[ILUG] GForge, and X-Box for both linux and games

[Greg Farrell]

> 
> 2. a hardware-hacking question.  I'm tempted to buy an X-Box, mainly as an
> XviD playback system (my current DVD player only handles DVDs and MPG
> VCDs).  I'd also like the chance to hack it up with some linuxy goodness,
> possibly even installing something like MythTV for an el-cheapo
> Tivo-alike, and MAME for the classics.
> 
> But I'd like to have my cake and eat it too -- namely be able to play XBox
> games on it afterwards anyway! So:
> 
> - - has anyone played with this stuff?  does it work?
I've only installed linux on one, it works fine. X looks pretty crap on
a tv though :) It used to make a cheap server, but now i'm not sure it's
worth the hassle to money ratio except for the fun of tinkering with it
:) 

I do like the fact that MS sell the hardware at a loss, attempt to
control what you can do with your own property and yet still we can put
linux on them.

> 
> - - I know that installing Linux will screw up XBox Live, but can that be
>   reverted for using Live, then reinstalled?
you can get mod-chips with an externally mounted switch, so you can
toggle the switch and return to using your xbox's original bios. If you
do this you can go back to using your xbox for xbox live. But if you
forget to do it once you'll be blacklisted permanantly I believe. 

> 
> - - to mod-chip or not mod-chip?  Does the savegame hack still work,
>   and is that currently the best way to boot linux?
I'm not sure if there's a version for the latest MS dashboard (which you
may have auto-downloaded from xbox Live). Check out
http://www.xbox-scene.com/tutorials.php

The mod-chip option was the best one anyway I think. No worries about MS
updating and screwing your dashboard if you go online. Plus there are
completely legal opensource bios's you can use to run linux but not to
play pirated games. Google for cromwell bios. I think the normal hacked
bioses contain MS code and may be legally dodgy.

> 
> - - will installing MythTV-XBox or similar, screw about with my ability
>   to use the XBox for games?
I've installed linux on an xbox and still been able to play games. You
can use a cd as the boot medium for linux. I don't know anything about
MythTV-Xbox but if it just runs on linux you should be fine. Or install
debian and then mythtv.

If you're mainly interested in media playback check out
http://www.xboxmediacenter.com/
It's an opensource media player, written mainly in python and using such
stalwarts of linux media playing as mplayer. It's a xbox native program,
so no need to install linux on your xbox (although that is kind of fun
in itself). Still would need to be modded though,

   Greg