Blog: About the PS3 Linux mess

This is a bit old news, but it seems to get a lot of attention. Even some XBox guys couldn't hold on to comment, as every new update to the XBox brings something new, while the PS3 update now will cut down Linux support. You cannot argue that this is not true, but it's very laughable when you think about that it is not possible to just put any 2.5" harddrive into your XBox... But that's another story.

I think it's a pity SONY acts like this. I can understand that they want to protect the platform from getting hacked and therefore may loose attraction to game publishers.

I don't know of the ability to run Linux on the PS3 is really such a big security concern for SONY, but I can imagine it is. Running Linux on PS3 is just a way to get around the normal OS of the console, but accessing almost everything else. And you will be able to run an operating system (Linux) on it, where every byte of it is available as source code.

So, running Linux on PS3 is probably a harm to SONY. And therefore it is legit to cut down this support. When people complain they did not buy that version of a PS3 to not be able to run Linux on it, I can say: you're right. You have a console that currently runs Linux. Just don't install the update!

The only bad thing about this is, that my personal win on consoles over PCs is, that you can play any game even years after you bought the console. Try this with a PC that is one year old: you do not get the full game experience - mostly graphic wise.

But with this next update, users of Linux on their PS3 have to make a decision: either installing the update, which will make their Linux system useless and they cannot access it anymore. Or the ignore the update, but then will no longer be able to play online.

And this is something where I really go mad, as I don't need the necessarity for that. Banning Linux with an update to protect the platform, OK. But not allowing access to PSN and therefore banning the users from using large parts of their gaming device? This is not far away from the banning of some cracked and manipulated consoles Microsoft did with their XBox.

I don't think this kind of banning is really necessary, and therefore every PS3 Linux owner has every right to be upset. This behavior of SONY is just to get as many PS3 owners as possible to install the update. Nothing more. And I feel betrayed as a customer - even if I do not run Linux on my PS3.