Linux on Microsoft's Xbox video game console

I know Microsoft was offering a big reward to the first one who sucessfully did it. Something like $20,000. Not sure what's happened with that.

Also, when modded with Linux or not, you can download games easily and play them.

Are you sure it was Microsoft? IIRC, it was the Lindows character who offered the money.

Hmmm, I could of swore it was Microsoft. I go to the TeamXbox forums and I remember something big on it.


I have a link about it but it doesn't work anymore. I'll try searching the forums.

Ok, sorry about that, it wasn't Microsoft.


You're right Robot Janus, it was Michael Robertson (chief executive of Lindows) who was offering $200,000.

I forget, here's the link:


http://www.forbes.com/2003/01/03/0103facesam.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=

so the whole point is to be able to download games? Well I don't have Microsoft's Xbox video game conso but it would seem wierd to put an operating system on the Xbox.

hmmmm....

Well joe, from what I understand the Xbox wasn't easy to hack. It could then be open source and tweaking is available. I could show you some videos of a game called Halo in which they hacked it and did incredible things to the game but you said you don't have an Xbox and you wouldn't know what it was like before.

New menus, more memory, bigger harddrives...modding it opens up alot of doors. Add a mod chip and stream anything from your pc and play them on your tv. Downloading Xbox games and playing games from another system being one of them, not to mention region-free games. You could basically turn it into a pc, running software on it, getting email and browsing the web from you tv.

Then there's the people who hate Microsoft and will do it because just because Microsoft made it .

I think M$ would try to take a hint and make there game console into allot of the things you just mentioned anyway. (for the same price of course)

I've heard a rumor about streaming from you pc to your tv.

With the Xbox2, we'll probably see something Tivo like however again it's something they're talkin about.


They don't want some features because they say it'll lean more towards a pc and not a home console. They were also mentioning about browsing the web from you Xbox.

Something to think about is if it had all those features would you still want to but it?

Would you want it to be more like a pc or would you just want entertainment from a good ol' console?


Some knock it and say it's already too pc-ish.

It was only a matter of time until this happened. Inside the shell, it's basically a computer with a custom made keyboard (mind you, the controller is almost as big as one anyway ). Microsoft shouldn't have even tried to enter the video game market. All other video game systems are built for games, but M$ decided that they can probably make a couple of million$ from it, and that's why they will bail out in a year or two.

IMO Ryan, I totally disagree with you.


Microsoft innovated alot of things with the Xbox.

Dolby Digital 5.1 during gameplay in 99.9% of games, the ability to listen to your music you burn on the harddrive during select games, and ethernet port in the back for easy online play, high definition availibility, the ability to download new levels, new costumes, new bots, etc.. in the respected games from Xbox Live while also being able to do the same from the demo disk from the OXM magazine. The Xbox is also really easy to develop for which is alot more than you can say for the Ps2.


It's hard to compete with the Ps2 because it had a head start not to mention all the years the first Ps was out gaining a huge fanbase. The Xbox's release games were alot better than the Ps2's games at release.

Halo for the Xbox has set a new standard in FPS.


In 2005, the Xbox2 and Ps3 will release at the same time being no more than a week spread out from each other. The Xbox is actually doin pretty well now entering it's second year from release.


The Xbox is already out-doing or out selling the Gamecube and I think the Xbox2 will really give the Ps3 a run for it's money in 2005. When it comes down to it though, it's really all better for gamers.

At first I also thought that all the features of the Xbox were bloat, but now that I've experienced Xbox Live as well as custom soundtracks on games that would be terrible if I had to listen to its soundtrack for hours on end, it's definitely becoming my favorite system.

Yeah I hear you RB, though some games don't need the custom soundtrack feature you know.

Dolby Digital 5.1 and high definition were to me some of it's best features.

I can't say I have Live yet though I plan on gettin it soon. What's your tag so I can look you up?

So how different is the Xbox from a PC as far as gaming goes?
Xbox IS a PC after all.

Sure, the Xbox is based on traditional PC hardware, and even runs at its core the base of Win2k and DirectX - but it's still as much of a PC, or as little of a PC as any other game system.

Which is to say - yes, they're computers. They're just highly specialized computers.

Just look under the hood of the Gamecube, does it sound like you're talking about a 'PC' or a 'Game System'?

CPU: IBM Power PC "Gekko", 485Mhz
GPU: "Flipper" - an ATI designed chipset.
Expansion: 1 Type III PCMCIA

And I don't think this thread really hit on the -main- reason for running Linux on an Xbox.

It's the same reason there's an OpenBSD port for the Dreamcast really.

Why? Because you /can/.

You got to it before me kthxbye and you really hit it on the head.


If you really wanted to know how the Xbox works paxx here's a link from another forum which says it all and then some. It is also compares in depth the Xbox vs Gamecube.



http://forums.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18182


And because of the Xbox's architecture it is much easier to develop games for compared to the other two.

I don't want a comparison between XBox and other consoles. I want to know the difference between the XBox and a PC. I don't have a gaming station and I don't see the point.
Can somebody convince me?

Well paxx, that link while comparing the Xbox to a Gamecube also explains how it works.

The fact is, the Xbox is like a pc and different from a pc.

Here are some qoutes from a different source

For example, there does not exist an XGPU-level graphics processor available for PC combined with unified memory architecture (UMA) and a stripped down Windows 2000 kernel optimized for a game console. PlayStation 2 and GameCube are even more different from a PC design.

Unlike a traditional PC, Xbox uses a unified memory architecture where all processors access the same 64 Mbytes of DDR memory. A 128-bit, 6.4-Gbyte/s bus connects the DDR memory bank to the XGPU, where memory-access traffic is managed. Additionally, an AMD HyperTransport bus connects the XGPU and MCPX, and a 64-bit, 1-Gbyte/s bus links the Pentium III CPU and Nvidia XGPU.

More conventional PC-like touches include a single, daisychained flat-ribbon cable to connect the hard-disk and DVD-ROM drives to the motherboard. A separate internal power supply assembly provides power to the board via a 12-wire cable assembly.

Nearly 1,300 components populate the Xbox, exclusive of the DVD assembly, hard drive and controllers-pretty fancy pieces of design by themselves. Spread across seven separate circuit-board assemblies are 29 ICs and 1,248 discretes, passives and connectors. Yet the total semiconductor die area is 5.3 cm2-less than some cell phones and PDAs.



So, when it comes down to it, these consoles are built like a pc and then differ from a pc optmized for gaming.


I, like many other people, prefer sittin down on a big screen playing on a console pc like or not, with surround sound and the comfort of your couch/chair.

I'm not sure by your last post if you were considering buying a console.

There is also the fact that with consoles, they become outdated because of the rapid technology with pcs, with new graphic cards, etc., coming out every 6 months or so however like I said these consoles are optimized for gaming.


And also like I said before, because of the similarities between the Xbox and a pc, games are easier to develop for the Xbox. Pc developers are already familiar with the architecture and can therefore use this advantage and make better games.

Hmmmm... I started typing stuff about the differences between PCs and console systems - about not having to constantly download patches, or worry if your hardware will work, and all sorts of things - but in the end, the differences boil down to two things:

1. You pop the game in and you go.

2. The entire experience, is just... -different- when you're playing a game on a console as opposed to on a PC. A good example is Morrowind. I have both the PC and XBox versions of Morrowind - and understandably, the PC version beats the Xbox version hands down: higher resolution, more detailed graphics, better controls, all the customizability of the game... yet - I play the Xbox version /way/ more often than I play the PC version - and I really can't seem to explain /why/.

Console gaming is just a different experience from computer gaming.

Personally - I'll stick with both of them.

Yeah kthxbye, Morrowind is most definetly a great game. Can't say I have the pc version.


I wish Morrowind had a hook for the 2 add-ons the pc version is getting/has. Some games do have the hook.



I'll tell you one thing, Morrowind sure will keep you occupied for a couple of months .


One question kthxbye, have you experienced the dirty disc errors and freezing from Morrowind on the Xbox like I and many others have?

Also, did you hear about Sea Dogs II from Bethesda that is coming to the Xbox first?

My favorite type of games is the RPG type. Baldurs Gate kind of games, and Diablo and Myst. Among my favorite are also Warcraft, and Civilisation. I am really not a fan of first person shooters. Really not.
Am I wrong to think that those types of games play better on a PC with a mouse and a keyboard?

Well paxx, many prefer playing FPS on a pc instead of a console. One reason is because on a high end pc, you can lock in at 60fps with no problem. It's possible on the Xbox and depends on the developer. Some just like using a keyboard and mouse instead.


With a RPG, I guess it depends on one's preferences. Kthxbye and I would prefer just a paddle and sittin on the couch. Online play comes into play also but the Xbox has a great online service takin care of that.


Another reason I prefer the Xbox over a pc is like I mentioned before, surround sound. The immersion is much better and gives you a better experience all around.


Do I think you're wrong, certainly not.