How to install Ubuntu on PS3
Installing Ubuntu on PS3 is a very easy but time consuming task. The installation process takes much longer on PlayStation 3 than on a normal PC.
Before we start: Warning: You will have to partition the hard drive on your play station in order to accommodate two Operating Systems. What this means is that the hard drive will be formated. What I recommend is backing up before partitioning.
Step 0 Backup:
- Start your PS3
- Go to Settings > System Settings > Backup Utility
- Choose Back Up
- Finally, pick the device you want to save your backup to (memory stick, external hdd, etc).
Step 1 Downloading all needed files:
- otheros.bld – this will install KBoot on your PS3. KBoot lets you install a linux OS on your PS3.
- Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) PS3 ISO – Ubuntu version for PS3. This is a special version of the Ubuntu OS designed to work perfectly with PS3. What this means is that it well detect all the PS3 hardware, like the Blu-ray unit, the Gelic network card, USB and Bluetooth ports, and the sound system.
Step 2 Prepare your PlayStation 3 for Ubuntu:
- As I mentioned above you will have to partition the PS3 hard drive:
- Start the PlayStation 3
- Go to Settings > System Settings > Format Utility
- Choose Format Hard Disk (last option)
- System will ask you if you are sure you want to format the hard disk, choose Yes
- Next are the partition settings. Choose the Custom option.
- Allocate 10GB for the other OS (in our case for Ubuntu)
- Select quick format and wait till the format is finished.
- Restart the PS3
Step 3 KBoot Installation:
- Save otheros.bld on a USB Flash memory, external HDD
- Plug your device in to the PS3
- Go to Settings > System Settings > Install Other Os
- Go to where the otheros.bld file is stored and install
Step 4 Installing Ubuntu:
- You are now ready to install Ubuntu. Make sure you have attached a usb keyboard and mouse before you continue.
- Burn the Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) PS3 ISO to a CD and put it in your PlayStation unit.
- Go to Settings > System Settings > Default System
- Choose Other OS
- The system will ask you if you want to quit the PS3 system and start the Other OS, choose Yes
- The PS3 will restart. It will now load the new system you have just installed. Once finished loading you will see Ubuntu PS3 KBoot Loader. Type install
- Wait for the CD to load and then follow the Ubuntu installation steps
- After the installation is finished it will restart the PS3 yet again
- On Restart the Ubuntu PS3 KBoot Loader will be loaded, wait for a few seconds and you will see that Ubuntu starts loading.
That is basically all it takes.
How to go back to the PS3 system?
Very easy process, when the Ubuntu PS3 KBoot Loader loads just type boot-game-os and hit Enter. Another restart will follow and you will be back in the familiar PS3 system.
How to go back to Ubuntu?
Again very easy go to Settings > System Settings > Default System and choose Other OS
June 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
[...] Installing Linux was kind of the last thing i wanted to do and i didn’t know of any other software at that time so I went for it. It was a difficult and time consuming job. I managed to ruin two of my flash memory chips. After two sleepless nights I managed to install Linux the way I wanted and then it was time for the test. Well first of all i needed to connect a keyboard and a mouse to the PS3 which was something I didn’t like but then if this works it’s all good. And it did work but there was a problem. The disk I was sharing was ntfs format and capacity of 500GB. I couldn’t mount it on Linux. For anyone who is interested in the manual on How to install Ubuntu on PS3 [...]