Running The Xbox Os On A Pc, To use the xbox operating system on a pc Options

[XeroKitsune]

After reading this thread I would say this. I don't think the XBox will have a turn your pc to a XBox operating system but more of a emulator for the PC platform.

As has been stated before in the thread, it's because of the nature of the hardware and the way video game programers make thier games. If everything was simply using only the DirectX9 then it would be a step easier, but I would wager some of the better titles have written shortcuts to optimise the games to run quicker, at a better frame rate or with sound effects that they wanted to run smoother or sync better. So to make a XBox OS you would need to use the same hardware architectue or have a emuation layer that sits between the hardware and the XBox software to interpert the commands correcty for the PC's hardware. If you simply change the Dynamic Link Library for a PC's hardware to look the same as interface wise XBoxes software some of the more intresting codeing that the MS never designed it to run.

The problem with emulation is it requires a much faster processer to run than the orginal since it running the XBox software and the Simulation of the XBox hardware. Now if you add the overhead of a regular operating systems that bogges the process down further, but as processer continue to increase in speed and power it increases the likelyhood of a good emulation.

I am not trying to discurage anyone, but I doubt a fullyfunctional emulator will be out for a while. Also unlike the other hombrew software MS may take a intrest in persewing legal action if it's still marketing the orginal XBox system. (Sony vs Bleem! comes to mind- they won but could not afford the repeated lawsuits-)

[Enri]

I like this idea, but it's a lot of work and at the end of it what will you have? A jumped up media player? I think it would be a pretty unsatisfying project if you chose to take it up anyway.

[XLNC]

I think the idea really good and I get why you want it on the PC but I had a different kind of OS system in mind. I had thought of something like this when I was playing some and I started to close some applications before I played Max Payne 2, what I done was gone into task manager close the programs like MSN messenger and other apps. When I was done I looked at the memory and there was only like 303MB of free Memory available, the rest was being wasted by windows and there was some processes which went up to 20% varying most of the time. I thought wouldn't it be good if there was another program that would load up with minmal apps just to play the games, everything would run so much better, then I thought of some OS to play games. I think that this should be implemented in Longhorn.

Btw what's DirectX 9 embedded, is this another OS or are u referring to Windows XP embedded. I know windows XP embedded is used in PC consoles which play PC games and connect to your TV and this seems to be the closest thing.

[LESTAT]

XLNC -

to answer you question about using some sort of an os that rus minimal appslications in the background.
well i have just the thing your looking for.

ok for those who ever used windows 95, like the OLD 95, it ran from a program called Program Manager, and thru time and with the advent of later rev's of 95 and then 98 people forgot all about program manager.

well boys and girls its still in windows XP

what it is is basically a window, within that window you can add links to your programs,
basically what it is is a replacement for windows Explorer the shell of windows.

to try it all you have to do is go to start --> run --> and type progman

it will open with an empty window, then you go to file and new and start adding personal and common applications and shortcuts.

ok once you get it set with a few shortcuts or all the way the way you want hit ctrl-alt-del and end task on Explorer.
you will now see your wallpaper and all your icons and the taskbar and everything in it disappear and all your left with is Program Manager.

from there you launch everything.
the only bad thing is if you hit like WinKey-E which would normally bring up the Windows Explorer, the one that shows all the drives and files in it. (the window you see if you right click one of your hard drives or cdrom's and click browse) if you hit that kjey the Explorer starts up all over again, and your back to the resource using Explorer shell.
now a work around is, and i havent tested this but it should work.
is to go into Folder Options, and then go to View, and click the box for Launch folder windows in seperate process. that might make explorer not start back up but i doubt it, you would have to find another program to replace the way you explore and browse your hard drives, and there are plenty of those around.

once you have got program manager all set up simply click the link(s) for your games and stuff and thus the game will start with alot more resources free for the game.
on a side nore using program manager instead of Explorer does NOT cause your things like norton, or zonealarm or anything else to STOP working, they are still running and they will still start up when windows starts, you just no longer have them in the taskbar.


also alternately, and i dont recomend this until you are comfortable with Program manger,
you can tell windows to boot up directly to program manager just like the old windows 95 used to. so that way you no longer have to end task on explorer
windows will simply boot to the program manager screen and NOT explorer.

its a different way to run windows xp or even win2k,, but i used to do it, and its actually pretty damn nice. and works flawlessly.

[NanoStudios]

[trusk]

sorry for interrupting, but wouldn't it be more interesting to have a linux distribution (similar to the gentoo with ut2k3 and americas army) as a boot option (2nd partition) that ist a simple platform for windows pc games? a reduced os with networking functionality and direct x that could be used for gaming?
the main reason to keep windows on your pc are the games...

I do not have any clue of coding, but a 2nd linux partition to run windows-based pc games would be great. but I guess it is not possible right now, because windows still has to be emulated in a minimum way to have direct x running and this would reduce performance drastically.

greez trusk

[Ethana2]

Alright, people. Try to remember. The only reason we care about XBOX OS is that corporations, not people are calling the shots of game production, and we're sick of it. I for one refuse to buy dedicated hardware. I have a host of wierd beliefs summing up to that if a corporation affects everyone, everyone should get one share automatically. Basically, I want to be able to vote and control, as a consumer, what MS does. Anyhow, here's my thought on XBOX OS. It can be done, and I want it. There are two possible immediate complications: EDID check and hardware compatibility.

If they expected us to want this, then they might pull an intel-mac and check EDID, in which case we'd need to be able to flash our EDID on a nearly daily basis to decieve each mean company's product to run on our machine. As for the hardware, let's start with the processor. It's a regular i686 type CPU. As long as you have one as good or better, there should be no problems there. The GPU. DirectX is an API, Application Programming Interface, and I do believe there is a standard DirectX back end. Any fully compatible GPU should work just fine. With these exeption: PCIe, SATA XBOX kernel cannot support PCIe. It would have to either be or fake regular PCI. As for the drives.... I don't know if the kernel has to worry about the entire SATA/ATA thing, but if you stay ATA, you should be fine.
We need to test a few things to determine how hard it would be to get want we want here: powerful hardware running all XBOX software, no crap. To check EDID checks, copy an XBOX HDD, replace it, and does it still work? If so, EDID probably won't be too much of an issue. Next, move the HDD to another PC. Can it find an OS to boot? If not, the OS is embedded in the BIOS part of the mainboard, in which case life gets hard. One would then have to extract the code onto a primary partition of a HDD, and I don't know what you'd use to do that, but yeah... as for registers and CPU optimisation: If you do this on an x86-64 Athlon overclocked to whatever, It won't be able to use all of the greatness of the CPU, but there's no way it'll want any register addresses that aren't there (OEM hardware companies don't like redesigning and altering components for certain commercial applications) It's not like that CPU is mutant and has an extra register or anthing. MS didn't do any huge PC architectural changes until they got to the 360. The XBOX is actually quite normal in just about every way. So, if someone here would please void their warranty for the team, and find out exactly how easy this will be, and maybe even create an XBOX OS installer and such.... I want it, and people WOULD pay money for it.... As long as you don't advertize it online, M$ probably wouldn't come after you: they aren't depending on the first XBOX for money anymore.

If you don't grasp the reason for wanting to do this, please just leave us alone. And if you didn't go through the entire thread like I did, or don't know exactly what you're talking about, please refrain from posting or use a dsiclaimer, and leave us to our tech-nerd rebellious endeavors. Feel free to email me on the topic, especially with the results of my testing plan. To help explain my post, my dad is an anti-gamer. A console in this house wouldn't fly, and I also discriminate agains consoles, and I'm a tech nerd who wants a four-OS system. (XP, FC Linux, MS DOS*, XBOX OS) I know it can be done without finding sourse or reverse engineering anything. And perhaps, PCIe is backwards compatible; I think I recall something like that, but maybe not.

*Don't ask.
Eman out. I enabled receiveing email from you guys when I registered. Please contact me with any new developments.

This post has been edited by Ethana2: Apr 14 2006, 10:54 PM

[deadparrot]

This thread has been dead for 2 years. Leave it be.

[Wolves]

This thread has been dead for 2 years. Leave it be.

LOL!

[Ethana2]

Wow. Exactly two years.... crud. Well, I'm still very interested- I'm trying to obtain h4X0r contacts... I may just have to obtain an old XBOX and operate on it in the procedure I posted previously. Crap! Oh, well, perhaps...... ye would not begrudge me just this one ressurection on behalf of the world of PC gamers and the poor, even unto those of whom it may be said that their patriarchs do very much despise the media in general and the realm of gaming in specific.... No really. The thread was still sticky. It was only mostly dead. Please. I can help with the endeavor, and I...... What it boils down to, people, is that I want to play Halo2 on my PC at will. My GPU could use some help, but my CPU is 4 times as fast as that of the XBOX.... and a monitor is better than a TV anyday.

I can see it now, at least: XBEM for linux, rerouting all kernel calls... just like WINE... it can be done...
Something can be done.

Eman out. I enabled receiveing email from you guys when I registered. Please contact me with any developments less than two years old... lol... has anyone yet hope?
*if you have any questions on this post, I'm being wierd is all.

[BeldansFire]

Hi All! Hmm, an interesting topic to say the least. I don't know if this will help or not but it is true. I was browsing YouT one day for cool mods for the xbox and came across this video. This guy had (allegedly) ran XP on his 360 using a usb mouse and keyboard. I played it and for sure it was true. he showed the wires and connectors to prove that it was legit! I was astounded! If its possible to run xp pro!! on the 360 (which is way more specialized than the original xbox Why not the other way around? Reverse engineering any one?

The Fire of Beldan shall consume you.
Good day