Linux for PlayStation 2

Linux for PlayStation 2 (or PS2 Linux) is a kit released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2002 that allows the PlayStation 2 console to be used as a personal computer. It included a Linux-based operating system, a USB keyboard and mouse, a VGA adapter, a PS2 network adapter (Ethernet only), and a 40 GB hard disk drive (HDD). An 8 MB memory card is required; it must be formatted during installation, erasing all data previously saved on it, though afterwards the remaining space may be used for savegames. It is strongly recommended that a user of Linux for PlayStation 2 have some basic knowledge of Linux before installing and using it, due to the command-line interface for installation.

This kit has stopped being officially sold in the US as of 2003 due to the entire allocation of NTSC kits selling out. However, it is still available through some second-hand markets, such as eBay. The official site for the project was closed in June 2010[1] and communities like ps2dev[2] are no longer active.

Capabilities

Model compatibility

The original version of the PS2 Linux kit worked on only the Japanese SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000 and SCPH-18000 PlayStation 2 models. It came with a PCMCIA interface card which had a 10/100 Ethernet port and an external IDE hard drive enclosure (as there is no room inside the unit). This kit cannot be used with any later model PS2 (which includes all non-Japanese models) because these models removed the PCMCIA port.

Later versions of the PS2 Linux kit use an interface very similar to the HDD interface/Ethernet sold later for network play (the later released Network adapter was also usable with the kit, including the built-in 56k modem.) This kit locates the hard drive internal to the PS2, in the MultiBay. With this kit, only the SCPH-30000 model of PlayStation 2 is officially supported. The kit does though work equally well with models newer than SCPH-30000 with the exception that the Ethernet connection tended to freeze after a short period of use. Thus the newer SCPH-50000 PlayStation 2 model will only work correctly with PS2 Linux with an updated network adapter driver, which must be transferred to the PlayStation 2 HDD by using either an older model PlayStation 2 to transfer the driver or a Linux PC with an IDE port. Both methods involve swapping HDDs. This is due to the inability to use USB Mass Storage devices with the relatively old kernel (version 2.2.1) shipped with the kit.

The slim SCPH-70000 PlayStation 2 model does not work with PS2 Linux at all, due to the lack of a hard drive interface, though a very few early models in this revision had solder pads of an IDE interface on the motherboard that could be used (but required modding of the console, thereby voiding its warranty.) Even so, it is possible to network boot from a PXE server.

PS2 Linux installation DVDs are region encoded, as are all other PS2 game discs. A European/PAL disc will be rejected by an NTSC PlayStation 2 game system; however this is only at boot time: if the user has a mod that allows them to load a PAL disc, then the PS2 Linux boot loader supports both PAL and NTSC Linux (read the documentation to determine the button presses), so once they are past the "DVD not supported", they can boot Linux and then later start X Window in NTSC mode.

developer	Sony Computer Entertainment
family	Linux (Unix-like)
released	2002
ui	Window Maker
website	https://web.archive.org/web/20100524023205/http://playstation2-linux.com:80/ (archived from the original)
kernel type	Monolithic (Linux kernel)
working state	Discontinued
supported platforms	PlayStation 2 SCPH-50000 and earlier

Linux for PlayStation 2

Capabilities

Open-source applications

Model compatibility

Unofficial support

See also

External links

References