Ps3 Linux Vs Pandora

[kaprikawn]

I've got Linux (Yellow Dog 6) installed on my PS3 and it was slow as hell before I installed fluxbox, and it ain't exactly snappy now. I've also tried Ubuntu which is just the same. I'm aware the oft-given reason for the sluggish nature of Linux on the ol' George Foreman Grill is that it's limited by how much RAM it has access to, 256mb if I remember correctly.

My question is, given the Pandora only has 128 meg of RAM, why does it run faster than a PS3 installation? (Well it seems to judging by the videos that have been posted). It seems somewhat counter-intuitive and I'm just interested to know why.

Cheers.

 

[MDave]

It could be because Sony crippled linux support on the PS3, meaning they have put in restrictions so you can't access the full power of the console. The GPU is completely blocked even. Perhaps put caps elsewhere too.

 

[WizardStan]

The processing power of the PS3 far exceeds that of the Pandora. The limiting factor isn't the RAM either, as I've seen Linux with complete X systems running on 1 meg, let alone 128 and 256.
No, Linux on the PS3 is not slow, it just appears slow. The reason it appears slow is that (as I understand it) the graphics acceleration is completely locked down in Linux. Everything has to be drawn pixel by pixel into a frame buffer, and then that frame buffer sent to output. This is made even more apparent since it's HD output: many more pixels than the Pandora.
In contrast, the Pandora has full acceleration, and direct access to the hardware. That makes drawing things much faster.
That's my interpretation of the information I was able to find, anyway.

 

[sindbad]

The NAND may have something to do with faster startup of apps, but the general slowness is probably because of the lack of access to a real gpu.

The most promising work to remedy that is the SPE pipe driver for gallium3d, but it isn't ready yet.

 

[Hyperpc]

Use Xubuntu that is what I use and the is very fast I was surprised

 

[aconsumer]

This really makes me wonder what distro of Linux will be used on the Pandora i found a mobile version of Ubuntu that might be good for it .. and what will be available around the time that the Pandora is released.. in regard to software and the OS..

 

[Prometheus]

This really makes me wonder what distro of Linux will be used on the Pandora

A custom one based upon Angstrom/OpenEmbedded, basically. This was noted a little while ago in a thread which I don't have to hand at this time, and I believe it's in the FAQ also.

QUOTE

i found a mobile version of Ubuntu that might be good for it .. and what will be available around the time that the Pandora is released.. in regard to software and the OS..


I may be mistaken, but I believe that this distribution is targetted at x86-based machines - Pandora is ARM-based. You won't be able to use this as-is.