PS3 Fedora install HOWTO
2011.04.14

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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

This note describes how to install Fedora on your PS3.

You can always find the latest version of this document, and some other useful
technical documents here:

  http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/geoff/cell/

Please send comments to <geoff@infradead.org

PS3 FEDORA INSTALL HOWTO

12.1) Fedora-12 Bootloader

Petitboot was updated for Fedora-12 to make it use memory more efficiently and
allow the loading of larger kernel and initrd images.  It is recommended to
update the bootloader to a recent version of petitboot:

  http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/geoff/cell/ps3-petitboot/

See the 'PS3 Bootloader Install HOWTO' for more info on bootloader install.

12.2) Fedora-12 Install

The Fedora-12 installer (anaconda) has increased its memory usage to such an
extent that it cannot run in graphical mode on the retail PS3.  At run-time
anaconda will check the amount of memory and automatically switch from graphical
mode to text mode when run on the retail PS3.  The DECR-1400
(http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/090324e.html) can support anaconda in
graphical mode.

Fedora's text installer (anaconda's text mode) does not allow custom disk setup
and will only install a very minimal set of software packages.  To setup a
usable system when installing with text mode users will need to install more
packages after the Fedora installer finishes.

The anaconda memory check can be by-passed by running the installer in VNC mode
(pass the anaconda 'vnc' boot option on the kernel command line).  This method
is not recommended by the anaconda developers, but a number of PS3 users have
reported success using VNC install mode, and no users have reported failure
using VNC install.  VNC mode allows for customization of the install and by
default will install a full GNOME graphical system.  See the Fedora
'Installation Guide' for more info on using VNC mode:

  http://docs.fedoraproject.org/

To allow more memory to be available to the Fedora installer it is recommended
to add these kernel start-up options when running the installer:

  video=720p ps3fb=4M

12.3) Post Text Install Setup

Follow steps similar to these to configure your system after Fedora's anaconda
text installer finishes and reboots the system.

 1) Log in as root.

 2) Bring up the network interface.  Commands other than these may be needed
    depending on the configuration of your PS3 and network.

  # service network start
  # dhclient eth0
  # ifconfig

 3) Install the yum Base package group

  # yum groupinstall Base

 4) Install user preferred packages.  Use yum's grouplist command to see
    available groups.

  # yum -y grouplist
  # yum groupinstall 'X Window System' Fonts 'GNOME Desktop Environment' \
    'Administration Tools' Editors 'Graphical Internet' 'Text-based Internet' \
    Graphics 'Sound and Video'
  # reboot

 5) To automatically start up the network interface on boot you may need to edit
    the file /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 and set 'ONBOOT=y'.

 6) To boot into the graphical desktop, edit the file /etc/inittab and set the
    default runlevel to 5 (X11):

     id:5:initdefault:

 7) To set the system's hostname edit the file /etc/sysconfig/network

12.4) Network Install

Due to a bug (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=523872) in the version
of NetworkManager included with the Fedora-12 installer, a work-around is
needed to configure the Ethernet adapter when doing a network install.  Proceed
through the net install as normal, and then when the dialog 'Error configuring
network interface' is shown, do the following to force NetworkManager to
configure the Ethernet interface:

 1) Close the error dialog and go back to the network device selection dialog,
    select the wlan0 interface and run the configuration again. Due to the
    bug, this will actually configure the Ethernet (eth0) interface.

An alternate work-around that accomplishes the same thing:

 1) Open TTY2 using ctrl-alt-F2.
 2) Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-wlan0 and remove the line
    'NM_CONTROLED=no'.
 3) Touch or edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
 4) Retry the network configure

12.5) NFS Install

Due to a bug (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=528537) in anaconda, a
work-around is needed to install from servers running NFS-v4.  Either add or
un-comment these lines in the server side file /etc/sysconfig/nfs:

 # Turn off v4 protocol support
 RPCNFSDARGS="-N 4"

No PS3 side work-around is known.

10.1) Fedora-10 Install

The Fedora 10 install from DVD seems to work OK.  It is recommended to add
these kernel start-up options when running the installer:

  video=720p

Network install was not tested.