Thanks to avid Gaming Age reader Leo Wiggins, we now have a better look into the PlayStation 2 Linux Kit that has started to arrive into users' hands. If you're interested in hearing more about the Linux Kit and related developments from Leo, drop us a line at staff@gaming-age.com with your thoughts.
 
 
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So you’ve decided you want to become a hotshot PlayStation 2 programmer now that Sony has released their PlayStation 2 Linux kit in the US and UK. You have visions of developing the next hot game title to make you millions. Well, don’t get too far off. The idea of the PS2 Linux kit stems from the previous PlayStation product called the Net Yarouze for the original PlayStation. The Yarouze was a way for budding hobbyists to try their hand at coding for their favorite console. But there were limitations with this original setup – you could not save more than what could be stored on a memory card.
 
Now, with the release of the PS2 Linux kit – available for $199 from the PlayStation website (www.playstation.com) - you are afforded more of a chance to create and tinker around with the development kit. As part of your $199 purchase, you will receive the following items:  
 
1. A 40GB (proprietary) HDD (hard disk drive)  
2. A black (to match your PS2) USB Keyboard  
3. A black USB scroll-wheel mouse  
4. A VGA adapter cable w/left and right audio  
5. A 10/100 Network Adapter card  
6. A DVD case containing the installation software  
7. An instruction manual  
Required equipment but not included:  
 
1. PS2 8MB memory card (2 are recommended in the manual – 1 as a boot card and one as a backup boot card).  
2. A monitor that supports documented Sync-on-Green function.  
Finding a monitor that supports Sync-on-Green may be your biggest challenge - all monitors support VGA input, but not all of them handle SoG. Sony has provided the starters with a list of monitors they have found that support the SoG function, but it’s not very thorough. The PS2 Linux Community Website has developed a user-supported database list where members can submit monitors they have tested to work or not work. They list the model, manufacturer and if they had to do anything special to get it to work (ex. Boot the PS2 before turning on the monitor). Note that not all manufacturer specs document support for SoG, so consulting the list can be very helpful. The creative folks at the PS2 Linux Community have managed to document a way to do the install blindly (i.e. without a monitor) in the event you don’t have a supported monitor but can eventually get things working with your television.
 
All the products are in the standard Sony blister packs save for the keyboard and HDD. With all the necessary equipment – flat-head screwdriver, SoG monitor, PS2 8MB memory card and the equipment supplied by Sony - the installation process is very straightforward. The documentation for each component has directions on properly installing the equipment, but the documentation included with the DVDs only provides an overall picture of how things are connected. First, unplug the power to the PS2 and remove the back panel (save this, though it will no longer be needed for this install) where the HDD and Network card will be installed. Remove the plastic protective cap from the Network card and connect it to the HDD. Insert the HDD into the drive bay. Screw down the connector to the back of your PS2. Next, insert a new PS2 8MB card (or old 8MB memory card, but be aware the install will wipe the card clean to prepare it as a boot card) into slot 1 and connect the PS2 keyboard to the second USB port. Since the PS2 USB keyboard has a single USB port on the right side of the keyboard, you can use that to install the mouse and keep 1 port free on your PS2. Insert a PS2 DualShock controller into the first controller port. Connect up your Ethernet cable to the rear of the Network card (the install can be done without this option though). Keep your PS2 connected via the S-video or Composite connection to your TV. Once all this is done you can follow the included detail instructions which will guide you through formatting the HDD, partitioning the HDD and then choosing the software packages to install (via the Custom Install setting). If you have prior operating system installation experience these steps will be familiar, but if you don’t, the documentation is fairly straightforward for completing a successful installation. It will take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to complete an install, depending on the number of packages you choose to install.
 
Once the installation is complete and you have configured your X-Windows environment via the manual, it doesn’t explicitly tell you how to start up your X-Windows environment. Weird that they forgot this step, but to get things going, just type the following command at the prompt:  
 
startx  
Startup requires that you have the PS2 8MB memory card in port 1, your mouse, keyboard, monitor (or TV if you follow the blind install documented on the PS2 Linux Community site) and the PS2 Runtime DVD (disc 1) in the drive). Your system will start up (following several prompts from the system) and you will be placed in a X-Windows environment. Congratulations and welcome to the PS2 Linux world. An added note is that by switching out your PS2 boot card with a regular game card you can start up a normal PS2 game without removing the HDD and Network card.  
 
Some helpful sites:  
 
www.playstation.com - To order and track your PS2 Linux Kit playstation2-linux.com - A community forum for the PS2 Linux  
In my next article I’ll go into some of my further adventures with the PS2 Linux experience.