Xbox Linux group seeks Microsoft seal

[marko]

Thought this was interesting. I'm not a big fan of microsoft, nor a big hater, but these linux people are out of control a little bit. Microsoft loses money on every xbox they make, in hopes of recouping some of those losses on video game purchases. If they don't want people running linux on it, and design a system so that (among other things) is not possible, so be it. Not everyone has to be like Sony and make their system linux friendly (PS2 linux kit), and Microsoft has been pretty anti-linux, so not sure what they are expecting here.


"In an open letter sent to Microsoft, the organizers of the Xbox Linux Project requested that the software giant "sign" its Xbox version of the open-source operating sytem.

Microsoft's electronic signature would allow the software to run on an unmodified Xbox. Currently, an Xbox must be outfitted with a "mod chip"--a gray-market add-on that overrides security features in the console--to run Linux or any other unapproved software. Microsoft has pursued a variety of legal and technical means to thwart mod chips, on the grounds that the devices aid software piracy.

"We would strongly prefer that our users did not have this extra complex step of opening their Xbox and fitting extra circuitry before they can run Linux or other programs," the letter says.

"Because of Microsoft's deliberate design choices in terms of restricting the software that may run on an unmodified Xbox to 'Microsoft approved only,' coming to ask Microsoft, and presumably paying Microsoft, is currently the only way we can get our port of the GNU/Linux OS to interoperate with an unmodified box," the letter says. "Unkind people might characterize this as a second deliberate monopoly created by Microsoft even as they were being found guilty of creating an illegal monopoly in operating systems software."


Rest here...
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-985154.html

[raj2001]

One of the reasons I have never bought an XBOX is because I could never justify buying a game console that was basically PC hardware, when I already have my PC. Furthermore, I see nothing wrong in doing what you want with hardware that you paid for with your own money. If Microsoft loses money from XBOX sales, and hopes to gain from selling games that would only work on XBOX that's not my fault.

[marko]

Yeah, I have no problem with people doing what they want with their hardware, but I personally think it is pretty stupid of these linux guys to want/ask/hope that microsoft allows them to alter their hardware to allow linux to run out of the box without altercation. Actually, I guess asking is not that bad, but hopefully they are not actually expecting MS to say yes.

I did end up buying an xbox. My computer is a piece of crap, and there is something about playing console games I like much better than computer games. I've emjoyed it immensely, especially some of xbox live games.

[Jacob S]

Maybe it will end up just like the satellite companies, to buy a system at a certain price you must sign up for so many games a month or a service for a period of one or two years, that would make them some money.