PS3 Linux CFW Dual Boot Released

Today Geoffrey Levand has brought back what Sony took away, OtherOs.

Firmwares:
PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.41 (md5 9b439b04c4c0b841ae50c3af18bb584d)

PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.50 (md5 74b4291615ceb394e0d64078d775a93d)

PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.55 (md5 fac423010dc8e20030f28145a42627fb)

Tools:

create_vflash5.pkg (md5 d76700a04cd58b29970d752b73dc6a0d)

create_vflash6.pkg (md5 4ccea493c87299c3fe75ec3b093091f8)

create_vflash7.pkg (md5 78e432917ed972c415b3a0a703f4acaf)

delete_vflash5.pkg (md5 83f32c6fdf9d532c2a8203bce3852e86)

delete_vflash6.pkg (md5 573b587f04d21d40837688c39c8587bd)

delete_vflash7.pkg (md5 8366318a4fafbd769bc9df0b6e528ea1)

resize_vflash.pkg (md5 9a5cb0bcd819788749d2926111df6870)

install_otheros.pkg (md5 9e5e79fa0450e34071223c40c34a8e8a)

boot_gameos.pkg (md5 7377d1c89f4f67957cafe18a2e58d006)

boot_otheros.pkg (md5 bf425926d3d55ab59828d5b6c2a2c333)

reboot.pkg (md5 450fba966321445ec50360b21b9fa99b)

dtbImage.ps3.bin (md5 761faa303c97d1801a9ecceb472321d0)

boot_linux.sh (md5 6d00a46cd5586042c59c51f1f98e31f9)

All tools beep twice if they succeed !!!

Source code for all tools and patches is freely available. Create your own dual boot.

git.gitbrew.org/ps3/

Features:

  • 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)
  • Suuport for ps3-utils. You can flash new OtherOS bootloader from Linux e.g.
Notes:
  • Tested 3.41 and 3.55 on PS3 Slim with Gentoo and Debian Squeeze but should work on PS3 Fat without problems
  • Bug reports are welcome, send it please to geoffrey.levand@mail.ru
Work in progress:
  • Creating OtherOS partitions directly on HDD (not VFLASH)
  • Permanently disabling HDD/VFLASH encryption
  • Mapping of HTAB with R/W permission
  • SYSCON access from LPAR 2
  • FreeBSD support

Installing OtherOS bootloader

  • Tested ONLY on PS3 models with VFLASH
  • During deleting of VFLASH regions GameOS will ask you to reinstall firmware, don't do it, just press PS3 button and continue
  • I use petitboot as OtherOS bootloader. You could use a different one.
  • The following order of steps is important
  • Delete VFLASH region 6
  • Delete VFLASH region 5
  • Create VFLASH region 5
  • Create VFLASH region 6
  • Install OtherOS bootloader on VFLASH with "Install OtherOS"

Booting OtherOS bootloader

  • Run "Boot OtherOS"
  • Reboot GameOS with "Reboot"

Creating a VFLASH partition for Linux

Notes:
  • Works ONLY on PS3 models with VFLASH
  • Warning: All your HDD data will be lost, so make a backup
  • I'm currently working on a solution for PS3 models with NAND flash
  • Resize VFLASH (creates a 40GB free space on VFLASH, if you need more then feel free to recompile it)
  • Reboot GameOS
  • Create VFLASH region 7

Installing Linux with petitboot

Installing Gentoo GNU/Linux from a Unix/Linux System

Partitioning with fdisk

Notes:
  • I used petitboot to install Debian and Gentoo on VFLASH
  • I used fdisk to partition ps3vflashh
  • Make sure you create a swap partition
  • Creating a ready to use Linux distribution images is a work in progress

Booting Linux with petitboot

Notes:
  • USB driver in petitboot has problems on PS3 Slim. The problem lies in Linux USB driver.
  • Currently i'm trying to fix this problem in Linux kernel
  • I temporarily use my boot_linux.sh script to boot a Linux installed on VFLASH from petitboot
Project Homepage: http://gitbrew.org/otheros/

Subscribe for Latest News