PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW
Note: Currently to start OtherOS. boot_otheros.pkg then reboot.pkg and that will load petitboot. Slim users (Version 1.0-r0) you must unload the slim usb drivers in order to boot.
Firmwares:

PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.41 (md5 9b439b04c4c0b841ae50c3af18bb584d)
PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.50 (md5 74b4291615ceb394e0d64078d775a93d)
PS3 Dual Boot GameOS/Linux CFW 3.55 (md5 fac423010dc8e20030f28145a42627fb)

Tools:

create_vflash5.pkg (md5 d76700a04cd58b29970d752b73dc6a0d)
create_vflash6.pkg (md5 4ccea493c87299c3fe75ec3b093091f8)
create_vflash7.pkg (md5 78e432917ed972c415b3a0a703f4acaf)
delete_vflash5.pkg (md5 83f32c6fdf9d532c2a8203bce3852e86)
delete_vflash6.pkg (md5 573b587f04d21d40837688c39c8587bd)
delete_vflash7.pkg (md5 8366318a4fafbd769bc9df0b6e528ea1)
resize_vflash.pkg (md5 9a5cb0bcd819788749d2926111df6870)
install_otheros.pkg (md5 9e5e79fa0450e34071223c40c34a8e8a)
boot_gameos.pkg (md5 7377d1c89f4f67957cafe18a2e58d006)
boot_otheros.pkg (md5 bf425926d3d55ab59828d5b6c2a2c333)
reboot.pkg (md5 450fba966321445ec50360b21b9fa99b)
dtbImage.ps3.bin (md5 761faa303c97d1801a9ecceb472321d0)
boot_linux.sh (md5 6d00a46cd5586042c59c51f1f98e31f9)

All tools beep twice if they succeed !!!

Source code for all tools and patches is freely available. Create your own dual boot.
git.gitbrew.org/ps3/

Features:

    * Into HV integrated OtherOS bootloader loader (compatible with OtherOS bootloader on 3.15)
    * OtherOS bootloader is booted directly from HV, no GameOS is involved.
    * Process of booting OtherOS bootloader loader is very similar to 3.15 method
    * Booting Linux from HDD/USB/BD/Network
    * Linux with GameOS rights
    * Full access to all HV SS services (Dispatcher Manager) from GameOS or Linux
    * Full access to all System Manager services
    * Ability to create/modify/remove repository nodes in LPAR 1 (e.g. with ps3dm-utils or ps3hvc-utils).
      This ability gives you much power over the whole system because many layers of PS3 use repository nodes to exchange information.
    * Enabled QA mode in Update Manager
    * Downgrading without USB dongle or Service Mode
    * Ability to deactivate/activate HDD/VFLASH encryption (e.g. with ps3stor-utils)
    * Suuport for ps3-utils. You can flash new OtherOS bootloader from Linux e.g.


Notes:

    * Tested 3.41 and 3.55 on PS3 Slim with Gentoo and Debian Squeeze but should work on PS3 Fat without problems
    * Bug reports are welcome, send it please to [email protected]


Work in progress:

    * Creating OtherOS partitions directly on HDD (not VFLASH)
    * Permanently disabling HDD/VFLASH encryption
    * Mapping of HTAB with R/W permission
    * SYSCON access from LPAR 2
    * FreeBSD support

Installing OtherOS bootloader

    * Tested ONLY on PS3 models with VFLASH
    * During deleting of VFLASH regions GameOS will ask you to reinstall firmware, don't do it, just press PS3 button and continue
    * I use petitboot as OtherOS bootloader. You could use a different one.
    * The following order of steps is important
    * Delete VFLASH region 6
    * Delete VFLASH region 5
    * Create VFLASH region 5
    * Create VFLASH region 6
    * Install OtherOS bootloader on VFLASH with "Install OtherOS"

Booting OtherOS bootloader

    * Run "Boot OtherOS"
    * Reboot GameOS with "Reboot"

Creating a VFLASH partition for Linux
Notes:

    * Works ONLY on PS3 models with VFLASH
    * Warning: All your HDD data will be lost, so make a backup
    * I'm currently working on a solution for PS3 models with NAND flash
    * Resize VFLASH (creates a 40GB free space on VFLASH, if you need more then feel free to recompile it)
    * Reboot GameOS
    * Create VFLASH region 7

Installing Linux with petitboot


Installing Gentoo GNU/Linux from a Unix/Linux System

Partitioning with fdisk

Notes:

    * I used petitboot to install Debian and Gentoo on VFLASH
    * I used fdisk to partition ps3vflashh
    * Make sure you create a swap partition
    * Creating a ready to use Linux distribution images is a work in progress

Booting Linux with petitboot
Notes:

    * USB driver in petitboot has problems on PS3 Slim. The problem lies in Linux USB driver.
    * Currently i'm trying to fix this problem in Linux kernel
    * I temporarily use my boot_linux.sh script to boot a Linux installed on VFLASH from petitboot



Project Homepage: http://gitbrew.org/otheros/