William Hartley: With PSN still down, hackers return Linux to the PlayStation 3

Sunday, May 8, 2011

With PSN still down, hackers return Linux to the PlayStation 3

It all began when a young man named George Hotz began to work on the PlayStation 3, trying to gain access to the machine in a way that made Sony uncomfortable. In response, Sony removed the OtherOS functionality of the PlayStation 3 in a mandatory update, and the hacking community was not happy with this decision, resulting in a sort of cold war. PS3 hackers have once again gained the upper hand: Linux has been returned to the PlayStation 3.

There are a few limitations in terms of the models you can use to access this new custom firmware, but now you'll be able to use Linux with the full support of the hardware, without Sony setting up arbitrary barriers. Here are the features supported:

Into HV integrated OtherOS bootloader loader (compatible with OtherOS bootloader on 3.15)
OtherOS bootloader is booted directly from HV, no GameOS is involved.
Process of booting OtherOS bootloader loader is very similar to 3.15 method
Booting Linux from HDD/USB/BD/Network
Linux with GameOS rights
Full access to all HV SS services (Dispatcher Manager) from GameOS or Linux
Full access to all System Manager services
Ability to create/modify/remove repository nodes in LPAR 1 (e.g. with ps3dm-utils or ps3hvc-utils).
This ability gives you much power over the whole system because many layers of PS3 use repository nodes to exchange information.
Enabled QA mode in Update Manager
Downgrading without USB dongle or Service Mode
Ability to deactivate/activate HDD/VFLASH encryption (e.g. with ps3stor-utils)
Support for ps3-utils. You can flash new OtherOS bootloader from Linux e.g.

Enabling Linux support is not an easy process, and it's certainly not optimized for people who aren't already well-versed in this sort of thing, but it's out, it's freely available, and it improves on the original implementation of the OtherOS functionality.

Sony is still bleeding from its wounds, and this is just twisting the knife in a little deeper. A quote at the top of the page, directed at Sony, sums it up: "My hardware, my rules. I brought back what you took away."

Read the comments on this post