PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW Released

Published on 05-04-2011 12:34 AM

78 Comments

The PS3 dev scene has seemed a bit dead lately, but with this latest release, it's quite clear that development is still going on behind the scenes. Geoffrey Levand has brought back what Sony once took away, OtherOS. Today he has released a dual boot custom firmware, which allows booting of OtherOS or GameOS. However, it's a bit more than Sony's typical OtherOS.

(This video is via Graf_Chokolo's method but is similar to how booting Linux via CFW looks)

This time around OtherOS has full access to GameOS, access to HV SS services (Dispatcher Manager, LPAR 1, and much more. This CFW also allows downgrading without service mode, the ability to deactivate/activate HDD/VFLASH encryption, as well as other features. At the moment this method is recommended for more advanced users until more user friendly guides are released.

PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW

Note: Currently to start OtherOS. boot_otheros.pkg then reboot.pkg and that will load petitboot. Slim users (Version 1.0-r0) you must unload the slim usb drivers in order to boot.
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/

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78 Comments

Angel Diaz - 05-04-2011, 12:57 AM
- Reply
FIRST!

ZOMG! the epicness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

happyface-PSG - 05-04-2011, 01:08 AM
- Reply
wwwwooooowwww! it here okay so i know people have "dual boot" confused that you can go from OFW TO CFW and i know this is NOT the situation so what is dual boot good for???

hackbard23 - 05-04-2011, 01:13 AM
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why people don´t release their stuff anonymously ?
forgot what happened to graf_chokolo ?

LionsFan420-PSG - 05-04-2011, 01:16 AM
- Reply
whooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

grandy - 05-04-2011, 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted by hackbard23

why people don´t release their stuff anonymously ?
forgot what happened to graf_chokolo ?

Why live in fear? I respect this guy a lot for not hiding.

LionsFan420-PSG - 05-04-2011, 01:36 AM
- Reply
hey grandy, where could i find the install_otheros.pkg since the link is down?

erfanacted - 05-04-2011, 01:37 AM
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hurrah here we go.....? a day will come when ps3 will be like PSP , so simple to hack...all i wait is for 3.60 CFW now.

grandy - 05-04-2011, 01:38 AM
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Originally Posted by LionsFan420

hey grandy, where could i find the install_otheros.pkg since the link is down?

Link's fixed now .

RantingMute - 05-04-2011, 01:39 AM
- Reply
EPIC WIN!!! <3 Thank you Geoffrey Levand and graf_chokolo!

hackbard23 - 05-04-2011, 01:43 AM
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Originally Posted by grandy

Why live in fear? I respect this guy a lot for not hiding.

you can´t develop further, when you are in jail....

blckmetalandrew - 05-04-2011, 01:57 AM
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Originally Posted by happyface

wwwwooooowwww! it here okay so i know people have "dual boot" confused that you can go from OFW TO CFW and i know this is NOT the situation so what is dual boot good for???

actually i think you have it confused dual boot could be used to run both 3.55 cfw and 3.60 ofw but it wont do that until someone made the second booting option that instead of linux

terminus - 05-04-2011, 02:01 AM
- Reply
http://events.linuxfoundation.org/jls14b

Geoff Levand, Sony Corporation

Geoff Levand is a Principal Software Engineer at Sony Corporation of America in San Jose, California, where he works as lead maintainer of Linux for the PS3 game console, and also co-maintainer of the Petitboot bootloader. Geoff joined Sony in 2000, and has worked on Linux projects including the development of PS2-Linux, and the preparation of Linux kernels used in various Sony products including the Cybershot digital still camera and the Handycam video camcorder.

Tranced - 05-04-2011, 02:01 AM
- Reply
Yes, Yes, Yes! The only thing I have been waiting for! Thank you Graf! Thank you Geoffrey! Both legends in the PS3 scene. And F you Sony! Now my s3up: will be the machine I originally bought before Sony raped MY machine and my consumer rights.

grandy - 05-04-2011, 02:03 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by terminus

http://events.linuxfoundation.org/jls14b

LOL now I think this is someone using this guy's name as an alias. Very funny.

happyface-PSG - 05-04-2011, 02:04 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by blckmetalandrew

actually i think you have it confused dual boot could be used to run both 3.55 cfw and 3.60 ofw but it wont do that until someone made the second booting option that instead of linux

BELIVE ME! i want to belive thats true but i dont think it is at all from what ive heard. are you sure that is possible?

Thorn - 05-04-2011, 02:18 AM
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**** YEAH CFW dual boot is not far away now

hackbard23 - 05-04-2011, 03:18 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by terminus

http://events.linuxfoundation.org/jls14b

OK - than i hope he will never came out with this fancy nickname on other boards
and his upload was from an internet cafe or Open WLAN with VPN+Proxy

Serhat Ã–den - 05-04-2011, 03:19 AM
- Reply
This is mean, official firmware and CFW together same consol.s3up:
Sorry my bad english

DazTip - 05-04-2011, 04:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Serhat Ã–den

This is mean, official firmware and CFW together same consol.s3up:
Sorry my bad english

This means u can either choose to play ps3 (XMB and all that like normal[gameOS]) or you can choose to boot linux OS (Linux CFW as stated) which in my opinion is true ps3'ing lol.. This was the main reason I chose to pay more for a ps3 than a xbox360 (until i saw how many times one person would return a xbox over and over , fires , etc.). Sorry jumped off topic.

I'm another one that's been a long time reader, had a old username but my pw recovery emails never get sent to me. Anywho, I wanna give thanks to all devs wether they be from sony or not, and everyone else. I still enjoy my ps3 to this day, with homebrews, and now linux to put the icing on the cake.

Now I know alot of people don't care, or never tried, or didn't even know you could install linux. But as mentioned in a previous thread I've read before, it was a promised addition to the ps3. Even when Slims were to be released, Sony promised to keep linux on the older models (PHATs). which they then decided to turn into a double-edge sword.

I got two small questions... would I be able to run ubuntu using this? If unsure, can i test it without breaking my ps3 ?

This guide seems semi-easy to follow for the most.. My next question is, how to tell if your ps3 is VFLASH or nand flash (or if its nand flash or not)?

And again, thanks for this

hackbard23 - 05-04-2011, 04:05 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Serhat Ã–den

This is mean, official firmware and CFW together same consol.s3up:
Sorry my bad english

this is just for OFW 3.41 and 3.55 and Linux.... no 3.60