How to Install Linux on PS3

If you’re thinking of installing Linux onto your PS3, it would help to know a little bit about each version of Linux so that you know which one to install.

There are currently 6 Linux versions that are compatible with the PS3, but really only 2 of them are recommended. Those 2 are Yellow Dog, and Ubuntu. I will discuss the details on them both below.

Yellow Dog – This was specially designed for the PS3 and was made available only for PS3 users. Yellow Dog has over 2200 programs and accessories that can be ran on your PS3 and it gives the overall best experience of an actual computer. Between this and any of the others, I would definitely recommend going with Yellow Dog because it gives the best experience and has the most features.

Ubuntu – This operating system is also pretty good if you want to install Linux on PS3. While you aren’t getting as many features and the same experience as Yellow Dog, some people do prefer the Ubuntu OS. It contains all the applications you need too. This includes a web browser, instant messaging, media apps, and an office suite. All around, it’s a good OS.

Now I will just briefly discuss the other available operating systems you can use when you install Linux on PS3.

Fedora – This OS isn’t a good option for the PS3 right now because it’s not optimized as well as the above two and it runs slower than the others.

Edubuntu – This one is meant for education purposes and that is pretty much the main focus of the Edubuntu OS. For a PS3, there’s not much you would need with it.

Kubuntu – Uses KDE instead of the GNOME graphic interface. KDE looks similar to Windows when it comes to color scheme and the menu apps. It’s similar to the Ubuntu OS, but you don’t get the same features and it runs slightly slower on the PS3 due to it using more RAM.

Xubuntu – Uses the XFCE interface. The one benefit to Xubuntu is that it uses much less RAM than the others so it should run faster. The problem though, is that it doesn’t recognize any of the PS3’s components when you initially install it. This includes the wifi card, blu-ray player, six axis, memory cards, emulators, and more. The picture on an HDTV also doesn’t look very good with Xubuntu. There is a way to fix all of this, but it’s extremely complex to do and probably isn’t worth your time to mess with it.

So that about sums up all of the different versions you can use when you’re learning how to install Linux on PS3. I recommend sticking with Yellow Dog or Ubuntu, but the choice is up to you. All 6 are compatible.