Linux on the DS: Now with Wi-Fi support
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Jan 31st 2006 at 6:17PM }
In the universal quest to get the Linux
operating system running on every conceivable item ever (including, but not limited to, the Xbox, the iPod and several
vacuum cleaners), the clever guys working on the DSLinux project have spent quite a bit of time with
Nintendo's premier handheld device. But why port the penguin-powered software to the DS in the first place? Their
website has a pretty good answer."You can use DSLinux as a filemanager, edit and save text files with vi, play simple text-based games, and play mp3 files."
And that's only the beginning. Most recently, PepsiMan (one of the project members) revealed on his blog that rudimentary Wi-Fi support had been added to DSLinux, thus opening the door for wireless networking and web browsing sometime in the future. It's a very interesting endeavor, to say the least, and if you find that your curiosity has been piqued, be sure to follow the link and learn more.
[via Digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt @ Feb 11th 2006 1:27PM
Wow, someone claims that one WHOLE game(GTA:LCS) can beat out the ENTIRE DS. Surely he must be joking. Can't anyone see that ports are the ONLY thing that make any sale whatsoever on the PSP(not even a good sale). Everyone I know keeps looking for a way to DOWNGRADE their PSP to get homebrews. It seems to me that Sony can't keep a handle on their fanbase. Soon there will be a UMD DRM to prevent the downgrade so Sony will be able to prevent the game piracy and keep their own media format(UMD) on top, because they're territorial like that.
kevin @ Feb 12th 2006 11:39AM
well what can i say....linux on the ds....*foams at the mouth*...are they talking like with a mini version of kde/gnome too???? i must say...psp does have some cool games...and if sony could manage to pull a few more good games out of their ass i might think about buying one. 250 is a bit much for a portable i think. i like ds more because they dont rely as much on blood and gore/graphics as much as addictive gameplay(meteos, warioware, mariokart...need i go on?) as for gta lcs....just no. if i wanted gta i would play 3 and vice city. and those got old awhile ago.
nicky @ Feb 13th 2006 5:12PM
i have a ds myself and ive played a psp which to me looks like the graphics is the good thing on them.so listen psp fanboys(ds wannabes) the ds soon will be better then the psp because nintendo are making more possbilties out of it like for example play over the internet via wi-fi such as games like mario kart and so on.there is also a new ds realiseing in march which to me looks way better then the psp.also what i know of the psp after months of playing it, the circle button breaks and a lot pixels start breaking down. so there you have psp fanboys(ds wannabes) all the comments on this page show you the ds is better
CJMErl.EXE @ Mar 8th 2006 12:48PM
"Local PSP fanboys get pwned, film at 11" *SHOT*
But yea, pretty cool and stuff.
PSPROCKZ @ Jan 31st 2006 10:12PM
They are just trying to make it do, what the PSP already can! hahahah, and they suck at doing it!
piff @ Jan 31st 2006 10:13PM
it would be cool to play mp3s on my ds.
wassupwasabi @ Jan 31st 2006 10:41PM
Look, Mr. PSPROCKZ. I own both a DS and a PSP, and your claims are fanboyish, stupid, and unfounded. Have you ever used DS Linux? NO! Please do not comment on things which you obviously know nothing about. Plus, the PSP doesn't have a full-fledged OS like Linux, so a Linux DS system would concievably be able to do more. I am by no means a DS fanboy- I play my PSP just as much- but you clearly discredit something which is way over your head.
pspsockz @ Jan 31st 2006 11:02PM
its seems liek you just said that becasue your a psp fanboy? this just shows how much ds has to offer now...maybe 20 times more than the psp?
SuicideNinja @ Jan 31st 2006 11:59PM
You know what the PSP CAN'T do? Have a game that justifies your $250 purchase! You're better off buying an Xbox 360 or actually...a Revolution for that matter. You'll have more fun with it.
If you enjoy dealing with several different versions of firmware, knock yourself out. Not to mention the homebrew scene for the PSP is mocked even by some PS2 homebrewers.
You are extremely rude. Obviously, your lack of respect shows you have never programmed a line of code in your life. These guys have done amazing work so far with what they have. A couple of them are even under the age of 15. That is 100% respectable, and you have no right to mock their work.
Once you have got an operating system to run on a device that wasn't meant to run it, your opinion may be worth 1 cent.
Erick G. @ Jan 31st 2006 11:59PM
"They are just trying to make it do, what the PSP already can! hahahah, and they suck at doing it!"
Well, let me get something straight, aside from having Double Screen, one of them Touch Screen, microphone, better use of Wi-fi than the PSP, a better battery, and better collection of games*, it will now do what the PSP can do, only for a better price.
So what is the only thing the PSP will do aside than having better graphics than the DS? Nothing. The DS is a machine with a lot of potential, waiting to be exploted.
BTW, wrong site folk, this is the DS Fanboy, not the PSP Fanboy site.
*this one is my personal opinion
Brad Twitty @ Feb 1st 2006 1:55AM
PSPROCKZ,
You are right, because the PSP runs Linux out of the box.
You really got a handle on this DS Homebrew scene.
Onkel_Hedwig @ Feb 1st 2006 5:37AM
Running Linux on the DS?
Finally I don't have to carry the vacuum cleander around anymore!
AssemblyLineHuman @ Feb 1st 2006 6:00AM
I guess that's the difference between the PSP and DS. For the DS, you get games, but no additional features unless you use homebrew. For the PSP, you get additional features, but no games unless you use homebrew. :P
xxThe_ChoseNxx @ Feb 1st 2006 7:07AM
Wich protocol did this dirver uses? Did Pepsiman programed the driver with the wireless lib.?
randomboy @ Feb 1st 2006 7:26AM
AssemblyLineHuman,
You PAID for the additional features for your PSP.
randomboy @ Feb 1st 2006 7:27AM
in*... hehe
Anthony Mason @ Feb 1st 2006 10:01AM
Ok you PSP fanboys are making me sick. For starters, how can you say PSP truly has Linux out of the box? The PSP's native operating system may be Unix based, but its not Linux because 1) its not open source and 2) you can't run code on it without hacking it - just like the DS. At least on the DS they have a rudimentary version of working Linux, whereas on PSP, they have a whole whopping one developer working on the PSP Linux project, which only within the last couple of weeks got their own website. So your back to only having your better graphics, and native MP4 and MP3 support, whooptee, who has all their files laying around in MP4 format anyway? At least with DS, its not that big of a deal to run code for other media formats.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Feb 1st 2006 8:18PM
I was making fun of the PSP. =_= I was trying to say the PSP has a bunch of crap on it, but no games without using homebrew. >
winberg @ Feb 2nd 2006 4:14PM
um yea i got a psp just 2 weeks ago and i already love the thing to death, i also have a ds,xbox360,ps2, and pc. but what im getting at is your all morons, the psp has the ds beat right off the bat, with the one game GTA:LCS you cant go wrong also ive already managed to homebrew on it by downloading a few files to my memory stick wich came with the damn thing and i play movies off it music and i can surf the web via wifi at nearly any spot there is a connection, its way to perfect in my opinion, and the ds is what a beefy gba sp woopy you get what picto chat out of the box and a stylus that you can stick in your pee hole.
darklink @ Feb 6th 2006 10:29AM
winberg:
movies on PSP via MEMORY STICK are teh suck (UMD is excelent). You can get the same quality on the DS with the Play-Yan/any GBA Movie movie player.
And please take your GTA and other PS2-port garbage back to PSP Fanboy, please