PS3 Ubuntu Liveblog
Hey, all the cool kids are liveblogging.
11:30
Finished backing up/formatting/restoring the PS3. Preparing to “Install Other OS”.
11:56
After a couple of false starts, am finally in the installer. Turns out this defaults to some really shittastic video mode when installing. Was able to find a mode that doesn’t suck.
11:58
Dread Cthulhu, this installer is SLOW. Click button, walk away, make sammich. Some serious DMC4 install times here people. At the time Zone select – hate how I have to choose “Los Angeles” and not “Las Vegas.”
12:05
Still staring at the damn partitioner. What could be taking so long?
So far I’m thinking YDL was a better install process than this. Much faster, much less painless. Honestly, this is not making a fan of Ubuntu out of me.
12:10
Turns out there is a bug in the partitioner after all. Restarting the process *again*.
This, my friends, is why I’m going to get a damn Mac mini for the living room.
Stupid fucking Ubuntu.
12:15
Why am I even doing this? The damn installer still isn’t up yet, and even when it does come up it’ll be really slow and hinky. I have the feeling that I’m not going to be able to figure out how to manually configure the partition anyway – the documentation on it is virtually nonexistent!
12:24
Huh, after checking the PSUbuntu forums, it turns out the partitioner isn’t borked so much in this version of Ubuntu (7.10), as it was gagging on my external drive. With it removed, the thing is actually moving along at a… Slow pace, but a pace all the same.
Why am I doing this again? Do I actually think I’ll get flash working on this beast? Is YouTube in the living room worth this horror?
12:50
Still partitioning. Do you know the history of the Wilhelm Scream? I do now, thanks to the interwebs.
13:00
Still going.
Wow, long install.
This is how I spend my days off… Watching linux install, and writing a diary entry about it.
Well, I have been cleaning my apartment too, and listening to some good music. Mostly No More Kings. Just totally hooked on their stuff.
The partitioner is at 75%.
Scary thing? This is only step 4 of 7.
Oy.
13:10
93%
Shit this is taking a long time.
13:15
OMG! STEP FIVE!
13:16
No, wait, false alarm. Looks like the partitioner did finish, but it’s not letting me move on to step five just yet.
Damn.
13:30
Still stuck.
Should I just reboot and retry later? I’m thinking I should.
13:36
Spook just let me know, via IM, that this very post has inspired him to liveblog his upcoming PC Build.
Wow, I wrote something that inspired others.
I guess I’ll give this damn install one more shot.
Gonna reboot and try the manual partition.
Pray for me.
13:42
When rebooting and starting the installer, make sure the correct video type is selected – or else you end up with a b/w screen. I think I should restart before my TV explode.
Oh, wait… It went normal. Just the splash screen was fucked.
Did I mention yet that I don’t like Ubuntu?
13:50
Partitioning seems to be done. I hope that 735MB is enough for the swap.
13:52
Well, damn.
That was just the configuration wizard. NOW the damn installation is actually going to commence!
13:55
A brief list of things I’ve managed to accomplish while doing this damn install:
- Clean the living room
- Clean the dinning room
- Learn the history of the Wilhelm Scream
- Brush the cat
- Tend to my wounds
- Send numerous text messages
- Take out the garbage
- Brush the cat some more (she has a lot of hair, and lots of tangles)
- Tend my new wounds (she also has very sharp claws)
- Inspire someone else to liveblog odd events
- Shave my beard into a more manageable, less hermit-ish, goatee
- Learn that the Wii can handle the YouTube chores
14:00
This installation has taken a good two and a half hours of my life. I have to now start wondering why I’m doing this.
I really don’t see a need for a linux computer in the living room – The majority of my movies are divix, and the PS3 can handle them pretty well. My music is all iTunes protected, so I’ll have to either get that damn AppleTV or a Mac mini to really get use out of them in the living room. Sure, I could just hook my iPod up to the stereo, but where’s the fun in that? I want to use the TV as a fullscreen display for that neat music visualizer.
The longer this installation runs, the more I’m seeing it as a solution to a problem that I don’t have.
Realistically, this is just the call of boredom making me do something insanely geeky and overly difficult just so I can say that I did it.
I think that’s it, right there. I’m not doing this because I enjoy linux, or because I want to play NES games on my PS3, or because I figure I can really find that work-around that will allow me to get WoW running on this beast… No, I’m doing it for some perverse sense of bragging rights and self satisfaction.
Nothing like a slow install to bring on the introspection.
14:17
The file copy is at 75%
My interest in getting this working? About 10% now. I’m only going forward out of sheer bloody minded determination.
I wonder how hard it’ll be getting flash installed? I should probably start looking into it.
The whole thing will be moot if the damn sound won’t work.
14:32
As soon as this is done, I’m going to watch The Dark Crystal.
14:37
Installation complete!
Starting the os now.
14:49
Success!
I am posting this from Firefox on the PS3.
The sound seems to be working, and I’ll get around to finding some sort of flash-like thing later.
Right now, though, I’m going to take a well earned bath and nap, and then have me a snack and some pizza.
Huzzah! I won!
