[Cbe-oss-dev] Debian for PS3?

[Geert Uytterhoeven]

	Hi,

Although it's been possible to install Debian on PS3 since a long time (cfr.
http://www.keshi.org/moin/PS3/Debian/Live, or you could just use plain
debootstrap), there's no official support for PS3 in Debian yet.

So I downloaded debian-testing-powerpc-netinst.iso (dated 2008-02-20), booted
it using a self-compiled kernel and /install/powerpc/initrd.gz from the ISO
image, and installed Debian on the PS3's hard disk without any glitches!

Hence what's missing?

  - PS3 kernel support

      o Although there's now full PS3 support in plain 2.6.24 (except for
	wireless), the 2.6.24 kernel images in sid have PS3 support turned off.
	Enabling PS3 support should be a matter of changing the existing
	powerpc64 config, or adding a new one.
      o A modular kernel may need updates to some scripts to make sure all
        required modules are loaded?
      o The kernel in debian-testing-powerpc-netinst.iso is still 2.6.22, but
	as I had to compile my own kernel anyway, this doesn't matter much.

  - PS3 Boot loader support

      o There's no PS3 bootloader (otheros.bld) in Debian, which means you have
	to use e.g. the one from the PS3 Linux Distributor's Starter Kit.  To
	include an otheros.bld, e.g. kboot should be packaged, including the
	infrastructure to build an otheros.bld.
      o Apart from this, there's no support in the installer for setting up
	/etc/kboot.conf.

  - PS3 utility packages:
      o ps3-utils (new package; an older version is already packaged by Ubuntu
	as ps3pf-utils)

  - Generic Cell support packages:
      o New packages (already packaged by Ubuntu):
	  . ppu-binutils
	  . ppu-g++
	  . ppu-gcc
	  . ppu-gdb
	  . ppu-gfortran
	  . ppu-gnat
	  . spu-binutils
	  . spu-g++
	  . spu-gcc
	  . spu-gdb
	  . spu-gfortran
	  . spu-newlib
	  . spu-tools
	  . cell-gcc-testsuite
	  . cell-programming-primer
	  . cell-sdsk
	  . libspe2
	  . libspe2-dev
	  . libspe2-doc
      o Updated packages (already present in Ubuntu):
	  . spufs support in initscripts (mountkernfs.sh)

What do you think?
Thanks for your feedback!

With kind regards,

Geert Uytterhoeven
Software Architect

Sony Network and Software Technology Center Europe
The Corporate Village · Da Vincilaan 7-D1 · B-1935 Zaventem · Belgium

Phone:    +32 (0)2 700 8453
Fax:      +32 (0)2 700 8622
E-mail:   Geert.Uytterhoeven at sonycom.com
Internet: http://www.sony-europe.com/

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