When it was announced that the PlayStation 3 would support and run Linux, it was well-received by the tinkering/hacking community. To be able to run Linux on game consoles has been possible before (earlier PlayStations also supported Linux, apart from other consoles like Microsoft's Xbox and Sega's Dreamcast), but never had it been advertised and supported so well. With a PS3 today, you can download a few files, follow a few simple steps and have Linux running on your PS3 in a couple of hours. And mind you, the capability offered by Linux isn't minimal by any standard. You can have a full-blown word processor, multiple emulators to turn your PS3 into the ultimate gaming setup, or install MythTV and turn it into a powerful multimedia platform. In this article, I will list the steps needed to install and run Linux on the PS3.
Before you start installing Linux on the PS3, you first need to set it up for Linux/OtherOS. This involves formatting your PS3's hard-disk, finding and setting up a distro-specific OtherOS bootloader and finally booting into the Linux installer.
Formatting the PS3's HDD:
In the XMB, go to System -> Settings, and format your HDD. You will be asked to select the size of the OtherOS partition. Make sure to select atleast 10GB for the OtherOS. With the ability to put your own HDDs in the PS3, specifying combinations for all sizes isn't possible here. Just make sure to use some common sense and choose the size wisely.
Setting up OtherOS:
You will need to find an OtherOS.bld file for the specific distribution that you want to install on your PS3. Many distributions have released this bootloader file for the PS3. Some distributions like Ubuntu even bundle it on the CD image. For other distributions, support might not be as good. In any case, try searching through Linux forums and Google, and you're bound to find one for your favorite distribution.
Once you have the OtherOS.bld file, it's time to put it on a USB stick (Memory cards/sticks, USB pen drives) with the following folder structure: "X:\PS3\otheros\otheros.bld" where X is the drive letter of the USB storage medium on your computer. Once you've copied over the bootloader file, remove the USB drive/stick and connect it to your PS3.
Navigate to Settings -> System Settings -> Install Other OS. The PS3 will then find the otheros.bld file on your USB storage/Ubuntu CD and install it. Your PS3 is now ready to run an alternate operating system. It is now time to prepare the distribution CD for installation.