No ROM chip is needed to run OS X! I hear people repeat this all the time and it just not true. New world Mac's have Open Firmware, and that's all. Things like firewire target mode, etc. are just extensions to Open Firmware. The only thing preventing non Apple PowerPC systems like Peagasos from booting OS X is CHRP or POP machines do not have an xcoff-loader package, necessary to load Apple's implementation of the xcoff format.
linux will almost certainly run regardless of how hard microsoft tried to make it. But anyone who thinks that a firmware hack that will allow osx to boot could exist in the wild for long than 1.4 second before apple legal smashed it hasn't been paying attention the last 15 years.
Its true the Open Firmware device tree does have a ROM node. Its children are boot-rom and MacOS. The boot-rom node is the representation of the flash chip where the Open Firmware is stored as well as hardware specific drivers and code such as POST. The MacOS node is a place holder for the OS 9 ROM-in-RAM file that is loaded and attached to the device tree when you boot OS 9.
And if Darwin ran on it, then OS X would run on it, since OS X is Darwin with Quartz and whatnot on top.
That's not true. There is one thing we know for certain: xBox 360 will not have an Apple motherboard, and will likely not have the same motherboard components. Unless you can write support for those pieces of hardware into the low-level parts of OS X, you're out of luck. Darwin is a microkernel, and it doesn't necessarily handle the hardware specific device functions.
In other words, unless the xBox PPC is wired up in the same ways that macs are, you're going to need to modify the very low level parts of the OS.
Ultimately, running OS X on xBox would be just about as difficult as running it on an x86 PC. Apple could make it happen, but it's not likely that anyone else can (or will).
Someone may try to put Linux on it - but don't you expect Microsoft has thought of that? This box is going to be DRM'd out the wazoo.
There's nothing stopping Microsoft from doing anything they want on the Xbox platform - so you will see them at their most arrogant, brazen, brutal techo-thuggery. And what gets thru, squads of lawyers will be deployed to take down.
The Xbox 360 will be the most closed box in history. Count on it.
Huh? For the Xbox 1, German Microsoft officials actually encouraged people to do with it whatever they wish, and explicitly included Linux.
Also, keep in mind that the XBox has only 256MB of system RAM. It'll run OS X, but it could be rather anemic...that's provided you get it working in the first place.
Also, keep in mind that the XBox has only 256MB of system RAM. It'll run OS X, but it could be rather anemic...that's provided you get it working in the first place.
Look at the XBOX today. 3-4 years ago it was hot shit. Today its a semi obsolete hardware spec.
so it shall be in 3-4 years with 360.
Hmmm.. well despite its ageing spec it is still the best console in terms of graphics/sound today.. of course it is due for an update and that will change with the Xbox 360, but you are underestimating its current use by many thousands as the home media centre m$ is trying to bludgeon you with in the new 360/XPMCE ..
As for hacking the 360, I reckon at least 6 months.. It took that long for them to find the hash key/code hidden in the northbridge chipset on the old xbox. Don't you think M$ might have learned just a little something in the last 4 years?
I thought I was gonna run Linux on my modded Xbox too, but you know what? All I do is use it for XBMC (media player & streaming iTunes libraries) & play the odd game. Who wants OSX on that platform.. it'll never happen. Now, where are those fricken Dual Core G5's Steve???
And the 360 will be even more locked-down than the old Xbox. You guys can forget it - nobody will get Linux working on an unmodified 360, and nobody will ever get MacOS X running on it.
Comments
I don't think you'll ever see OSX running on the XBOX 360 but you "may" see Linux if some hacker can do it.
I just noticed that a ROM chip was still listed in the schematics for the Powermac architecture PDFs.
Originally posted by FotNS
And if Darwin ran on it, then OS X would run on it, since OS X is Darwin with Quartz and whatnot on top.
That's not true. There is one thing we know for certain: xBox 360 will not have an Apple motherboard, and will likely not have the same motherboard components. Unless you can write support for those pieces of hardware into the low-level parts of OS X, you're out of luck. Darwin is a microkernel, and it doesn't necessarily handle the hardware specific device functions.
In other words, unless the xBox PPC is wired up in the same ways that macs are, you're going to need to modify the very low level parts of the OS.
Originally posted by FotNS
As I said, you would need kernel extensions to support the unique hardware on the 360's motherboard.
That's right. One of the biggest challenge might be the video chip driver, since it's both proprietary and has a funky memory architecture.
Originally posted by cubist
Someone may try to put Linux on it - but don't you expect Microsoft has thought of that? This box is going to be DRM'd out the wazoo.
That won't even slow them down. It'll be 'Linuxed' within a few days of release.
Originally posted by cubist
Someone may try to put Linux on it - but don't you expect Microsoft has thought of that? This box is going to be DRM'd out the wazoo.
There's nothing stopping Microsoft from doing anything they want on the Xbox platform - so you will see them at their most arrogant, brazen, brutal techo-thuggery. And what gets thru, squads of lawyers will be deployed to take down.
The Xbox 360 will be the most closed box in history. Count on it.
Huh? For the Xbox 1, German Microsoft officials actually encouraged people to do with it whatever they wish, and explicitly included Linux.
Originally posted by FotNS
If the 360's CPU is binary compatible with the other members of the PowerPC family then off course it could run OS X.
Big "if". VMX128 != VMX.
Originally posted by StealthRider
Also, keep in mind that the XBox has only 256MB of system RAM. It'll run OS X, but it could be rather anemic...that's provided you get it working in the first place.
CNET says it will have 512MB.
Originally posted by ZO
Look at the XBOX today. 3-4 years ago it was hot shit. Today its a semi obsolete hardware spec.
so it shall be in 3-4 years with 360.
Hmmm.. well despite its ageing spec it is still the best console in terms of graphics/sound today.. of course it is due for an update and that will change with the Xbox 360, but you are underestimating its current use by many thousands as the home media centre m$ is trying to bludgeon you with in the new 360/XPMCE ..
As for hacking the 360, I reckon at least 6 months.. It took that long for them to find the hash key/code hidden in the northbridge chipset on the old xbox. Don't you think M$ might have learned just a little something in the last 4 years?
I thought I was gonna run Linux on my modded Xbox too, but you know what? All I do is use it for XBMC (media player & streaming iTunes libraries) & play the odd game. Who wants OSX on that platform.. it'll never happen. Now, where are those fricken Dual Core G5's Steve???
Originally posted by Chucker
Huh? For the Xbox 1, German Microsoft officials actually encouraged people to do with it whatever they wish, and explicitly included Linux.
Bah - that was a challenge. Three years later, the chief project backer of Linux on Xbox admits that the project is a failure: http://www.linspire.com/lindows_mich...ves.php?id=168
And the 360 will be even more locked-down than the old Xbox. You guys can forget it - nobody will get Linux working on an unmodified 360, and nobody will ever get MacOS X running on it.
Originally posted by Programmer
Big "if". VMX128 != VMX.
VMX128 = AltiVec (apple's name for it)
Originally posted by webmail
VMX128 = AltiVec (apple's name for it)
VMX = AltiVec
VMX128 != Apple's available AltiVec
IIRC
Note that Motorola has since further developed the technology, which IBM doesn't yet make use of to my knowledge.