BlackRhino GNU/Linux Lets remember how it was.

[SkyNet]

BlackRhino GNU/Linux

About BlackRhino GNU/Linux

BlackRhino is a free Debian-based GNU/Linux software distribution for the Sony PlayStation 2. It contains over 1,200 software packages to aid in using and creating programs for the Sony PlayStation 2 Linux kit. The programs range in functionality from simple games, to text editors, compilers, web servers, windowing systems, database systems, graphics packages, mail servers and a variety of other tools and utilities.

The software distribution was created by xRhino for a commercial Sony PlayStation 2 title. It is released in the hopes that the distribution will help hobbyists create their own games and applications that utilize the advanced programmable hardware of the PS2.

Download and Installation

We have attempted to make downloading and installing BlackRhino GNU/Linux as easy as possible. Please refer to the download and installation instructions provided on this website.

Questions, Comments and Concerns?

For any questions, comments and concerns not handled by this website, please refer to the BlackRhino Linux Project on playstation2-linux.com. There is a discussion list for BlackRhino GNU/Linux as well as a bug tracking system and project status page.


BlackRhino GNU/Linux Frequently Asked Questions

What is BlackRhino GNU/Linux?
Why was BlackRhino developed?
Why does BlackRhino need a PS2Linux Kit? Where can I get one?
What are BlackRhino's vital statistics?
Help! BlackRhino doesn't have a package I need!
How may I contribute?
What is a package maintainer?
How do I submit new packages?
May I provide a repository mirror?

What is BlackRhino GNU/Linux?

BlackRhino is a free Debian-based GNU/Linux software distribution for the Sony PlayStation 2. It contains over 1,200 software packages to aid in using and creating programs for the Sony PlayStation 2 Linux kit. The programs range in functionality from simple games, to text editors, compilers, web servers, windowing systems, database systems, graphics packages, mail servers and a variety of other tools and utilities.

Why was BlackRhino developed?

Initially, BlackRhino was created by xRhino in an effort to bring a commercial Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution to the Sony PlayStation 2 for hobbyists and developers alike. As events unfolded, BlackRhino became useful in other ways and it was finally apparent that a public release should be made. For more information, see the project history.

Why does BlackRhino need a PS2Linux Kit? Where can I get one?

BlackRhino is only available as a free download over the web, which means that the user needs a way to place it on his/her PlayStation 2 and boot to it. The PS2Linux kit provides all the needed hardware (hard drive, network adapter, etc) in addition to an on-disc Linux bootloader. To buy the kit, visit the PlayStation hardware store.

What are BlackRhino's vital statistics?

Package Count Breakdown by Section:

admin: 49
base: 55
comm: 9
deprecated: 94
devel: 258
doc: 49
editors: 31
games: 8
graphics: 40
interpreters: 106
libs: 169
mail: 21
main: 6
math: 6
misc: 8
net: 95
oldlibs: 7
otherosfs: 11
shells: 9
sound: 57
tex: 17
text: 50
utils: 46
web: 14
x11: 73

Package Count Total: 1,292
Total Size: 1.2 Gigabytes

Help! BlackRhino doesn't have a package I need!

Then you should consider becoming a package maintainer and submitting that package!

How may I contribute?

There are plenty of ways! To name a few...
Become a package maintainer and submit new packages (or maintain existing ones).
Generate discussion on the BlackRhino listserv.
Generate discussion on the BlackRhino forums.
Provide a repository mirror.
If you have other ideas, please feel free to contact xRhino.

What is a package maintainer?

The person who is responsible for maintaining a package. This can entail initial package creation from software source, keeping the package up-to-date with the latest software version, testing the package contents and verifying correct interaction with the BlackRhino system, and releasing an updated package into the official BlackRhino repository. For more information on the Debian packaging system (which BlackRhino uses), have a look at their FAQ.

How do I submit new packages?

There is no automated way of submitting packages at this time, so a small submission proposal must be sent to xRhino. Once the proposal is approved, binary and source packages will be accepted and added to the official repository.

May I provide a repository mirror?

Absolutely! We're always happy to give BlackRhino higher availability. Contact xRhino and all the arrangements will be made.



BlackRhino GNU/Linux Installation HOW-TO

Preparation
Getting the Base Mini-Image
Installation
Updating Your System

Preparation

Install Sony Playstation 2 Linux on /dev/hda1.
Ideally, create a new 4GB partition for BlackRhino GNU/Linux 1.0. Minimally, create a new 1GB partition.
Mount the new partition.

Example:

fdisk /dev/hda
n (Create a new partition.)
p (The new partition will be primary.)
3 (/dev/hda3 will be the new partition's designation.)
+4096M (It will be given a size of 4GB.)
w (Write the new partition table and quit.)
mke2fs /dev/hda3
mkdir /mnt/brl
mount -t ext2 /dev/hda3 /mnt/brl

Getting the Base Mini-Image

Change your current working directory to the newly mounted partition.
Download the BlackRhino GNU/Linux base mini-image from one of the distribution sites.

Example:

cd /mnt/brl
wget http://playstation2-linux.com/files/...age-1.0.tar.gz

Installation

Un-tar blackrhino_baseimage-1.0.tar.gz to the newly mounted partition.
Edit your network configuration found in etc/network/interfaces (examples can be found in /usr/share/doc/ifupdown/examples/).

NOTE

Since dynamic network support is not included in the stock v2.2.1 Sony Playstation 2 Linux kernel, you must initially use a static network configuration (or a different kernel with dynamic support).

Edit the etc/hostname and etc/resolv.conf files to reflect your desired hostname and DNS configuration.
Edit your etc/apt/sources.list file and choose your preferred BlackRhino GNU/Linux package mirror.
Edit your etc/fstab to reflect the new BlackRhino boot partition.
Edit your memory card's p2lboot.cnf file and add an entry to boot into the newly created BlackRhino GNU/Linux partition.
If you would like to have the system display on a television, set the display entry of p2lboot.opt equal to "ntsc" or "pal".
Reboot into your new BlackRhino GNU/Linux distribution.

NOTE

Only the root account exists in the base mini-image and its password is empty.

Example (you should be in the /mnt/brl directory):
tar zxvf /mnt/brl/blackrhino_baseimage-1.0.tar.gz
vi /mnt/brl/etc/network/interfaces
Use the templates in /usr/share/doc/ifupdown/examples/ if needed
vi /mnt/brl/etc/hostname
Enter your desired hostname
vi /mnt/brl/etc/resolv.conf
Enter your domain on the first line, and DNS IP addresses on subsequent lines.
vi /mnt/brl/etc/apt/sources.list
Uncomment a "deb" line to activate that mirror.
vi /mnt/brl/etc/fstab
Change your root ("/") entry so that it uses /dev/hda3.
mount -t ps2mcfs /dev/ps2mc00 /mnt/mc00
vi /mnt/mc00/p2lboot.cnf
Add a line similar to the following:
"BlackRhino" vmlinux "" 203 /dev/hda3 "" BlackRhino GNU/Linux 1.0
vi /mnt/mc00/p2lboot.opt
Add the following line:
display=ntsc
reboot
blackrhino login: root
Password: [enter]
Updating Your System

After you have booted your BlackRhino GNU/Linux system, make sure that everything is working correctly by trying to ping blackrhino.xrhino.com. If you can ping that address, your network is configured properly.
Perform a dselect update of the system.
Example:
ping blackrhino.xrhino.com
dselect
U [enter] (Update the package database.)
S [enter] [space] [enter] (Select packages. Make changes if you like.)
I [enter] (Install new packages. Wait for the process to finish.)
y [enter] (Allow dselect to remove the installed package archives.)
Q [enter] (Quit dselect.)



BlackRhino 1.0 Released (March 4th, 2003)

xRhino Releases Debian-based GNU/Linux Distribution for PlayStation 2

A version of Debian GNU/Linux targeted for the Sony Playstation 2 has been released to the general public to promote independent hobbyist game and utility development for the console. This release constitutes a 1200+ software package Linux distribution that will hopefully be added to and extended by the general community. We will have a Debian package submission process shortly. For the moment, the current release should be a welcome update from the Kondara(RedHat) 5.2-based distribution released with the PlayStation 2 Linux kit.





BlackRhino GNU/Linux Project History

January, 2001 xRhino begins work on a v2.4.0 Linux kernel for the Sony PlayStation 2.

February, 2001 The kernel project is altered in order to align with Sony Computer Entertainment's already-existing commitment to a v2.2.1 Linux kernel.

June, 2001 xRhino begins work on a Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution for the PlayStation 2 known as BlackRhino.

August, 2001 BlackRhino GNU/Linux is completed and pitched to Sony Computer Entertainment as a consumer product. Despite a favorable reception, the concept is not approved for release.

September, 2001 Using BlackRhino as a development platform, xRhino begins work on a new broadband-enabled PlayStation 2 product entitled RockSteady (an Internet radio and MP3 player).

March, 2002 The xRhino Linux Kernel project is opened to the general public via PlayStation2-Linux.com.

May, 2002 A RockSteady product proposal is submitted to Sony Computer Entertainment for approval.

June, 2002 An alpha build of RockSteady is sent to Sony Computer Entertainment's Product Evaluation Group and returned with encouraging comments.

July, 2002 RockSteady receives approval (with a product code of SLUS 20526), on the condition that certain visual improvements be made, and is slated for September 2002 quality assurance testing.

August, 2002 Sony Computer Entertainment becomes concerned that, because RockSteady is built on BlackRhino GNU/Linux, it will not be compatible with future PlayStation hardware revisions.
Therefore, RockSteady is not published and joins BlackRhino in limbo while xRhino pursues other projects.

March, 2003 An Internet-only release of BlackRhino is made available to the general public.





Download and Installation

Installation of BlackRhino GNU/Linux is a three step process:

Downloading the base image
Installation of the base image
Updating the entire system via the software distribution servers
For more detailed instructions, please review the BlackRhino Installation HOW-TO located on this website.

Downloading the Base Image

You may download the base image from any one of the following BlackRhino mirrors:

http://playstation2-linux.com/files/...age-1.0.tar.gz [21.8MB]
http://blackrhino.openlists.com/blac...age-1.0.tar.gz [21.8MB]
ftp://mirror.openlists.com/pub/black...age-1.0.tar.gz [21.8MB]
PlanetMirror Home - Free Downloads [21.8MB]
ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/black...age-1.0.tar.gz [21.8MB]

Apt-source mirrors

Once you have installed the BlackRhino GNU/Linux system, you may want to use one of the following BlackRhino software distribution servers to update your system:

Sony Computer Entertainment America, Foster City, California
deb http://playstation2-linux.com/blackrhino stable main non-free contrib

Openlists.com/Chaotic Networks, Franeker, Netherlands
deb http://blackrhino.openlists.com stable main non-free contrib



There are quite a few people that have helped bring this release to fruition and we would like to thank all of them for their contributions of time and money, patience and general goodwill for the project.

Advanced Simulation Technology, Inc.
ASTi website
The BlackRhino GNU/Linux Project was privately funded by several individuals at Advanced Simulation Technology, Inc. Namely, Robert Butterfield, Jim and Jenny Norton, Patrick Gaffney, Keith La Plain, Susan Grunmeier, Gary Perez, and Jeff Mowery. Thank you for your patience, understanding and countless contributions throughout the entire process. We are forever indebted to each of you; your faith and moral guidance continues to drive us forward.

Openlists.com and Chaotic Networks
Chaotic Network's website
Thanks to Dennis Vink at Openlists.com/Chaotic Networks for providing an overseas HTTP and FTP software mirror for the BlackRhino GNU/Linux distribution. He worked at lightnight speed to get a mirror up for the project and we are grateful for his continued time and effort to support the project.

Sony Computer Entertainment America
SCEA website
Thanks to Bret Mogilefsky, Dominic Mallinson, Adam Bertsch and Sarah Ewen for pushing and running the playstation2-linux.com domain and providing a mirror for the BlackRhino Linux distribution. They have been strong supporters of Linux on the PlayStation 2 and continue to be supporters of alternative development paradigms for the system.

Planet Mirror
Planet Mirror website
Many thanks to Dan and Jason at Planet Mirror for providing a full FTP and HTTP mirror for the BlackRhino Linux distribution and base image. They are the main distribution site for the Ausralia/South-east Asia region.

xRhino, Inc.

Our Mission

xRhino strives to produce unsurpassed Multimedia and Entertainment Products utilizing open-source technology. Our primary purpose was to create these products for the Sony PlayStation 2 using the xRhino Tools and Middleware. The multimedia products were designed to position the Sony Playstation 2 at the center of the user's home-entertainment experience. Our current thrust is to help the military simulation industry by providing advanced data visualization and decision support system applications.

Company Profile

xRhino Inc. is based in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center located in beautiful Blacksburg, Virginia at the foot of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Our staff has extensive knowledge of the latest technologies in multimedia, visualization and real-time audio that it has applied to produce some of the most exciting new products for the Sony Playstation 2. We are also Sony registered Tools, Middleware and 3rd Party developers that distribute products to simplify the development, packaging and installation of PS2 Development Tools and applications. Our newest division is focusing on visualization and decision support systems for the military simulation industry.




xRhino Products

Visualization and Decision Support Systems

xRhino provides several visualization and decision support systems for the military simulation industry. These products are only provided to private customers, but some of the underlying visualization technology is open-source and will be available under the Q Public license. The projects will become open to the public in mid 2003.

Multimedia

xRhino believes that the Playstation 2 is one of the best platforms for the next generation of multimedia products and when combined with the wide availability of broadband networks, the PS2 can become the center of your entertainment experience.

xRhino has been applying development effort to create a number of these exciting new products. All xRhino products will fit within the xRhino multimedia framework that makes full use of all features of the PS2 including the audio, video and networking. The framework has been designed to contain a number of other xRhino products that will be available later in 2003.

All xRhino Multimedia products can be controlled with a regular remote control but they can also be connected to other entertainment and computer systems within the home to improve the experience.



Tools and Middleware

xRhino is a registered Sony Tools, Middleware and 3rd party developer. We have created tools to make life simpler for all PS2 game developers.

Middleware

xRhino sells Tools and Middleware available to other PlayStation 2 3rd party developers to help programmers overcome some of the difficulties of programming for a machine as complex and powerful as the PlayStation 2.

For those interested in our Tools and Middleware, please peruse the information found in the products FAQ.
BlackRhino Linux

xRhino has developed a Linux release for the PS2 that allows developers to use a standard PC and Sony Test kits with the PS2 instead of the Sony debug station to develop content for the PlayStation 2. This system is freely available at the BlackRhino Linux website.


Corporate Information


xRhino Inc. is based in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center located in beautiful Blacksburg, Virginia at the foot of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. We are a privately held, stable company that balances work and play quite well. We pride ourselves in our relaxed, vivacious work atmosphere, place our employees needs on a pedestal and always look towards the future and how we can make a difference in this world.

xRhino strives to produce unsurpassed Multimedia and Entertainment Products utilizing the latest open-source technologies. We have worked on several open-source projects as well as multimedia tools and middleware for the PlayStation 2. Our current focus is on data visualization and decision support systems for the military simulation industry.



Company FAQ


What do you do?
What are Tools and Middleware?
Where are you located?
xRhino? What is that supposed to mean?
What is your favorite color?

What do you do?

xRhino is a Tools, Middleware and 3rd party developer for the Sony PlayStation 2 platform. Tools and Middleware developers create anything that helps 3rd party developers build games. xRhino creates Tools and Middleware that help programmers overcome some of the difficulties of programming for a machine as complex and powerful as the PlayStation 2.

We do many other things as well, from providing toolchain packages for PlayStation 2 developers, to the BlackRhino Linux distribution, to supporting new kernels for the PlayStation 2 Linux kit, to visualization and decision support systems for the military simulation industry.

What are Tools and Middleware?

Software tools can be anything from Adobe Photoshop (2D graphic creation and editing software), to Sonic Foundry Sound Forge (sound generation and editing software), to Acension's MotionStar motion capture studio. Middleware focuses more on programming tools such as compilers, networking stacks, graphics libraries, audio and video compression schemes, math and physics packages, 3D engines, etc. Additionally, tools and middleware can be hardware products. Regardless of the form, the spirit remains the same: tools and middleware are meant to make the lives of developers easier and more productive.

Where are you located?

We are located in the Corporate Research Center near the Virginia Tech main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. The low operational costs of the area, the Corporate Research Center and Virginia Tech's dedication to high technology, and the ample supply of employees from the university make Blacksburg the ideal xRhino location. For more exact information please visit our Corporate page.

xRhino? What is that supposed to mean?

xRhino has no particular significance, actually. We want to convey a sense of strength and stability with our trademark, hence the Rhino. As for the 'x', it represents a standard variable - replaceable by anything we choose in order to create various product names. "AirRhino", "BlueRhino", "IamtiredofhearingaboutthiscompanywithasillynameRh ino", etc. Yes, we are fully aware of how geeky that is, but we proudly display our name regardless.

What is your favorite color?

You keep away from us, bridge-keeper!




The Console Gaming Industry FAQ


How big is the video game industry?
How big is the console video game industry?
Any cool game industry technical jargon that you can teach me?
I want to be in the games industry, what do I do to get there?
Are there any big gaming industry events? Like, with alot of games and stuff?
Is it true that gaming is a subculture and kids that grow up without games will be screwed up for the rest of their life?
Is it also true that ultra-violent games make the best baby-sitters?

How big is the video game industry?

The video game industry as a whole grossed close to $6.1 billion (USD) in 1999, almost overtaking the motion picture industry. The gaming industry is the fastest growing industry in most of the modern nations around the world and is predicted to show double-digit growth through 2005.

How big is the console video game industry?

The console video game industry is a large part of the video game industry and is usually where the fiercest competition occurs between gaming companies and between publishers. While developers that make games for console systems usually sell more titles than their PC equivalents, development costs for console games are far more than most PC games.

Any cool game industry technical jargon that you can teach me?

Of course! There's tons of it! We can barely understand each other there are so many new terms being "invented" each and every day. Listed below are some of our favorites, drop them in casual conversation to leave your friends in awe:

Machinema - This is when programmers and artists mistake themselves for movie directors, generating a horribly expressionless scene using their game engine and in-game models (usually in an attempt to cut down costs). There are very few companies that can create a good Machinema sequence. This bit of jargon originated from the combination of the words machine and cinema.

3rd Party Developer - The companies that create the games that go on the store shelves. An example of a 3rd party developer for Sony's original PlayStation would be Naughty Dog, makers of the Crash Bandicoot series.

VLIW/SIMD - This acronym stands for Very Large Instruction Word/Single Instruction Multiple Data... not specific to the gaming industry, but it is fun to pronounce. For more information on VLIW/SIMD, check out Ars Technica's most excellent article on the PlayStation 2.

I want to be in the games industry, what do I do to get there?

First, you have to give up all hope that you will ever make money in the games industry.

It depends on what you want to do in the gaming industry... Lets take the creative talent that goes into making a game. These include the writers, programmers, designers, and graphic artists.

Writers are the ones that do most of the dialog, story, technical and game documentation. Without writers, games would be soul-less creations forced to wander the retail shelves without any hope of somebody picking them up (well - okay - so some of those games are out there, despite their writers). Good writers often tend to have some sort of mental dysfunction, great writers are lunatics.

Programmers in the gaming industry are probably the best graphics and optimized code writers on the face of the planet. They have to work with very limited hardware and make the game technology run as fast and look better than anything else that has come before them. They also tend to lack social lives and dream about self optimizing assembler loops. If you want this kind of life... take programming classes in high school, get a Computer Science degree, specialize in graphics, spend all your time programming in assembler, C, C++, OpenGL, DirectX, and anything else that may help you land that first game programming job.

Designers are charged with the task of making sure that all the game elements are well balanced and that the game his fair and fun to play. Design is an ongoing process and probably the most difficult because a badly designed game, regardless of how good it looks or how well it is written, cannot survive in the competitive video game arena.

Graphic Artists create the majority of the visual content for a game. 3D models, textures that are applied to the models, in-game movies, and 2D game pictures all fall under the domain of the Graphic Artist.

There is one more class of people that goes into game production: managers and executives. Managers are given the difficult task of balancing all of the elements of the game team, along with the budget and time frame, and are charged with getting the game done on time. Managers are also given the feat of directing the creative talent of a company, a task comparable with that of herding wild cats in a sardine factory. We remember those days...oh - *a-hem*.

And then, there are the executives... they make money.

Are there any big gaming industry events? Like, with a lot of games and stuff?

Like, fer sure. The Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, is the biggest games show in the United States. It is held in May and is usually where the big game announcements of the coming year are made.

Is it true that gaming is a subculture that parents these days do not understand and that kids not allowed to play video games will be screwed up for the rest of their life?

Absolutely.

Is it also true that ultra-violent games make the best baby-sitters?

Who asks these questions?!




Product FAQ


What are your products?
When will you make detailed announcements about your product line?
What do your products help PlayStation 2 developers do?
Wait - I heard something about developer packages. What about those?
What kind of simulation/military stuff do you do?

What are your products?

Our products consist of developer and artist tools that reduce the cost and time of developing for the PlayStation 2. We have released a set of software packages that will help PlayStation 2 developers keep their development systems up-to-date. We also provide a pure Linux development environment for the PlayStation 2 called BlackRhino Linux. The rest of our product line consists of visualization and decision support systems for the simulation industry.

When will you make detailed announcements about your product line?

Due to various game industry market pressures, we have decided to put our game industry division in limbo for the time being. Our current work is related with the defense industry and is thus private and confidential business. We do plan on supporting BlackRhino Linux to the best of our ability for the next several years.

What do your products help PlayStation 2 developers do?

Our products make our customers more productive and help them concentrate on developing content, rather than struggling with the development environment. Developers are empowered to test sub-systems without the need for a PlayStation 2 development system (DTL-10000). Our toolset also allows artists to use the PlayStation 2 debugging console to view 2D and 3D graphics directly on the platform.

Wait - I heard something about developer packages. What about those?

You're right - we do have some useful packages available. Check out the xRhino PlayStation 2 Toolchain Packages FAQ dedicated to them.

What kind of military stuff do you do?

We work on visualization and decision support systems for the simulation industry. Linux and other open-source tools are utilized heavily in our products to accelerate development and at the same time, give something back to the community. We have several opensource visualization projects, most of which will be announced later this year.





xRhino PlayStation 2 Toolchain Packages FAQ

What exactly are software packages?
How does this affect me as a PlayStation 2 developer?
How do I get the xRhino PlayStation 2 toolchain packages?
What formats do you currently provide the packages in?
Do you provide the packages in any other packaging/architecture format?
How many packages do you provide?
Do you have a complete list of all the packages you provide?

What exactly are software packages?

Packages provide a clean way of installing and un-installing a software suite. The Microsoft® Windows® equivalent would be the standard installer screen (Wise, InstallShield, etc) you step through to install most software packages.

Under Linux there are several different types of packaging formats. Some of them include RPMs, .debs, Slackware packages, etc. The most well known packaging format is probably RPM (RedHat Package Manager) packages.

Linux packages offer several advantages over installing the suite of software manually. The most prevalent is the ease of installation and uninstallation. During an install, not only will files be copied to different places in the complex Unix directory structure, but many other things occur as well. System services (daemons) are stopped, reconfigured and restarted. Permissions to some files are modified, and sometimes new virtual devices may be created. Many things that are tedious to do manually are done automatically by installing packages.

How does this affect PlayStation 2 developers?

Using packages to install and periodically upgrade your Linux toolchain means several things to developers:


No more toolchain patching. You will never have to download, unpack, and install a .tar.gz of the latest toolchain patch. Just download the latest RPMs and install... getting updates is no longer a tedious process.
You can just install the toolchain packages that you need. If you only do IOP development, you install just the IOP toolchain. If you use dsedb exclusively, there is no need to install the ee-gdb package. If you are not concerned with IOP development, you need only install the EE toolchain packages.
You can upgrade and downgrade to/from different versions of the compiler and library toolchain at any time. Interested in playing around with the recently released SCEA toolchain patches, but worried about corrupting your stable toolchain? RPMs allow you to upgrade to the patched compiler, experiment with it, and then downgrade to the stable compiler easily and in a fraction of the amount of time it would take you to do it using .tar.gz files.
The bottom line is that packages save you time, and therefore save you money. You don't have to worry about whether your toolchain was installed correctly, just install/upgrade and continue developing.

How do I get the xRhino PlayStation 2 toolchain packages?

You MUST be a registered PlayStation 2 developer as well as have entered into a DSA with Sony Computer Entertainment America. If you meet these requirements please go to our Getting the free xRhino toolchain packages HOW-TO.

What formats do you currently provide the packages in?

We currently provide i386 RPM packages as well as i386 Debian packages.

Do you provide the packages in any other packaging/architecture format?

We have the ability to provide the packages in a variety of different formats; RPMs, Debian, Slackware and Stampede. At the moment, we only compile the toolchain for i386 based architectures, but can provide packages for other architectures if there is enough demand. If we don't provide the packages that you need, please let us know.

How many packages do you provide?

We provide 10 packages for free, which compromise the entire SCE PlayStation 2 toolchain. The free packages contain everything needed for PlayStation 2 development.

Our professional packages contain much more, including packages for all the PS2 utilities, presentations, sample programs and demos. Upon purchasing our professional packages ($90 USD per 3 months), PS2 developers have access to over 67 development packages.

Do you have a complete list of all the packages you provide?

Sure. The following packages are provided by xRhino to the PlayStation 2 development community for free:

Name Version Description

xrsce-ps2-dev 2.2.3-1 General utilities for PlayStation 2 development
xrsce-binutils-iop 2.11.90.0.1-1 Binary utilities that support the IOP on PlayStation 2
xrsce-gcc-iop 2.95.3-1 The GNU C cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 IOP
xrsce-iop-dev 2.2.3-1 Development headers and libraries for PlayStation 2 IOP
xrsce-binutils-ee 2.9-991111-2 Binary utilities that support the PS2 Emotion Engine
xrsce-ee-dev 2.2.3-2 Development headers and libraries for PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-g++-ee 2.9-991111-2 The GNU C++ cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-gcc-ee 2.9-991111-2 The GNU C cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-gdb-ee 2.9-991111-2 The GNU debugger for the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine
xrsce-newlib-ee 2.9-991111-2 The Cygnus newlib libraries for the PlayStation 2 EE

The following table contains all of the packages that we currently provide to paying developers, the list is growing all the time:

Name Version Description

xrsce-atmon latest Artist Tool Monitor base package for viewing art content
xrsce-binutils-ee latest Binary utilities that support the PS2 Emotion Engine
xrsce-binutils-iop latest Binary utilities that support the IOP on PlayStation 2
xrsce-cdexec latest EE utility to boot burned CD-ROM discs on the DTL-10000
xrsce-ee-dev latest Development headers and libraries for PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-errata latest Sony PlayStation 2 System Manual Errata
xrsce-es latest eS Artist Tools
xrsce-es-parsers latest eS Artist Tools - Sample Parsers
xrsce-ethernetdrivers latest Ethernet drivers for the IOP
xrsce-g++-ee latest The GNU C++ cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-gcc-ee latest The GNU C cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-gcc-iop latest The GNU C cross-compiler for the PlayStation 2 IOP
xrsce-gdb-ee latest The GNU debugger for the PlayStation 2 Emotion Engine
xrsce-iop-dev latest Development headers and libraries for PlayStation 2 IOP
xrsce-libexcep latest EE and IOP exception debugging libraries
xrsce-libps2gl-dev latest Sony PlayStation 2 GL - Development
xrsce-libps2gl-examples latest Sony PlayStation 2 GL - Examples
xrsce-libps2gl1 latest Sony PlayStation 2 GL - Runtime
xrsce-libps2glut-dev latest Sony PlayStation 2 GL Utility Toolkit - Development
xrsce-libps2glut1 latest Sony PlayStation 2 GLUT - Runtime
xrsce-libps2stuff-dev latest The PS2Stuff Project - Development
xrsce-libps2stuff-examples latest The PS2Stuff Project - Examples
xrsce-libps2stuff1 latest The PS2Stuff Project
xrsce-libscedemo latest PlayStation 2 demo disc library
xrsce-mem2mb latest IOP utility to check memory accesses above 2MB on TOOL
xrsce-modemdrivers latest Modem drivers for the IOP
xrsce-newlib-ee latest The Cygnus newlib libraries for the PlayStation 2 EE
xrsce-presentations-audio latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Audio
xrsce-presentations-cddvd latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - CD/DVD
xrsce-presentations-ee latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Emotion Engine
xrsce-presentations-general latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - General
xrsce-presentations-graphics latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Graphics
xrsce-presentations-gs latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Graphics Synthesizer
xrsce-presentations-iop latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - IOP
xrsce-presentations-memory latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Memory
xrsce-presentations-networking latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Networking
xrsce-presentations-peripherals latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Peripherals
xrsce-presentations-toolchain latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Toolchain
xrsce-presentations-vu latest Sony PlayStation 2 Presentations - Vector Units
xrsce-ps2-dev latest General utilities for PlayStation 2 development
xrsce-samples-antialiasing latest PS2 Anti-Aliasing Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-cddvd latest PS2 CD and DVD Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-dma latest PS2 DMA Source Code Examples
xrsce-samples-earthviewer latest The EarthViewer PS2 Source Code Sample
xrsce-samples-ee latest PS2 EE Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-graphics latest General PS2 Graphics Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-gs latest PS2 GS Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-iop latest PS2 IOP Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-misc latest Miscellaneous PS2 Source Code Examples
xrsce-samples-peripherals latest PS2 Peripherals Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-skysimulator latest PS2 Sky Simulator Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-sound latest PS2 Sound Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-vuapps latest VU Apps Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-vumisc latest Miscellaneous PS2 VU Source Code Samples
xrsce-samples-vuvif latest PS2 VU VIF Source Code Samples
xrsce-sndtool latest The Artist Tool Sound Previewer for PS2 debug stations
xrsce-sndtool-sampledata latest Audio samples for use with the Artist Tool Sound Previewer
xrsce-technotes latest Complete Collection of Sony PlayStation 2 Technotes
xrsce-tim2 latest Specifications for the TIM2 Image Format
xrsce-tim2-examples latest TIM2 Example Progams
xrsce-trc latest The Sony PlayStation 2 Technical Requirements Checklist
xrsce-vcl latest VCL - VU Command-line Tool




HOW-TOs

General HOWTOs
Create an Origami Rhino ('x' Sold Separately)
BlackRhino Installation
Getting the free xRhino Toolchain Packages




HOW-TOs

Getting the Free xRhino PlayStation 2 Toolchain Packages
Overview

This HOW-TO describes how to get the xRhino PlayStation 2 toolchain RPMs and DEBs from our ftp server. The toolchain packages are meant for PlayStation 2 developers using Linux.
The toolchain packages are not crippled in any way. They are the full set of toolchain packages released by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). The IOP compiler toolchain has been upgraded to gcc 2.95.3. The EE toolchain is the standard 2.9-ee-991111 version. Tlib version is 2.2.3.

Authorization

Register at our website: xRhino Website Registration
Send an e-mail to xrhino@dualshock.scea.com using your PS2 DevNet 2 dualshock e-mail address requesting access to our FTP site. To send us an e-mail through PS2 DevNet 2:
Login at PS2 DevNet 2
Go to this address: https://dualshock.scea.com/users/xrhino/
Scroll to the bottom of the page, and send us an e-mail with your xrhino website username and we will authorize you for access immediately.
If you do not have a personal account through PS2 DevNet 2, get one . By sending us an e-mail through your PS2 DevNet 2 account, we can automatically authorize you to access our FTP site. Only registered PS2 developers can send e-mail through DevNet 2. The only other way to access our free stuff is by e-mailing packages@xrhino.com and asking for access to the FTP site... it may take several days to manually verify your account with SCEA before we can give you access to the packages.

Getting the RPM packages

Using Standard FTP
FTP to ftp.xrhino.com, login with your username and password from your xRhino web registration.
The RPM packages are in the /try-me/RPMs directory. Make sure to get the README and QUICKSTART files, which will help you install the packages.
Getting the Debian packages

Using Standard FTP
FTP to ftp.xrhino.com, login with your username and password from your xRhino web registration.
The DEB packages are in the /try-me/debian/pool/non-free/x/ directory. The structure is there so Apt (or a wrapper around Apt - like dselect) can be easily used to get the packages (see the next section).
Make sure to get the README and QUICKSTART files in /try-me/debian/, which will help you install the packages.

Using Apt (Recommended)
Create a new entry in your /etc/apt/sources.list like this...
deb ftp://USER:PASS@ftp.xrhino.com/try-me/debian stable non-free
Replacing USER and PASS with your xRhino website login information.
Since sources.list is not encrypted, you will want to make sure that only the root account has read and write access on it...
chown root:root /etc/apt/sources.list
chmod 600 /etc/apt/sources.list
Now use Apt (or dselect, etc) as usual by updating the available packages list and selecting what you would like to install.
Make sure to get the README and QUICKSTART files in /try-me/debian/, which will help you install the packages.


HOW-TOs

Origami Rhino HOW-TO: Page 1
Building a Better Rhino in 25 Steps!

These diagrams are courtesy of Dr Stephen O'Hanlon