How to get Fedora 8 on PS3

[xaoslaad]

Thought that I would share, that there is now a way to get F8 on a PS3. You need to copy the installation to another computer from which you can export an nfs share.

The process is pretty much spelled out by David Woodhouse here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=370761

Once videocard.py is place in RHupdates/rhpxl/ (within the installation root on the nfs server) the installation will proceed normally if you do an nfs install using the boot.iso image.

I wasn't able to get the graphical install working, however typing 'linux text' at the kboot prompt got the text installation work routine working normally. I also had to boot off the PPC DVD after the fact using 'linux rescue' so that I could change fstab to

/dev/ps3da1 / ext3 defaults 1 1
...
/dev/ps3da2 swap swap defaults 0 0

since the labels didn't work. I also changed yaboot.conf to read append="video=480p rhgb quiet root=/dev/ps3da1"

once again instead of using the label for root.

If you weren't able to get the graphical install to work either then you may as well edit /etc/inittab here as well, so that you can use the graphical environment. Change id:3:initdefault: to id:5:initdefault:

Things should work properly from here.

[billb]

Thanks -- I saw the post on bugzilla but I haven't done a "nfs install" before.

I'm tempted to try it, but my Fedora 7 PPC install is running so well, now, I just hate to mess with it. It is even rebooting properly back to the Game OS, now.

[xaoslaad]

Doing an nfs install is very easy actually. You need to copy the contents of the PPC install DVD to a location on your Linux PC's hard drive. For simplicities sake you could place it in /ppcinstall

Once you have done that create the directory /ppcinstall/RHupdates/rhpxl and place the videocard.py David Woodhouse made available in there.

Next step involves exporting the directory via nfs. You just need to know what network address your PS3 will connect from. For instance, I knew my PS3 would obtain an IP address on the network 192.168.1.0/24, so as root I created a /etc/exports that read

/ppcinstall 192.168.1.0/24

Then as root run /etc/init.d/nfs start. Note that that i a VERY basic exports file, so you probably don't want your server running all times of the day without more effort put into itl just initiate a /etc/init.d/nfs stop when you are done with the install, and save off the exports file somewhere else until your sure you don't need it.

Boot your PS3 with the boot.iso image (bearing in mind a graphical install may or may not work...) and when the information for the server comes up enter the ip address of the pc hosting your ppc install and for the directory enter /ppcinstall

From there the installation should take off more or less properly.

Now that it's up and running F8 does shutdown and boot into the game OS properly, however soft reboots just keep booting back into Linux, even after changing the boot flag. Good enough in my book, albeit not perfect.

Everything else appears to be working well, except for an issue with totem-xine/vlc from the livna repositories possibly to do with pulse audio. totem-xine crashes, and VLC has no audio playback. Sound is working though, so not entirely sure where the bug lies...

[xaoslaad]

Might be easier. Someone posted this in the bug linked above as a work around. Type

linux xdriver=fbdev

at the kboot prompt when booting off the F8 DVD and install should run normally. Haven't tried it, but much less of a PIA than the NFS install.

[billb]

Might be easier. Someone posted this in the bug linked above as a work around. Type

linux xdriver=fbdev

at the kboot prompt when booting off the F8 DVD and install should run normally. Haven't tried it, but much less of a PIA than the NFS install.

That does look like much less of a pain ... I'll give it a try when I have a chance.

Thanks!

[jjlevek]

I tried,

It works perfectly, graphic install too.

thanks for the tip, very useful

JJ

[billb]

OK, I just installed Fedora 8 on my PS3 last night. The linux xdriver=fbdev command worked perfectly. Thanks!

As with Fedora 7, the graphical install ran in the bordered video mode so a portion of the screen wasn't visible. So I still had to use the F12 key to progress through the installer since the Next button was off the screen.

I wonder if there's a way to change the video mode before running the installer ... ? If it wasn't in the "bordered" mode it would be fine, and I don't see where that would make it any worse for someone installing on a SDTV.

Guess I need to change my sig now ...

We could put together a guide for new PS3 users and see if it can be made "sticky" here in PPC...

It should be mentioned that (currently) in the Fedora 7 and 8 release notes , in section 6.2.4, that, "A suitable boot loader image is located on the Fedora 8 install media." But there is not PS3 boot loader on the media for F7 or F8. The boot loader is on the Cell Addon CD located here:

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kern...le/geoff/cell/

Specifically, the otheros.bld file can be downloaded from [EDIT: dead link removed] (right-click, Save As, needs to be on a CD or memory card in this location: /PS3/otheros/otheros.bld)

I have already written instructions for changing the video mode:
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=162637

And installing Java in Firefox (I'm assuming this still works in F8, haven't tried yet):
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=163332

EDIT: The java plugin in Firefox as mentioned above appears to install correctly and shows up in the list of plugins, but doesn't appear to be working properly. Not sure if you need to install something else, also, or if its a different version of IBM java that is the problem, or my install method ...

EDIT: Updated link to bootloader to point to the latest version. Corrects a problem with the old version and PS3 FW 2.1.

EDIT: Removed direct link to bootloader since it appears to be a moving target. Just get the latest one from:
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kern...le/geoff/cell/
Should be in the Cell Linux Addon / PS3 / otheros folder. The file name is: otheros.bld

[Carl B]

Hi there,

I've got Fedora 8 installed successfully, but whenever I try to get into Gnome from the command prompt, I get an error. Anything I'm missing here?

[chdongsh]

I have installed f8 in my ps3.But there is a problem that gnome often crash and logout easily.There isn't the problem in f7,but when update to kernel-2.6.23,the problem appears too in f7.I haven't no ideas on this.

[billb]

I have installed f8 in my ps3.But there is a problem that gnome often crash and logout easily.There isn't the problem in f7,but when update to kernel-2.6.23,the problem appears too in f7.I haven't no ideas on this.

I am experiencing this, too, with updated F8, kernel 2.6.23.1-49.fc8. Seemingly at random, the screen goes blank then I am back at the login screen. I may try updating with updates-testing enabled to see if that helps...

UPDATE: Using updates-testing didn't help. Seems to happen only during software updates? I can have Firefox, GIMP, Calculator, Evolution, RhythmBox, Transmission, multiple terminal windows, and Pidgin all open at the same time ... runs fine. Only seems to happen when installing something using pirut, yum, or yumex... so I can install / update in text mode with no problems, but not in graphic mode. But sometimes it does work OK without crashing ... argh ... going to sleep!

[billb]

Thanks -- I saw the post on bugzilla but I haven't done a "nfs install" before.

I'm tempted to try it, but my Fedora 7 PPC install is running so well, now, I just hate to mess with it. It is even rebooting properly back to the Game OS, now.

Hey billb, you should have listened to yourself...

I'm having too many difficulties with F8 at the moment ... the PulseAudio setup appears to be the cause of most of it. I'm also not sure how to get Java in Firefox -- doesn't seem to work as it did with F7. Seemingly random crashes back to the login screen ... ugh ... maybe I'll try F8 on my desktop PC, but I'm going back to F7 on the PS3.

[chdongsh]

Now I really want to know if the psubuntu is better in ps3 .

[hf206]

Hey billb, you should have listened to yourself...

I'm having too many difficulties with F8 at the moment ... the PulseAudio setup appears to be the cause of most of it. I'm also not sure how to get Java in Firefox -- doesn't seem to work as it did with F7. Seemingly random crashes back to the login screen ... ugh ... maybe I'll try F8 on my desktop PC, but I'm going back to F7 on the PS3.

Hi bilb and all other,

Quite new on this forum, I'm going to add sometimes my comments on linux and PS3.

I was using YDL 5.02 till PS3 GameOs 2.0 which have crash my linux install (very low system running,....).

I'm using FC 8 till one weeks now.

I have the same issue :

gnome session closing itself,..

But my main issue is that i didn't get any sound from the optical output when using vlc or xine.

The sound card detectection tool provide sound but when using vlc and forcing the different audio output device type I get NO sound.

What about you guys ?

[billb]

But my main issue is that i didn't get any sound from the optical output when using vlc or xine.

The sound card detectection tool provide sound but when using vlc and forcing the different audio output device type I get NO sound.

What about you guys ?

I had similar troubles with sound -- only working in the test on the detection tool (which runs as root ... hmm ?). A search of the forum here reveals a lot of difficulties with the PulseAudio setup. I started reading about it here:
http://www.pulseaudio.org/wiki/PerfectSetup

But having the session suddenly close itself out and go back to the login screen was too much for me.

On one hand I want to stay in F8 and try to help get things working (even if all I can do is test and report) but on the other, F7 works fine for me and I don't get any significant improvements by going to F8 on the PS3... will probably give it a try on the PC, though.

[hf206]

Bilb,

I will try to read the perfectsetup audio guide to have sound.