LWN: Comments on "AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released"

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Zane — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:04:39 +0000

Does AsbestOS not grant access to the GPU?

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

shapr — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:47:33 +0000

Actually, Cell-specific software uses something like NUMBER_OF_SPUS when executing, thus the software is not written for 6 or 8 SPUs specifically.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

yoshi314 — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:47:28 +0000

there are news that you no longer need such >40K device. and as low as 16K one is enough (which is pretty common). there are people reporting that it works for them, even on slim ps3 models.

http://psx-scene.com/forums/570113-post9.html

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Kamilion — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:11:05 +0000

Woo! Finally, something to do with my old ps3 with the busted bluray drive! Just ordered an X3Max, apparently one of the better jailbreak devices out there; with 128K of flash and a MicroSDHC slot. We'll see how well it can do with AsbestOS. If not, I'll pick up an Arduino Mega 2560.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

littlesandra88 — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:44:49 +0000

Marcan just wrote a comment about the 3D driver.

"3D will likely steal bits of nouveau, at least the userspace side. The kernel side of nouveau is pretty much worthless because we dont get direct access to the hardware, but instead we need to marshal through the hypervisor. In a way, the hypervisor implements the part of the graphics driver that is normally implemented in the kernel.

So yes, whenever (proper) 3D arrives, it should be Gallium-based."

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Trelane — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:26:30 +0000

Because it's one more of something you were already given access to vs a wholly different class of hardware that was kept under strict lock and key? Because it brings in the ability to frickin' finally do 3D instead of pure 2D under strict emulation?

You'd have to pay IBM, Mercury, or Fixstars thousands for a cell CPU in general, number of SPUs aside. That was why I wanted a PS3.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

ballombe — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:30:09 +0000

Technically the PS3 does not have 8 SPU but only 7, and with the OtherOS system, you had acces to 6 SPU anyway (plus the two CPU cores), so AsbestOS only give you access to one extra SPU; and since there is no software designed for exactly 7 SPU, you will not get much extra power.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

robert_s — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:02:27 +0000

I would disagree.

How is access to a slightly customized, slightly outdated nvidia GPU interesting?

An 8-SPU Cell, on the other hand, is something that you would otherwise have to pay IBM several thousands for.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

daniel — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:49:22 +0000

Meow......

XBox 360 kernel patches

ntl — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:42:23 +0000

No, they are not in mainline, nor have they been submitted in a long time.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Trelane — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:17:30 +0000

I have a fat PS3 I specifically bought to run Linux (and to play the occasional game; I'd not dreamed that Sony would actually saw off advertised features after the sale.. silly me.)

I also welcome it, but that's not the same as thinking it's nearly as important (metric is perhaps "unveiling previously veiled, interesting things") as the 3D hardware getting exposed whereas before (under OtherOS) it was locked away.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

littlesandra88 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:35:33 +0000

NASA have a PS3 cluster. I am sure they will be delighted to hear that they now get +14% extra compute power on each node =)

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Trelane — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:28:29 +0000

The seventh SPE isn't a big deal; it's more or less pure reclamation of the one the VM was reserving for itself.

The bigger deal IMHO is access to the 3D hardware.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

littlesandra88 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:12:28 +0000

It is just that this particular site never cites other sites, even when it clearly rips off LWN.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

littlesandra88 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:08:04 +0000

Have the XBox 360 kernel patches been upstreamed?

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

robert_s — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:06:25 +0000

"you also get access to a seventh SPE (needs a kernel patch to enable)"

I think it will be very interesting to see if this feature ever goes into upstream, as Sony would consider anybody ever using this to be doing so "illegally".

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

DOT — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:54:05 +0000

This is not an LWN exclusive. All sites will 'steal' this from LWN, and if they are any good they will cite the source, not LWN.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

Trelane — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:29:28 +0000

Hahahahahaha

*gaaaaaaasp*

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Obligatory Star Wars quote about grips tightening and star systems slipping between fingers.

AsbestOS PS3 bootloader released

littlesandra88 — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:12:33 +0000

This news story will be stolen by another site starting with P and ending with X, without any credits. Just wait and see :(