded Linux Conference: HTTP-FUSE PS3 Linux which is internet boot framework with kboot 
    PDF http://openlab.jp/oscircular/ps3/elc07_yagi.pdf

------
suzaki