Windows and other OS' on PS3 - Is it possible?

[curryking1]

I'll just let the image do the talking for me. I wonder what the PS3 will be seen as 5 years down the road. This is one very interesting generation of consoles indeed.

[stanDarsh]

No, it's not gonna happen. As I explained in another thread, Windows is designed for x86 architectures, the PPU of Cell is Power based whilst the SPUs are different again. So the only OS you'll be able to install so far is Yellow Dog Linux 5.0, and possibly (not definite) Amiga OS 4.0.

Having said that someone ported windows 95 over to PSP. Not that it runs particularly well though, but it's a start.

[Siraris]

As a rep from Sony said, they have Linux working (YDL) and will explore other venues in the future.

YDL will be released on the 27th on both DVD and over the internet.

[curryking1]

I wonder if other companies which have OS' (Apple?) might want to port a thing to the PS3 too, if the PS3 maintains the PS2 popularity. At least we know the possibility for such things is there with this picture. I guess we'll just wait and see how many people can modify OS' to run (well) on the PS3 or companies will bring it over.

[version]

AROS
YD LINUX
AMIGAOS4
osX
etc

f@ckin windows still on pc

[Garfunkel]

Don't just count on YDL being the only linux based os either. many others will port. OSX? it's a possibility, windows? I don't think sony would allow it.

[fanoOne]

Don't just count on YDL being the only linux based os either. many others will port. OSX? it's a possibility, windows? I don't think sony would allow it.

I think that for Sony would be a pleasure to have Winzozz playing on Ps3...
Will be Micca$oft that never allow it... this would give a great vantage to Sony

For a windows-like os (rewritten / emulated) there is ReactOs:
http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

I don't think games work for now... but in the future they can

fanoOne

[Gegenki]

Arent X86 emulators supposed to run really fast on PPC
It would be so amazing if the cell could run an emulation layer at full speed

[xbdestroya]

OSX will be up to Apple to port; other OS' will surely come to Cell/PS3 though (probably most of them Linux).

As far as Windows, who knows, we may see Windows CE support at some point in time. But there's no way XP, Vista, the desktop Windows OS' will be coming... why would MS do that?

[GodMachine_Iridius_Dio]

There is a PPC build of XP, as far as I know, but I think it's an internal build. I'd have to wonder if it has any standard PPC dependancies, though, and if any of those necessities are lacking on CELL's PPC core.

[Sephiroth_VII]

If MS has a PPC version of Windows, and there's a way to get it, it can run on PS3. However, like all apps not made for Cell, it won't use the SPE's.

[Garfunkel]

MS would like to run Windoze on ps3. Doing so would give them another source of cash. more than what sony would be able to get on hardware.

[frosty]

Why wouldn't OSX run on PS3 if any linux distro that is made for PPC will? Does OSX check to make sure you are installing it on a mac? (I don't ever use macs, so I have no clue)

[Garfunkel]

they do check, however it is very inefficient. I am working on getting osx to run on my white (black) box at this moment. Very possible. Although you may very well be able to run osx native on the ppe core performance will be pretty poor.

[cpiasminc]

As I explained in another thread, Windows is designed for x86 architectures, the PPU of Cell is Power based whilst the SPUs are different again.

Windows has had DEC Alpha PC and never-released PowerPC versions in the past, and has versions for Itanium and, supposedly has something for POWER5+... Not that I would expect the POWER version to be in particularly good shape considering that Microsoft has hardly updated its PPC compilers at all since the PPC first came out.

In any case, beyond some legacy garbage which is largely being scrapped as of Vista, there's not a whole lot in there that can't be ported to another hardware architecture. And actually, part of the original plan was for Xbox360's OS to be based on a .NET CLR Vista kernel, but Vista was also due to be out before Xbox360 was at the time, so it never happened.

That said, getting Windows on Cell is a matter of someone other than MS doing it, or IBM saying "We'd like to sell Cell-based servers and workstations running Windows."

But there's no way XP, Vista, the desktop Windows OS' will be coming... why would MS do that?

Actually, MS has said before that they intend to get Vista on as many hardware platforms as possible (the main point being, everybody can and will buy Windows whether they like it or not). The .NET CLR backend was intended to help drive it, but the uptake on CLR has been too slow, so I doubt it will happen.

Of course, MS likes to say these kinds of things, and never really comment on it when the project vanishes into thin air.

[Garfunkel]

in any case. nothing can beat Linux.

[Coded-Dude]

Itanium

While being a nice CPU in the server market, it has failed to grab the market share some had hoped. Now we'll see if CELL can do any better......

[GodMachine_Iridius_Dio]

In any case, beyond some legacy garbage which is largely being scrapped as of Vista, there's not a whole lot in there that can't be ported to another hardware architecture. And actually, part of the original plan was for Xbox360's OS to be based on a .NET CLR Vista kernel, but Vista was also due to be out before Xbox360 was at the time, so it never happened.

I think I recall hearing Xbox 360 is running a customised XP-PPC kernel, now.

[cpiasminc]

I think I recall hearing Xbox 360 is running a customised XP-PPC kernel, now.

That is correct. Though it has some Vista-esque features, but they are a little more shoe-horned than expressly created for that purpose (main ones being the GUI/XboxLive libs). It isn't all that far removed from what the original Xbox had, the main difference is that it's on call for devs to actually use (which is why the OS always has to eat up at least 32 MB).