Complete guide to installing Ubuntu on the PS3

The PS3 has a unique feature that allows you to install a third-party operating system on the console. Because of its popularity and ease of use, Ubuntu Linux is a good choice. By installing Ubuntu, your Playstation 3 becomes much more than just a game console. You can use it as a home computer (running desktop applications), a web- or file server, play media files, and run applications like Firefox, Openoffice and multimedia tools.

Installing Ubuntu on the PS3 will take about an hour. The process involves three steps:

1. Setting up your PS3 to run Linux
2. Installing your Ubuntu version of choice.
3. Setting up your PSUbuntu installation

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Set up your PS3 to run Linux

You have to format your PS3 hard drive to install Ubuntu. You will probably want to backup your savegames! You will also need to let go of some 10GB of disk space.

What you need

• An Ubuntu version for the PS3 burned on a CD. For information on how to burn iso files to a cd, see this page∞.
• A USB keyboard and mouse. Wireless and bluetooth input devices should work fine (with a dongle).
• A USB stick or external hard disk (if you want to backup files and saved games on your PS3).
• If you're installing 9.10 you should download otheros.bld from here∞

Formatting the PS3 hard disk

The first thing you need to do is to format the PS3s hard disk to make room for a second operating system (called Other OS). Your user profiles and account information will remain on the XMB, but remember to back up any saved games or media files you want to restore after formatting the PS3 using a USB stick or an external hard disk. Your game saves are located under Game > Saved Data Utility.

All downloaded games you paid for can be downloaded again without having to pay for them. They'll be in your account history in the PS Store.

• Go to [System Settings] > [Format Utility].
• Select "Format Hard Disk" and click [Yes].
• Choose [Custom] and [Allot 10GB to the Other OS].
• Select [Quick Format] and confirm with [Yes].

Formatting will take a few seconds. Press X to restart the system.

Log in (you need to hit the PS button on your controller if it's deactivated after restart).

Installing Other OS

Installing the other OS is what it all about, You can choose the command line style loader included with the cd image you downloaded, but you can also download a custom loader called "petitboot", I strongly recommend to use petitboot, as it makes it easier to switch between different resolutions or "kernels".
You have different options when it comes to petitboot, one with a pretty gui (icons and a background) (download∞) or one that focusses more on function rather than form (download∞). The latter also has support for the ext4 file system used in Ubuntu 9.10. Another loader you could use is pdaXrom-NG∞, which is similar to petitboot but uses a different menu layout.

We really recommend to use the simple-gui petitboot downloaded from geoff's website. If you choose to install 9.10 or higher you don't have a choice as previous versions do NOT support the ext4 filesystem used in 9.10.

Installing the bootloader

• Download "otheros.bld" (you don't have to when using the one included with your pre-9.10 ubuntu installation)
• Copy it to your usb stick or external harddrive in the folder; /PS3/otheros/
• Connect your mouse and keyboard
• Insert either the Ubuntu CD or your USB stick/harddrive into your PS3
• Go to [System Settings] > [Install Other OS].
• Select "Other OS" and hit "Yes" to restart the system.

If you get an error message that says "No applicable installer was found" this means that either the file was not found or that your external USB device was not detected (to check this you can open the music or video section in the XMB, the device should be listed there)

Updating your console

The last thing you will have to do is updating the PS3, I think you have done that before, but just in case you dont know:
Go to: [Settings > System Update > Update via Internet]
When there is an update available the PS3 will ask you to install it.

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Installing (X)Ubuntu on your PS3

Note: There are more accurate guides avaliable for those who want to install 7.10 or 8.04. Following this guide will probably be fine, but for more details follow those link!

Now you're done setting up your PS3 it's time to actually install Ubuntu on your console! This chapter assumes you downloaded and burned a version of Ubuntu on a CD, so if you haven't done that yet you should go back a little and follow the guide.

Start up the PS3s XMB (Cross Media Bar).
With the disk loaded, go to [Settings > System Settings > Default System].

Loading the installer

This is where the otheros.bld we downloaded and installed first show up, If you chose the default loader (the otheros.bld included with the ubuntu installation) you will be greeted by two penguins and some lines of text. After a few seconds the terminal will display:

This is an Ubuntu installation CDROM

Pressing Enter will start the installation with the kernel loading the system. Never mind the usb error message(s), just let the installer start up.

If you chose Petitboot or pdaXrom-NG you will see a nice little gui or a list of options, You can switch menus (the icons on the left) by hovering over them with your mousepointer, It might take a minute before the CD icon shows up, when it does, click the icon and choose "install".
Petitboot versions with the more simple gui can navigated through by just pressing the arrow keys to switch between options, use the one that says "Install".

The option "gameboot" you saw when you first booted will take you back to the XMB, Stock loader users can type "ps3-boot-game-os" at "kboot: _" to go back to the XMB

Installing the base system

These instructions are only tested on a ps3 connected to the internet via cable. If you're installing without internet access the process might vary somewhat from the steps below

• First choose a language for the installation process, then your geographical location.
• The system can try to determine your keyboard or you can choose it from a list.
• The CD ROM is scanned, and additional term paper components are loaded.
• If your PS3 is connected to the internet via cable, choose eth0: Ethernet. Its better not to set up your wireless network here, unless you use WEP.
• Enter a hostname for the system - like "psubuntu".
• Disks and hardware is dectected. If asked if you want to Activate Serial ATA RAID devices just chooseyes(anyone know why?).
• When asked how to partition the disks, choose option 2: "Guided - use entire disk" (meaning the 10.7GB you formatted from the XMB in step 1∞).
• On the overview screen, hit "Finish partitioning and write changes to disk". If asked to confirm, choose yes.
• The partition is formatted and base system installed. It should take about 6 minutes.
• Set up your user information (full name, username and password twice), and choose whether you would like to create a private encrypted directory for your user.
• Unless you're using a proxy, leave the HTTP proxy information field blank (just hit enter).
• The system will start installing software. It might appear to hang at 6%, but just give the installer time and it will move on. The process will take about an hour.
• System clock - Yes to UTC.

You're done! The CD will automatically eject itself, but you have to manually take it out of its slot (if you don't, the PS3 will load it upon reboot). Hit Continue to boot into Ubuntu.

Now its time to boot into Ubuntu, again, if you chose the stock loader press enter at "kboot". Petitboot users now see a harddrive icon on the left, hovering the mouse over it will show the options you can set in kboot.conf, we'll talk about that later on, for now select "linux". Simple-gui-petitbooters won't see the harddrive icon, instead they will see a line beginning with "linux", choose that option.

Once greeted by the Ubuntu login screen, enter the user name and password you chose during installation.

Congratulations! You should now have a working (X)Ubuntu Operating System installed on your Playstation 3. Move on to Setup PSUbuntu for tips on how to configure the screen resolution and making the OS run more smoothly.