back to article Fail0verflow GitHubs PS4 Linux loader

Fail0verflow has gone public with its Linux-on-PS4 loader, a little over two months after presenting an early and “ugly” version of it to the Chaos Computer Club conference in Germany. Consistent with the 32c3 conference presentation, the loader only works on firmware versions up to 1.76. The requirements are imposing for all …

  1. Mikey

    I just... why?

    "A user who gets through all of this would end up either with a PS4 running Gentoo on the 4.4 kernel, or (more likely for most users) a bricked machine."

    So, you go out, spend the money on a games console that can already do stuff like access the net, and then you either turn it into a malfunctioning lump, or put an OS on it that would have been more useful on a cheap, modularly upgradable PC that would cost the same amount or less. Other than bragging rights and epeen, I really and honestly fail to see what is to be gained by doing this. If it actually made it more useful, sure... but go back to the part about the PC being cheaper, upgradable etc.

    Frankly, if you penguins are wanting to do something unusual, write a proper replacement browser for my N900 and its aging MicroB. Now THAT would be useful!

    1. Dwarf

      Re: I just... why?

      Perhaps it's to access the immense power of the graphics subsystem.

      Research the cluster of PS3 devices used for exactly the same reason.

      The second reason is just because..

      Someone takes away your ability to dow what you want on your machine and others put it back.

      All this locked down BS doesn't benefit the customer.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I just... why? @Dwarf

        "immense power of the graphics subsystem"

        The PC is far better at that and for that! Not the mention the readily available tools, libraries and documentations. As for the PS3's clusters, it was because of the exotic CELL processor that you couldn't find in other affordable devices; the same can't be said in regards to the PS4!

        If people don't like closed/locked down systems, then they should buy open ones..... they still sell PCs, don't they?

        The real reason to jailbreak the PS4 is because of the challenge to do so, nothing else!

        Edit: which is the same reason for cracking the DRMs on games, if it wasn't hard, smart people won't try to do it!

        Forgive my EngRish, it isn't my first language!

        1. DrXym

          Re: I just... why? @Dwarf

          "The PC is far better at that and for that! Not the mention the readily available tools, libraries and documentations. As for the PS3's clusters, it was because of the exotic CELL processor that you couldn't find in other affordable devices; the same can't be said in regards to the PS4!"

          Yes that was more or less the reason at the time. The Cell pioneered what we might call GPGPU computing these days - it had 7 SPUs which were suitable for compute intensive tasks. There was even an OpenCL API for it. These days, a GPU would provide the same functionality and people have more or less wrapped their heads around the concept which was considered exotic at the time.

          Anyway, the clusters weren't booting to PSN or updating their firmware so they weren't affected when OtherOS was taken away in firmware updates. It was the threat of an exploit in the virtualization which lead Sony to remove the feature.

          "The real reason to jailbreak the PS4 is because of the challenge to do so, nothing else!"

          The person who finds the exploit enjoys the challenge and the kudos it brings. But the people who use it afterwards are mostly interested in installing custom firmware that can play pirated content. Unsurprisingly platform owners have a problem with this which is why they do everything they can to stop it happening.

          Sony got slammed when they removed OtherOS but considering the viability of an exploit and the billions of lost revenue at stake it's hardly surprising that they chose to remove it.

      2. Test Man

        Re: I just... why?

        "Someone takes away your ability to dow what you want on your machine and others put it back."

        LOL it never had Linux in the first place, in exactly the same way my Samsung non-smart TV didn't, or my BEKO cooker didn't either.

      3. Captain DaFt

        Re: I just... why?

        "Someone takes away your ability to dow what you want on your machine and others put it back."

        But why reward the entity trying to take away your ability to do what you want on your own machine by buying from them?

        It just encourages them to tighten down even further since it isn't costing sales.

        Hit'em in the wallet, buy a friendlier device instead, and force them to think about what they've done.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I just... why?

      "Why not?"

      "Because it's there"

      Pick one ... or insert your own reason of choice.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I just... why?

      I don't know about the PS4, but I modded a few original xboxes to turn them into media players (XBMC).

      One is still running in my daughter's room.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I just... why?

        I used to have an XBOX (the original one) running as a DNS server (anycast instance to be specific). In production. And it was perfectly stable - achieved over 2 years uptime. Not exaaaactly the intended use, but hey!

        AC because there is no way I'm admitting to this in public even though it wasn't exactly in a role where the world would come crashing down if it failed...

    4. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: I just... why?

      It is rather a hangover from the last generation of consoles when things like low-powered ARM boxes connected to the telly weren't easily obtainable.

    5. Ogi

      Re: I just... why?

      > Frankly, if you penguins are wanting to do something unusual, write a proper replacement browser for my N900 and its aging MicroB. Now THAT would be useful!

      Just to ask, what is wrong with Firefox or Opera on the N900? Sure out of date by modern phone browsers, but far better than microB. It is even the pre-webkit Opera, which I think was one the best out there.

      1. Mikey

        Re: I just... why?

        Firefox just seemed so godawful slow compared to MicroB, and I'll be honest, I haven't tried Opera yet because I'd actually forgotten it existed. The standard browser would be fine if it was just updated to run HTML5 properly, to be honest.

        1. Ogi

          Re: I just... why?

          Opera was the only one on the N900 that I found fast and usable, so set it as my default. Not sure if it supports HTML5 (my n900 has ceased turning on unfortunately :( ) but all sites I visited worked well and looked good up until 2015.

  2. Dan Wilkie

    I have an XBox One for playing XBox games and a PC for Linux/Win7.

    Since the only reason for the XB1 is to play XB1 games (or play online games with my friends of whom few are PC gamers) I would gain nothing from having another Linux machine sat on the same desk,

    If I didn't have a Linux machine already, and only had a PS4 and no longer wanted to play PS4 games (which would beg the question as to why I'd bought a PS4 and not a PC), then maybe there'd be a point. But only filthy casuals don't already have a Linux PC.

    #pcmasterrace

    1. AndyS

      This is about as useful as commenting, on a review of a Mondeo, "I don't need a Mondeo as I already have a Vectra. I have a quad bike too, and the Mondeo can't really do the same things my quad bike can do."

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