back to article Linux on PS3 white flag

Sony has offered up a settlement in its long-running Linux-on-PS3 class action, and as many as 10 million owners could be in line for a payout. When it first shipped, the PlayStation 3 was celebrated by Penguinistas as the first gaming console that could boot up Linux out-of-the-box. It quickly regretted the decision, because …

  1. Dadmin

    Great. Can I get a PS3 and run Linux on it yet? (no)

    This just reimburses the poor folks who thought Sony wasn't a fucking complete asshole org. Remember when they shipped a rootkit on their crappy music CDs a few year back? Yeah, THAT bunch of assholes. Anyway, this is only a payout, they are not going to update the firmware to let normal people use Linux on it. Are they? It would be too little too late, AFAIC. YMMV.

    1. asdf

      Re: Great. Can I get a PS3 and run Linux on it yet? (no)

      Yeah they only did it in the first place to get that lower EU tariff on PCs vs game consoles. Funny how quick they lost interest once it became clear that wasn't going to happen. Oh well Linux capability or not mine now serves pretty much exclusively as in my 5yo words for Minecraft on the TV.

  2. Long John Brass
    Linux

    Here is an idea

    When $company decides to drop support for $hardware; they are then legally obliged to open the $hardware platform.

    wailing and gnashing of teeth in 3, 2 1....

  3. tom dial Silver badge

    I look forward to receiving my $55; hopefully possession of the machine will provide me enough documentation. I might even dust off the old PS3 and install a more recent Linux if I can find one.

  4. Annihilator

    Rather difficult to prove

    How on earth do you prove whether you installed an OS or not in the past? My PS3 has been through about 4 hard drives since I last saw the "Install Other OS" option included in the firmware...

    But regardless, I hope everyone who bought a PS3 applies and absolutely rinses Sony. Was atrocious behaviour at the time and the fact it's taken over a decade to resolve is an embarrassment.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Rather difficult to prove

      You had to buy YDL. If you didn't buy YDL then you ain't getting nowt.

      Sony should just cross charge the hacker that got it removed.

      1. DrXym

        Re: Rather difficult to prove

        I downloaded and burned YDL to disc. I'm probably one of the miniscule % of people who bothered with the feature or had any intention of using it. It was neat to get going but in truth YDL ran pretty badly on the PS3 because there was a hypervisor in the way and the CPU wasn't designed for out of order execution. The main use someone might have had for it is to get at the SPUs.

        It was hardly surprising Sony dropped the OtherOS when a viable hypervisor attack became possible. It would have been refined into a burnable ISO that would have been used to boot and root the console.

  5. djack

    Just a pity it's only for our friends over the pond.

    1. FIA Silver badge

      Just a pity it's only for our friends over the pond.

      In the UK you've already got recourse against the retailer. Goods have to be fit for purpose and as advertised. If you bought a PS3 to run linux when this was removed you had a pretty good argument for compensation under existing statutory rights. (IANAL, E&OE, Your home may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments, etc etc).

  6. Charles 9

    White flag?

    If it really was a white flag, they'd be allowing Linux again, with full hardware support. This is nothing but an attempted bribe. Why hasn't Sony been criminally charged with fraud for the bait-and-switch?

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