A group of German developers has released a version of the Linux
operating system for Microsoft's Xbox game console in Europe,
promising to turn the device into a fully featured PC.
The Xbox-Linux project takes advantage of the fact that the Xbox
hardware architecture is very similar to that of a PC. A keyboard
and mouse can be added through the console's USB ports.
To run Linux, the Xbox requires an extra chip - known as a mod chip
- to be installed on the main circuit board, a modification that
Microsoft believes enables users to circumvent copyright protection
on games.
The 350Mbyte installation is compatible with the PC version of
Mandrake Linux 9, which was released last week. It contains the
graphical environments Gnome and KDE, as well as software packages
such as OpenOffice.org, Gimp, Evolution and Mozilla.
The developers said that mod chips are not illegal in Europe if
they are not used with pirated software. The developers are also
working on an alternative ROM that will contain no Microsoft code
and will not permit running pirated games.
Microsoft representatives in Australia have previously said the
company is investigating legal options to stop distribution of mod
chips for the Xbox.
The gaming community is full of rumours that Microsoft has
succeeded in closing down one of the best-known mod chip retailers,
Hong Kong-based Lik Sang International, after taking legal action
against the company.