Xbox v1.6 Issues
From Xbox-Linux
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Softmod problems
The latest version of the Xbox hardware, v1.6, imposes several restrictions on the ability to modify and run Linux on it. Chief among these is the fact that the 1.6 xboxes ship with an upgraded dashboard, which fixes the exploit that some softmods used. The upgraded BIOS shipped with these xboxes also prevents the dashboard being downgraded to an exploitable version. Therefore, the Mechinstaller method (as described in Getting Started#9) will not work. You might use other softmods, but they are more challenging to install (see UXE below).
TSOP flash no longer possible
The 1.6 xboxes also do not have a reprogrammable flash chip on board, preventing the 'TSOP flash' modification performed on earlier xboxes. Therefore, the only way to run Linux on v1.6 Xbox hardware is to install a mod chip - and the mod chip must be one specifically designed for the v1.6, or a different softmod, such as UXE. This modification is not provided or supported specifically by us. www.xbox-scene.com have more information on how to install it.
Video driver limitations
Another disappointment is the Xcalibur video encoder chip, which is a proprietary Microsoft only device with no publicly available documentation. Without documentation, it has so far (as of 19:31, 29 Nov 2005 (PST)) not been possible to develop fully functional Linux drivers for it. While Linux will install and run, without the ability to correctly configure the video encoder it is not possible to display the entire screen area on a conventional TV. There will be 'overscan', or areas of the display that will be off the screen and unable to be viewed. So if you want to run, say, MythTV on your v1.6 Xbox, you're out of luck - but you're in good shape if you're after a headless Xbox Linux install.
Stability problems
If you are trying to use the Cromwell bios (with a modchip) on a 1.6 xbox, you may encounter a stability problem. The symptoms can be:
- Cromwell fails to boot
- Linux fails to load
- Linux loads, but crashes with kernel oops after a while
- Processes segfault, and crash randomly
There is a fix for all these problems (http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.xbox.devel/7568), but it currently requires compiling a custom version of Cromwell yourself.
