Hey. I just felt like sharing some very exciting news if you don''t know already. If you don''t know, Sony Computer Entertainment just anounced that they are releasing a PS2 Linux kit for the playstation 2!! More information can be obtained from websites like consolewire.com or ign.com. If you are not familiar with Playstation 2 developement, let me give you a quick rundown. Sony Computer Entertainment Designed the Playstation 2 TOOL DTL-T10000(ps2 workstation. looks like a PS2 on steriods)so that it runs a 64 bit kernel of Linux designed for the Playstation 2 architechture. Sony''s software developement tools called SDEVTC(consists of ps2 compilers, linkers,debuggers,assemblers,etc.) run under Linux for developement of software targeted at the PS2 operating system. Of course, there are other cross developement tools by Metroworks and SnSystems, but these compilers run under windows. Anyway, Licensed Playstation 2 game developers pay about $20,000 just for the Playstation 2 TOOL(workstation) alone, and that is expensive. With this new Linux kit that Sony will release in June, PS2 owners will be able to install the same Linux kernel that sony installs on the "TOOL" on their own PS2. The kit will cost about $200.00, and will consist of the following: Linux for the PS2,the PS2''s graphics libraries, documentation on the Playstation 2''s processors, a PS2 keyboard, a PS2 mouse, and PS2 hard drive and ethernet unit, and a PS2 VGA adapter. This kit will enable programmers to start their own games on their own PS2! I suspect that the Playstation 2 libraries will be missing many features that the full professional libraries on the Playstation 2 TOOL has, but it is still pretty tight. OF course, I need to know a lot more, and right now, it will only be released for the first and second versions of the Japanese PS2. Hopefully it will come to the US. This should give more developers an insentive to learn about linux. Edem Attiogbe

Nutter, I don''t understand what you mean by "there is no OS on PS2." There is, and its graphical user interface(the interface you see when you boot up or turn on your PS2) is located in the Playstation 2''s bios chip. It is located in ROM. Why would you say that the PS2 does not have an operating system? Every computer has to have a core OS or set of instructions to run it. For instance, Xbox''s operating system is based off of the Windows 2000 kernel, and has it''s own unique graphical user interface. GameCube''s operating system is unique because developers for GameCube can actually develope within the gamecube operating system itself with the developement kits. Saying the PS2 does not have an operating system is like saying that a Palm Pilot does not have an operating system. For PS2, you just cross develope from either Linux(with Sony''s software developement tools) or Windows(with software developement tools for Metroworks,Snsystems,etc.)

Edem Attiogbe