Games - GameCube Linux

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	Games - GameCube Linux

Gamecube Linux is a project to port GNU/Linux to the Nintendo GameCube. This port came after the equivalent for the Xbox. This was perhaps a less attractive system to which to port Linux due to its lack of not only any in-built ethernet port or hard drive, but even a drive natively capable of reading DVD's.

However, its development began with the release of a code loading method based on a hack for the game Phantasy Star Online. Essentially, upon going online, PSO contacts one of Sega's server. By using a Domain Name System server, it is possible to make the Sega server's domain name resolve to a computer on your internal network. From there, it is possible, using a program such as PSOload or PSUL, to simply upload code to it (Later editions of PSOload had a DNS server built in). Unfortunately, whilst there were numerous homebrew programs of some merit, there were numerous ones that were more questionable. For example, emulators for systems such as the SNES were produced, with all that they entail. However, other emulators with copyrighted code ripped from Nintendo's own games were produced.

Also, of course, piracy was rampant. The PSO exploit could be used to stream games both to and from the gamecube (i.e. for both 'backup' and re-playing purposes). However, the games ripped this way were notoriously unreliable, and in the end numerous release groups dumped games using PC DVD drives with modified firmware. Originally, the ethernet adapter could run only at 10mbit, but people loaded games over it anyway, resulting in laggy gameplay and music. An 'improvement' came with the ability to set the adapter up to 100mbit (although its interface with the cube itself prevented it ever reaching anything like this speed).

The kernels produced by the gamecube linux project originally booted their rootfs over nfs, though this was later extended to allow booting over nbd. Ironically, however, one of the major developments came about due to piracy. A modchip called the "Viper" was released, quickly followed by a BIOS from another team, who were unaffiliated to the Viper team and yet were able to encrypt the BIOS specially for the modchip, which permitted the booting of pirate games from standard DVDs. (The gamecube could only read the first 1.4GB, but due to the fact that the original games were produced on these discs, that was sufficient). However, after the reverse engineering work by the 'utopia' group, an asm recode of the trick used by the cobra BIOS was released. Essentially, a debug command is sent to the gamecube's DVD drive which allowed its firmware to be rewritten in memory (in this case in order to allow it to read from a standard DVD+/-R). However, as soon as the drive is again reset, these changes are lost, meaning one had to use either the cobra BIOS or the asm recode booted via Phantasy Star Online every time.

These debug commands were implemented in the Gamecube Linux kernel as the 'cactus firmware extension'. Essentially, this allowed gamecube Linux to read the first 1.4GB of any standard DVD disc. However, the Gamecube's laser is fairly picky resulting in some disc read errors. Nevertheless, this opened some very interesting opportunities. For example a completely standalone Media Player Frontend ("MFE") distro was produced - a fully functioning Linux distribution booting entirely without a network.

Also, it is possible to plug SD/MMC cards into the gamecube for use with various games. This has been used by Gamecube Linux so that one can use them as standard SD cards.

Finally, the entire boot sequence of Gamecube discs is now entirely understood. Hence, discs have been constructed that will boot entirely from the gamecube's original firmware, except for the fact that the discs cannot be burnt correctly. This has been demonstrated using modchips that modify only the drive code.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for GameCube Linux ]

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