XBox Linux 0.1 Released!


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Yep, thanks warp2search.net for the news

In the first release Linux boots into a network-enabled state, running a web server and telnet, which allows you to log into the box from another machine. Although there is no audio or video output and input device connectivity yet, users have full control on the Xbox through the network, an Xbox with Linux can already be used as a network server, and by developers to add more features to Linux on the Xbox."

Source: www.warp2search.net

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This ridiculous little endevour by the linux zealots is only really to spite microsoft with the ultimate irony in their eyes: MS branded and manufactured hardware running Linux.

The Xbox being used as a server has no serious application in any mature business market / environment. Hmm? Do I want my datacenter administrators going out to best buy, purchasing 30 Xboxs, bringing them back to the datacenter and modding them to work with unsigned code and then loading linux onto them? NO! Not even to mention how that would look during a company audit, but you have no data redundacy (RAID), or SCSI available to you for that matter. Yes the IDE bus is exactly what I want my data being served on to my users! And I can just modify the USB controller ports to accept regular USB products, like a mouse and keyboard! And when video is finally working I can enjoy working with linux on the friendly 320x240 TV resolution, and maybe 640x480 if I'm lucky enough to have an HD TV!

For all that effort it wouldn't be easier to just go and BUY a motherboard, PIII 733 mhz processor (the xbox's chip) some ram, a NIC and a hard drve.

All sarcasm aside, this project will have no appeal to anyone but the Microsoft haters (not as many as you may think). Any talk of this being able to be used as a server for any serious traffic load is ridiculous, not to mention the glaring lack of RAID or SCSI.

My one final point, why is this recieving the fanfare it is? Look at what they have really done: Install linux on another IBM-compatible hardware platform. Heck they don't have to even optimize the or recode the kernal for a different processor architexture, its just a plane old 32bit 386 intel chip! (Looking at it like that I think Yellowdog is more of an achievement than this) Sorry, but its not so big or important when you think of it like that.

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I like the cluster part of it, go purchase some XBox's, hook em up, cluster them together with your PC, voila, you have a cheap efficient cluster on a beautiful Linux

Hopefully this will become a reality

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Originally posted by clonk

This ridiculous little endevour by the linux zealots is only really to spite microsoft with the ultimate irony in their eyes: MS branded and manufactured hardware running Linux.

...

(more pointless blabbering)

...when you think of it like that.

No one said this was going to make the next supercomputer. It's a HOBBY. People like to program. People like to make things do things they were not designed for.

With a media-capable OS on it, the X-Box turns into a full blown home entertainment package. Wanna watch DivX on your TV? You can. Wanna browse the net? You can. It's a shame you can't see the advantages of this. I for one would consider buying an X-Box if it did a little more than play games ported from Windows.

-Hatter

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may I remind you that the XBOX is using some tricky encryption on it's BIOS; it's even using ATA security on the harddrive itself.

Plus, you have to admit that you couldn't build a similar machine for under $200, could you? I mean, a simple home webserver or router on an XBOX is a great and cheap alternative to buying a bunch of parts and paying more... Too much hassle for what it's worth IMHO.

i'm just waiting for the xbox couterpart to xserverack.com :D

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timdorr - you are right that a machine of the same specs could not be purchased (or built) for 200 dollars, but what I wonder is how much effort will be required on the user end to get devices like a keyboard and mouse attached and functioning on the xbox. it would require physical modification, whether to the periferal (sp) or xbox itself. Things like this translate into time, and possibly money (to buy tools / parts for the modification). I wonder if at the end of that it would have been worth it.

I will also acknowlege that they had to work around the encryption, but come on, there isn't a program with a cd-key or copy protection that can't (and probably hasn't) been circumvented, so I don't think that a feat like beating the xbox encryption is all that impressive.

An xbox running linux used as a firewall or router may have limited uses, but when you can buy firewall / router hardware from people like Linksys for less than 200 dollars or even have a software solution handle the function for you, I couldn't justify buying a whole xbox for that (or giving it up as a gaming system, which if someone already owned one would have for that purpose).

Really the only semi-useful application to this project would be a webserver / ftp not intended for any widespread access; it would have to be personal, like you said. But with the power of desktops today you could run apache2 in windows with perhaps equal performance.

I just think that the main motivation behind this project is greed (the 200,000 dollar reward) and the desire by the linux camp to send the ultimate insult to microsoft.

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Originally posted by clonk

Ahh, a hobby that rewards 200,000 dollars upon its completion? Sounds like a bit of motivation besides liking to program lays behind this project.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/25993.html

The 200,000 prize was offered AFTER the project had started. Some people have joined because of the prize, but it isn't actually that much money split among the contestants. 1/2 of it is only given away if they get linux to work without a mod-chip.

Many people aren't in it for the money. Peopl actually write code for free and like doing it. I don't get why that's hard to understand. The challenge behind the X-Box just makes it more appealing.

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I think that ppl who think porting linux is a waste of time. Then why do they write their comments wbout this is a waste of time, or complaint that linux ppl hate M$.

For those ppl, I think there are wasting time writing about, **tching about, plus wasting the bandwidth, resources on neowin.

poop

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