XBox Linux
Xbox Linux is a project that ported the Linux computer operating
system to the Microsoft Xbox, a video game console. There is also a
newer project for the Xbox 360, Free60. Because the Xbox uses a digital
signature system to prevent the public from running unsigned code, one
must either use a modchip, or find an alternative system for running
unsigned code. Originally, modchips were the only option. However, it
was later demonstrated that the TSOP chip on which the Xbox's BIOS is
held may be reflashed. This way, one may flash on the "cromwell" BIOS
developed by the Xbox Linux project (the name comes from a corruption
of "clean room", alluding to the fact that it was developed
entirely legally). Catalyzed by a large cash prize for the first team
to provide the possibility of booting Linux on an Xbox without the need
of a hardware hack, numerous software-only hacks were also found. For
example, a buffer overflow was found in the game "007: Agent Under
Fire", allowing the booting of a Linux loader ("xbeboot")
straight from a save game.
The Xbox is essentially just a PC, with a custom 733MHz Intel Mobile Celeron processor, an 8GB (user-accessible. Actual capacity is 10GB) hard drive, 64MB of RAM (although on all earlier boxes this is upgradable to 128MB), and 4 USB ports (The controller ports are actually USB 1.1 with a modified connector). The specifications are enough to run several readily available Linux distributions, smoothly.
There are several Linux distributions available for the Xbox, such as "Xebian", an Xbox compatible version of Debian, and Gentoox, a similarly customized version of Gentoo. It is equally possible to produce your own distribution, requiring merely a recompilation of your kernel.
An Xbox with Linux can be a full desktop computer with mouse and keyboard, a web/email box connected to a TV, a server, router or a node in a cluster. One can either dual-boot or use Linux only; in the latter case, one can replace both IDE devices. One can also connect the Xbox to a VGA monitor. A converter may be needed to use keyboards/mice in the controller ports, however this is fairly easy to achieve because the Xbox uses the standard USB bus.
As of now only a few distributions (which one is not clear) of Linux will
run on the 1.6 Xbox (the third newest version, including 1.6b).
Xboxes with a modchip with the Cromwell bios installed can run
more distributions than
with only a softmod. This is mainly due to complications due to
the new video chip used in V1.6 Xboxes that was developed exclusively
by Microsoft
and which has no source code available at this time, which causes
major overscan on all four sides of the screen when a different
kernel than the
original is loaded. [1]
Xbox Linux download
Gentoo Linux für die X-Box
http://gentoox.shallax.com
Xbox Linux
http://www.xbox-linux.org
http://www.xbox-linux.org/wiki/Download