I've been reading the just released Linux docs on power developer and found something I haven't heard talked about yet. Sony will not be allowing Linux or homebrew software access the RSX GPU.

Under the "Graphics/Video" section of "Linux Kernel Overview" I found this:

"PS3 has a powerful graphic processing unit with high speed host connection. The GPU is connected to both HDMI and AV multi interface. Although the GPU is connected directly to CBE, no direct access by guest OSes to the GPU is allowed currently. Video mode/format setting is also the role of AV setting driver. PS3 Linux fb driver calls AV setting driver to setup video modes.

Currently X server uses virtual frame buffer to render its image. No hardware acceleration is supported under Linux. See the description above section."


To the people wondering how Sony would be able to allow Linux and homebrew without opening the door to piracy, now you know.

Thanks for the info, I wonder how this will affect perfomance under linux?

General Linux performance wouldn't be affected by not having any hardware acceleration. However if you want 3d homebrew games then the developer would have to go old school with software rendering.

I am glad they did this. Now there is a reason to start hacking.

lol true

When people get arbitrary OSs going on a system within a week of release, I don't think you have to worry about the need for people to "start" hacking.

Bout time too. I have been waiting for sony to announce a 'catch' in being able to run linux on the PS3. Someone will find a way to hack this though.

So does this mean that only 256 mb of ram will be available for linux since the ram is divided for the gpu and cpu respectively?

Interesting question, but could the OS use video memory as system memory even without the lock out?

I was wondering that too....

Even if the CPU was allowed to access the 256MB of GPU RAM; the bandwidth allocated to write operations makes this memory pretty much useless in this configuration.

Im sure some good programing can get around this

Damn... To know if unmodded ps3 allows to program powerful GPU is really essential!

Can a journalist ask this question officialy to Sony? That would help...

Do console manufacturers really think global hackers family is begging for Linux just to be able to play with an odd-shapped 256Mb PC without 3D hardware acceleration? I can't understand the way they think.

With high price and Linux compatibility announcement, I really thought it was finally the end of dumping (and associated silly restrictions) and the start of open coding on powerful standard hardware... (optimizing GPU code for PCs that can have thousand different graphic cards is painful...)

Sony may have really missed the opportunity to avoid strong hacking pressure...
This thread needs to be bumped often in order to survey closely that matter. I'm sure some people will buy or not buy ps3 depending on the answer.

Quake 3 running on Ps3

Quake 3 using software rendering.
Nothing like RSX hardware rendering, but a beginning nonetheless.

we shall give you crippled linux for no real reasion. and someone said no 3d acell whont effect genrel linux use lol you cant be more wrong. x uses direct rendering modes to display stuff faster and render them quicker using 2d/3d acell. in fact so does windows. running without is the same as softwhere renderd mode the desktop looks like shit and is slow. i thought it was cool ps3 can run linux lucky i checked and didnt buy the hype couse it only runs linux badly. i bet my 2 year old pc can run circles around a ps3 in linux mode.