Release: Fully operational dlclose exploit + Linux for PS4, by kR105

I don't know the boot process on a PS4, but if loading Linux requires you to modify or bypass any access controls, then it may be a circumvention violation of the DMCA.

If loading an alternate OS is a EULA violation, they might brick users machines or at least stop them from using Sony services.

stegosaurus• 10 years ago

Cloned and ready to rock.

Remember 09 F9?

s_kilk3• 10 years ago

I wonder if this could be used to decrypt/unpack/dump/whatever the contents of games?

I know the Dark Souls community are gasping to see the cut content which may or may not live inside the Bloodborne game files.

astrodust2• 10 years ago

Why would that be any easier than just ripping the content off the disc directly?

iLoch• 10 years ago

Pretty sure the game files are encrypted and all the consoles have a secure chip which decrypts them. Getting files from the game disc is easy, reading them isn't.

s_kilk3• 10 years ago

As iLoch said, the disks are encrypted.

iamcreasy4• 10 years ago

After Xbox dev mode, I think Sony needs to be more open about their console development.

This might just be stepping stone in the right direction.

mtgx• 10 years ago

Before announcing the PS4, I was hoping Sony would adopt Linux, mainly because I think it would've done a great service to the Linux community by having games that run well on Linux, but I think it would've also helped Sony in the long run. Microsoft is already banking on "DirectX gaming" for both Windows and Xbox. Sony should've had a similar strategy. They should go all-in with Linux and Vulkan with future consoles.

iamcreasy4• 10 years ago

I was really hopeful when they switched to x86 architecture. But it has been over 2.5 years. Nothing yet.

They have lowered the price of dev kit, they approach more indie developers then every before, they even have a indie fund. But they would have more games if they try the other way around - if they could somehow lower the barrier for game developers to approach them.

matt_wulfeck• 10 years ago

I understand that these PS4s use a BSD, so I think Sony has adopted "unix" in technology but not the Linux philosophy. It's totally closed off.

Sanddancer2• 10 years ago

What advantage would any of that have over FreeBSD? They've already got a kernel that gets them all of that, so why change that that isn't broken?

pjmlp5• 10 years ago

Sony had their flirts with Indies and Linux and walked away from it.

The Playstation had Net Yaroze, which was almost comparable the usual devkit. A collector's item nowadays.

The PS2 had PS2 Linux, which required special RGB monitors with sync on green, but it provided almost the same access to the hardware as the devkits. The main difference was the amount of available RAM, only PS2GL and the higher level PS2 official graphics API were available. The low level one wasn't accessible.

The PS3 provided a very limited support for Linux. The graphics hardware was exposed as a plain framebuffer. Then came the firmware update that wiped Linux out of the PS3.

The PS Vita did offer a Mono based SDK, but after the initial release, they went silent. You can still access the web site, though.

The PS4 already exposes two graphics APIs much more powerful than Vulkan, with the developers being quite experienced on them.

If you search SCEE and GDC Vault web sites there are plentiful documents and sessions, NDA free, how the console market works.

dang• 10 years ago

Url changed from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/04/full_linuxonps4_hits..., which points to this.

Release: Fully operational dlclose exploit + Linux for PS4, by kR105

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