Sony: phat PS3s will not lose Other OS feature

[Dangwoot]

One of the things that phat PS3 models have over the Slim line is the ability to install and run other OS, but rumors came out last month saying that a future firmware update will remove the said function to counter the GeoHotz exploit. According to Geoffrey Levand, PS3-Linux maintainer at Sony, those rumors are untrue.


Says Levand in an email to **********.net:

Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue the support for previously sold models that have the "Install Other OS" feature and that this feature will not be disabled in future firmware releases.

The statement does not appear to be time-bound, and it seems by far, Sony has no intention of removing the feature present in the pricier, fatter models. Good news, Linux is here to stay.

Thanks Glenn M.

[via qj.net]

[Shippy]

Maybe that is a good thing for Sony. Since the fat PS3's already have Linux, the hard core hackers did not need to find a way to install it. If they remove linux, that would give them a reason to hack the PS3. Maybe they learned something from Xbox's mistakes.

[backstar]

Yeah Shippy your point makes perfect sense amoung these types of forums.

I'm of the mind we won't see OtherOS on the PS4 though, so I doubt they have caught on to this fact.

Them having knowledge of the inner workings of the PS3 maybe their just not worried about what Geohot's hack will bring... Or maybe they've found a way to stop it. Time will tell I guess.

[alexo]

Or maybe they don't want a class action suit for disabling an advertised feature.
Imagine what would happen if Ford managed to issue a "firmware upgrade" that disabled the cruise control.

[_zaphod_]

Sony has a history of not messing with exploits that aren't used for piracy. Remember Sony left independence unfixed until HDLOADER was ported to it. Only at that time, did they act to pull it from all future models.

Until the exploit actually hits their bottom line, or they can figure out how it can hit their bottom line, their reaction tends to be along the lines of "Oh, look! How cute." (chuckle)

The protection remains undefeated, so Sony could care less. But the instant someone makes a working ISO loader for OtherOS, they will act swiftly and surely....

Also i fyou will remember the Yarouze back in the ps2 days. Sony has nothing against hobbyists trying to develop homebrew.

[chris-007]

A really bad day in the history of PS3:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/...-v3-21-update/

OtherOS is removed from all PS3 !

You have to decide between open platform or future games and PSN usage.

[K810]

Sony is smarter

[JNABK]

Sony is smarter

Not really....they just make the first move with a team backing them. Everyone can show how much smarter we are by simply not upgrading the firmware.

[yoshi314]

after thinking about this for a while i came up with this
- they have no way to protect against the exploit
- they are trying to find out how many people actually care about linux on ps3
- they want to get more media attention, for some unknown reason

the date of 1apr only adds to the confusion, and i prefer to disregard it.

reasons to cut linux are reasonable, but they are illegal. linux support was an advertised feature for fat ps3 models, so it's illegal to cripple the product after selling it.

Sony has a history of not messing with exploits that aren't used for piracy. Remember Sony left independence unfixed until HDLOADER was ported to it. Only at that time, did they act to pull it from all future models.

not really, hdd support was still present in first few slim ps2 models.

sony was rather lazy with protecting ps2 over time. or maybe that was just the market inertia, because there was no way to flash ps2 bios, like you can do now with psp/ps3

[Church001]

alost everyone i know dont even use there ps3 online so lol