Hacking Can I install linux USB drivers on the PS3?

[Elliander]

I would like to use a wireless Xbox 360 controller with my PS3 because some games support up to 7 players offline and if I have the controllers for the Xbox 360 it seems like a waste of space to buy additional PS3 controllers. I am aware that I can use the "Cronus X" dongle to use the receiver, but I don't see why I can't just install the drivers to work internally, which means the real question is if it is possible to install a driver on a PS3 to use an unsupported device. I was able to find the linux drivers for it, assuming that's what it needs. If anyone knows of any general method for installing drivers I would be willing to experiment a bit to see about getting this to work. If it does I would provide video proof.

If it is not currently possible, are there any plans in the modding community to get driver installation working at some point in the future?

Interesting side note: I was able to find a guide for installing drivers on a PC to use a PS3 controller on the PC, but that doesn't help me here.

 

[Rydian]

Drivers are OS-specific. The Windows drivers don't work because the PS3 won't run Windows, for the Linux drivers you need to be running Linux on it. For something that will work for the native OS and software (meaning PS3 games), software needs to be specifically written for it, or perhaps some fancier hardware adapter (that does live translation of the protocols involved), if one of those exists.

 

[Wombo Combo]

Sound like you want something like the XIM Edge http://xim3.com/

 

[Elliander]

Drivers are OS-specific. The Windows drivers don't work because the PS3 won't run Windows, for the Linux drivers you need to be running Linux on it. For something that will work for the native OS and software (meaning PS3 games), software needs to be specifically written for it,

Yes, I know they are OS specific, but I thought the PS3 was built on a Linux base? Wouldn't that mean that a linux USB driver should work? Would it hurt to just add a linux driver to it's list of generic drivers (assuming they are in a folder location I can access) and then remove them if it doesn't work right? Alternatively, if I installed OtherOS and installed the Linux drivers there, what are the chances that it would work playing a game?

or perhaps some fancier hardware adapter (that does live translation of the protocols involved), if one of those exists.

Oh, I know they exist. I linked to the Cronus which does that, but I still think it would make more sense to install the drivers directly if possible.

Sound like you want something like the XIM Edge http://xim3.com/

That looks interesting. I like that it appears to have two USB outputs, but it is twice as expensive as the cronus and it looks like it does exactly the same thing. Unless it has the internal hardware for wireless receivers? If it could use a wireless PS3 controller on the xbox 360 as well that would certainly be impressive, but it doesn't really give much details as to if it requires wired or not. The cronus is wired only, but supports the xbox 360 wireless receiver which is why it can use xbox 360 controllers on the PC.

 

[trumpet-205]

Yes, I know they are OS specific, but I thought the PS3 was built on a Linux base? Wouldn't that mean that a linux USB driver should work? Would it hurt to just add a linux driver to it's list of generic drivers (assuming they are in a folder location I can access) and then remove them if it doesn't work right? Alternatively, if I installed OtherOS and installed the Linux drivers there, what are the chances that it would work playing a game?

CellOS was built on a heavily modified BSD, not Linux. Even so a BSD/Linux driver simply won't work as Sony modified CellOS very drastically. Even if we ignore all of that PS3 is on Cell platform, the driver you have found is x86 based. You would have to compile it to Cell code (and do a lot of troubleshooting/recoding)...

OtherOS won't help either, as it is running Linux pre-compiled to Cell code.

 

[Elliander]

CellOS was built on a heavily modified BSD, not Linux. Even so a BSD/Linux driver simply won't work as Sony modified CellOS very drastically. Even if we ignore all of that PS3 is on Cell platform, the driver you have found is x86 based. Cell CPU simply cannot run x86 compiled-code.

OtherOS won't help either, as it is running Linux pre-compiled to Cell code.

I see. That makes sense. hmm. Then how do the adapters work? I know they must use a generic driver to turn on, but from there what do they do that cannot be done internally?

Is there anyone working on something like cross platform controller support internally?

 

[Elliander]

On the bright side I found out that I can use my Wiimotes with the PS3 by installing Linux drivers. Since the only games that support 7 players offline are simple games a wiimote held on it's side would be enough, but can that be used for more than just a mouse? If I got it working what are the chances I could get it to work in a game?

EDIT: Looks like someone got the Wiimote to work playing PS3 games, but I am still trying to find the actual drivers to install and a guide on how to install them.



EDIT 2: I was not able to find any guide on how to do this, but I was able to find the Linux drivers. Can anyone tell me if these drivers would work, and if so how to install them on a PS3?

I was also able to find a USB Powered Wii Sensor Bar, so if it is possible to get it all working correctly it would mean that I could use the wiimote as a mouse when browsing the internet, and as a controller for certain games for extra players, and wouldn't need to have the Wii powered on just to provide power to the sensor bar.

 

[Rydian]

Yes, I know they are OS specific, but I thought the PS3 was built on a Linux base?

No. It can run Linux, but it's native software (and thus PS3 games) is not Linux.

Alternatively, if I installed OtherOS and installed the Linux drivers there, what are the chances that it would work playing a game?

0%, because it would not be active outside of OtherOS (and PS3 games do not run inside OtherOS). And before you ask, the same goes with homebrew-hacked Linux installs on later PS3 firmwares. They are still a different OS, and PS3 games do not run inside them.

EDIT: Looks like someone got the Wiimote to work playing PS3 games, but I am still trying to find the actual drivers to install and a guide on how to install them.

That's because there are no drivers, like you were already told... the description links to how he did it, which is a dedicated hardware device, like I already mentioned and Wombo Combo already linked.

 

[Elliander]

That's because there are no drivers, like you were already told.

Correction, I was told that the linux drivers I found for the xbox 360 controller wouldn't work. That doesn't mean no drivers for anything would work.

the description links to how he did it, which is a dedicated hardware device, like I already mentioned and Wombo Combo already linked.

(unbold, no need to shout)

Yes, the video was talking about using cronus (which I also linked to in my very first post), but the other link mentioned that someone did install linux drivers successfully. Assuming it was accurate, that is.

"The only modification needed for this operation was a driver to allow the Wiimote to run on Linux and that's it!"

 

[Rydian]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wld/
Driver for Linux on the PC. As for the PS3, it'd be in Linux, so no PS3 games. If you DO want to get it in Linux to use Linux homebrew and such, then the steps and level of work (as that is source-only) likely depend on your distro of choice.

http://www.amazon.com/Nextronics-Sensor-Bar-USB-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001UAAX60
The "Sensor Bar" is not an actual "sensor", it's simply two dots of infrared light. The Wiimote itself is the actual sensor, the black thing on the front houses an IR receiver that detects the position and orientation of the two dots of light, and that calculates where it's pointing. People have even put two candles on the top of their TV (one on each end) and found the wiimote works just fine. This is a USB one because it's meant for plugging into alternate power sources, like a PC (for people that want to use their wiimote with point functions on the PC such as Dolphin), or a wall socket adapter near the wii for some reason (broken sensor bar port, want to have the bar far away from the Wii and the normal cord won't reach, stuff like that).

http://www.qj.net/qjnet/wii/using-a-wiimote-to-operate-a-ps3.html
Same thing as above, in fact it might actually be the same program.




You need one of two things.

1 - Something that modifies the PS3 system itself. Not Linux. The PS3's own system, since it's what runs the games. This is theoretically possible, but I don't know of any existing projects for it.

2 - Dedicated hardware that sits between the controller and the PS3 to do the protocol translation.

 

[Elliander]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/wld/
Driver for Linux on the PC. As for the PS3, it'd be in Linux, so no PS3 games. If you DO want to get it in Linux to use Linux homebrew and such, then the steps and level of work (as that is source-only) likely depend on your distro of choice.

I see your point. It is entirely possible that they only got it to work in Linux. Either way, I can't seem to find much information about it.

The "Sensor Bar" is not an actual "sensor", it's simply two dots of infrared light.

I am and have been completely aware of that. I never said it worked any differently. The outlet in the wii is just a power outlet, and the USB option I was talking about was just an alternative power source so the Wii would not have to be powered on. Because of the way it works it's also pretty simple to buy one, take it apart, and adjust the width of the two dots for it to work closer or farther away. This is also why having candles and Christmas lights in the same room messes with games sometimes (for me).

You need one of two things.

1 - Something that modifies the PS3 system itself. Not Linux. The PS3's own system, since it's what runs the games. This is theoretically possible, but I don't know of any existing projects for it.

2 - Dedicated hardware that sits between the controller and the PS3 to do the protocol translation.

Thanks for that information. Why does protocol translation have to be done exclusively in hardware though?

 

[Rydian]

I see your point. It is entirely possible that they only got it to work in Linux. Either way, I can't seem to find much information about it.

A Linux driver is only going to work in Linux. It's the same reason why you can't use Windows GeForce drivers in Linux, it's a different OS.

The PS3's main OS is not Linux. The only reason you're finding stuff for Linux on the PS3 is that Linux runs on the PS3 as well as games.

Thanks for that information. Why does protocol translation have to be done exclusively in hardware though?

It doesn't, but the only other alternative is drivers for the operating system that runs the games.

So it's...

1 - Drivers for the PS3 OS. Does not appear to exist.

2 - Hardware that does it instead of drivers. Exists.

So number 1 is not an option because it does not exist.

Number 2 is the solution because it actually exists.

I don't know why you're being so stubborn...

 

[Elliander]

A Linux driver is only going to work in Linux. It's the same reason why you can't use Windows GeForce drivers in Linux, it's a different OS.

Well, that isn't entirely true. I have managed to install windows drivers on Ubuntu by using a windows compatibility layer. It still works better to use natively supported drivers though. The only thing I didn't understand was why a Linux Compatibility layer couldn't be added in preloading games for the installation of drivers. The only issue would be that the compatibility layer would need to be written for the native OS, and that it would only work if it would be possible to keep that compatibility layer loaded while a game is running.

I don't know why you're being so stubborn...

It's not "stubborn", it's "inquisitive". Nothing wrong with asking questions. I know that no one is currently doing it, but it doesn't mean that there is no reason to ever look into it. Even if I had the dongle right now I would still be curious about it.

 

[Rydian]

Well, that isn't entirely true. I have managed to install windows drivers on Ubuntu by using a windows compatibility layer. It still works better to use natively supported drivers though. The only thing I didn't understand was why a Linux Compatibility layer couldn't be added in preloading games for the installation of drivers. The only issue would be that the compatibility layer would need to be written for the native OS, and that it would only work if it would be possible to keep that compatibility layer loaded while loading games.

The only time I'm aware of that working was for wireless cards, and the only reason it works is because NDIS is an API translation layer that was specifically built for this in Linux.

But nothing like this exists for the PS3. Something would need to be made, which is along the lines of editing the PS3's OS... which is the same problem as not having a driver for it, nobody's done the internal work/mods.

And if somebody's going to modify the OS to make a wrapper library/driver thing, it'd likely be technically easier, faster, and less complex to just write some input drivers in the first place, right

It's not "stubborn", it's "inquisitive". Nothing wrong with asking questions. I know that no one is currently doing it, but it doesn't mean that there is no reason to ever look into it. Even if I had the dongle right now I would still be curious about it.

I'm calling you stubborn because you were told your options in the first two posts, but you keep chasing things that don't exist...

If you want an alternative that bad, you should have to make it yourself, like the people who wrote the projects you're finding did. They saw something that they wanted that did not exist, so they wrote it.

 

[Elliander]

I'm calling you stubborn because you were told your options in the first two posts, but you keep chasing things that don't exist...

No. You didn't even properly read my posts. Even when I myself linked to the options that I knew existed, in your very first response you said "if one of those exists." and later on when I was trying to strike up a conversation about how things work you acted like someone else told me that first. Most of what I was asking about in later posts were mostly theory questions.

If you want an alternative that bad, you should have to make it yourself, like the people who wrote the projects you're finding did. They saw something that they wanted that did not exist, so they wrote it.

Which no one will ever do if the only responses people get are like that. I do have experience programming, but I am unfamiliar with the environment. Why do you think I was trying to bounce ideas?

But nothing like this exists for the PS3. Something would need to be made, which is along the lines of editing the PS3's OS... which is the same problem as not having a driver for it, nobody's done the internal work/mods.

Yes, I am completely and totally aware that nothing currently exists as a software solution. *sigh* Again, there is nothing wrong with asking basic theory questions.

 

[Elliander]

I'm calling you stubborn because you were told your options in the first two posts, but you keep chasing things that don't exist...

No. You didn't even properly read my posts. Even when I myself linked to the options that I knew existed, in your very first response you said "if one of those exists." and later on when I was trying to strike up a conversation about how things work you acted like someone else told me that first. Most of what I was asking about in later posts were mostly theory questions.

If you want an alternative that bad, you should have to make it yourself, like the people who wrote the projects you're finding did. They saw something that they wanted that did not exist, so they wrote it.

Which no one will ever do if the only responses people get are like that. I do have experience programming, but I am unfamiliar with the environment. Why do you think I was trying to bounce ideas?

But nothing like this exists for the PS3. Something would need to be made, which is along the lines of editing the PS3's OS... which is the same problem as not having a driver for it, nobody's done the internal work/mods.

Yes, I am completely and totally aware that nothing currently exists as a software solution. *sigh* Again, there is nothing wrong with asking basic theory questions.

 

[Rydian]

Well, I didn't see any ideas about making one. Just using other work that you were already told wouldn't work.