Turning a PS3 into a Linux Data Cruncher
 

If my understanding is correct on a PS3 the Firmware is stored part way on the internal hard drive and part way on the internal flash memory. Right? So lets say I wanted to turn a Slim PS3 into just a computer. Totally taking away its ability to play PS3 games but allowing it to load say Linux and just be a data crunching computer. Would it be possible to totally remove and replace the internal flash memory chips and install a different BIOS in the same spot/chip where the PS3 BIOS is stored. Essentially removing the Hypervisor and OS and BIOS and replacing them with a regular custom BIOS and OS. Then when I boot I can go into this BIOS tell it to boot from USB or CD and then install the OS of my choice. Can anyone with more knowledge of this tell me what would make this an impossible task or possibly make it an unobtainable goal? I for one with the basic knowledge I have do not know what pitfalls would prevent this from being possible. If I could I would want to do this to use the PS3 as a Back Track 5 penetration testing machine solely for crunching data.

not possible as u need part games os to be able to boot upo the ps3 . what u could do is make games os really tiny and game other os much bigger . when i used to have rebug os my ps3 used to boot straight in to petitboot. so i didnt need to go in to game os untill i pressed it from petiboot

So the "check" and "need" for a Game OS is where? Is it coded into the CELL processor itself or is it on one of the internal storage areas or Hypervisor etc? I have researched it for a while but only come to find the basics on this info and am now confused.
If all the flash chips and hard drive components of the PS3 that keep it from being just a computer were replaced what would prevent one from booting into any OS?

i dunno where it is but u wont be able to change anythink like you saying u want to do . only think you can do is what i said before .

Highly doubt this is possible. And if it were it would take ALOT of work. The ps3 is designed to run proprietary OS thats why gitbrews otheros++ is such a great acomplishment.

Check out more here http://www.ps3devwiki.com/index.php?title=OtherOS%2B%2B

What is the problem with OtherOS++? We only miss the RSX drivers, for the rest it is a fully working OS on the PS3 :) For data crunching better build a PS3 Supercomputer: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/storage/bu...ercomputer/220

I think software for it is on Gitbrew. PS, you don't need 8 PS3's, you can also do it with 3 or something.....

Edit: if you want a good PowerPC computer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmigaOne_X1000 or http://a-eon.com/news.html (click First Contact) :)

This is kinda what I am talking about but it is no longer possible. This article is from 2007 and the Firmware 3.21(?) that removed OtherOS and later after the "circa 3.55" jailbreaking festival... there is no way to do it just like this with open arms from SONY. Only way would be to find a PS3 with 3.55 or less. I was thinking if the OS/Hypervisor or nor chip(s) and HDD and all other chips/ and code for Firmware are removed and replaced with other parts that it could be used and booted like a regular computer.

I didn't know if there was code on the processor or somewhere else that makes this impossible. I mean it has to be something somewhere and I cannot find details anywhere on the web as to what or why this hasn't been done with a few simple swaps or hardware changes. :dontknow:

the reason why u cant find what you looking for is because its impossiable to do simple as , the ps3 needs gamesOS to run end off .

Just get any PS3 that came with 3.55 or less and downgrade to 3.55 (or find one that still has 3.55 or less and save the trouble of downgrading). Once you do this, you load up OtherOS++ and you have a linux PC. Who cares if it is capable of booting to GameOS? It isn't like you need every last bit of the hard disk for what you are doing, and OtherOS++ unlocks everything you would need for password cracking anyway.

As for the full RSX drivers, they wouldn't exist if you put a custom bios on there either...and the RSX is a really crummy video chip, so it wouldn't be like using a high-end video card for number crunching even if you could use it.

BTW...you are not the first person to use PS3s to crack passwords; the department of defense has over 1,000 PS3s, being used just for that.

Yeah it is just pretty hard to find any with Firmware that low these days. All the ones in my area on ad pages like craiglist and stuff are already too far updated. I was just pondering it one day and thought that it would be badass if I could totally remove or replace some stuff and install a custom BIOS then load BT5 with another Nvidia card plugged into the board somehow( I dunno if the motherboard has any extra plug ins on it?).

Could you imagine how fast you could run CUDA etc using something like Pyrit or Crunch, JTR whatever with just 1 PS3? The only reason I am so curious is because I got 2 disposable PS3 slims and wanted to experiment. Experimentation is the invention of something isn't it? lol...I thought somehow you could remove the flash chips/HDD and install replacements with just basic functions to load BIOS then a OS off a USB and access the motherboard and the CELL processor etc.

No other functionality needed really. Does anybody know if the CELL in a PS3 works out of a PS3 in a board with the same socket? Or can it have special code on it or something to prevent that?