Custom Source Built Linux Distro HELP!!!

Investigation into how Linux on the PS3 might lead to homebrew development.

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highowl
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:39 pm

Custom Source Built Linux Distro HELP!!!

Post by highowl »

Hi,

So I wasnt to happy with the bloatedness of ubuntu/gentoo/fedora etc.
So I set off to make my own linux distro for the PS3 focusing on minimalism. Containing just the essentials required for linux plus Xorg7 with XFCE and bluetooth controller support.

Unfortunately I have been struggling for 2 days now to get bluez to pick-up the controller. It detects it just fine when it's plugged in, but no luck with bluetooth.

I don't know much about bluez or how to go about troubleshooting it or making udev rules for the devices (if thats what i need to do).....other than that everything with my distro is working fine.

So if theres anyone out there that could help me troubleshoot this and get this working i'll hook you up with a copy of the distro.....which unlike other distros installs in about 5 - 10 mins.....and from boot to bash prompt takes about 15 seconds.....compare that to ubuntu/gentoo.

Anyway any help is greatly appreciated....as I said I will show my gratitude by sharing the distro with you and also by including you in the project credits.
ooPo
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Post by ooPo »

Installing just a kernel and a statically compiled busybox would boot even faster. :)
highowl
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:39 pm

very true

Post by highowl »

This is true if i did that it'd be insta boot but that also limits options and my aim is to provide a decent starting ground for those who hate the bloat of all the released distros but want the freedom to expand the system as they feel fit.
adrahil
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Post by adrahil »

Isn't that called gentoo? :P
highowl
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:39 pm

SOLVED

Post by highowl »

Hi again,

Well I got the SixAxis picked up through Bluez (FINALLY).

I noticed the HID daemon was starting up and shutting down having something to do with DBUS. After f*cking around with DBUS for a while and getting nowhere I decided to recompile and re-install dbus, glib-dbus, and dbus-python. After that the HID Daemon would startup and stay running.

Then I wrote a simple startup script that will start the HID daemon at boot allowing sixaxis controllers to connect via bluetooth. At shutdown or reboot the script disconnects from any controllers and shuts down the HID daemon.

So after a few days of being stuck on this problem It's finally resolved with a re-install of DBUS and implementing a startup script.

Anyway, if anyone has a spare partition and wants to try it out leave a comment.
ouasse
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Location: Paris, France

Post by ouasse »

Hi highowl,

sorry if my following question doesn"t exactly correspond to what you're currently doing. But I guess you have enough experience to answer it.

Do you think a very small PS3-optimized Linux system would fit in a kboot or petitboot image ? The current kboot and petitboot already feature a basic shell, and some network and disk tools. What I would like in addition is support for some of PS3 hardware (mainly SPUs, and controller (BT if possible)) and possibility to run a startup program like a menu for homebrew games and demos installed onto a USB stick subdirectory. Maybe the petitboot menu already allows such program selection with some configuration.

the idea is to design a standard way for basic PS3 users to have access to Linux homebrew without having to install a fully functional GNU/Linux system. The kernel and menu selector would fit in a kboot/petitboot image, and all custom programs and associated files would be installed in a specific directory tree on the USB stick. The whole system should be fully controllable with a wireless controller, and once a custom program has ended there should be a way to go back to the main menu. And finally, there should be a simple way for users to go back to otheros again.

What do you (and others) think about this ? My guess is that petitboot almost contains everything needed, however I don't know whether it supports wireless controllers or not.
ps3fanboy
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Post by ps3fanboy »

I like that idea very much.
highowl
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:39 pm

Sorry This is a bit late but....

Post by highowl »

Well i've been busy with life and women and such lol. But as i understand it you want the bootloader to basically be the system? Well you're already using petitboot so wouldn't it be as simple as modifying petitboot slightly?....it is open source. Or you could even e-mail the creator of petitboot and ask him to include some stuff.

The creator of petitboot is actually really fast at responding to e-mails as i've requested some things to be included in petitboot and he seemed happy to oblige.

Ofcourse petitboot is basically just OpenWRT with a graphical interface....so if you included bluez and changed the GUI to something that fits your needs that would pretty much do what you wanted eh?

Sorry if this wasn't the greatest response to your question but i've got alot going on right now so my attention is split between a few different things at the moment. Feel free to PM if you want. I'm going to try to make it to these forums more often.

If i've got the basic concept down of what you mean maybe that'll be my next project.
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