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Native install maintaining Xbox functionality

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:16 pm
by markinhos_mrk
Hi all,
I am repairing an old Xbox I have at home (case is gone and PSU too, got a Dell SFF case to put it!!) and I'm willing to use it as a home server/download machine.
I'll put a bigger HDD on it and I was thinking if I could partition it to keep the "normal" FATX partitions Xbox requires and dedicate some space for the Linux partitions... Like, with a 120Gb HDD, use 100GB for the FATX and the other space for Linux, and booting via Xromwell.
Is it possible? I only saw howtos on doing it with the whole disk and losing the ability to play games.

Thanks a lot!
Marcos

Re: Native install maintaining Xbox functionality

Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:23 pm
by blighty
I`m sure it can be done, you will need a mod chip so you can have the normal xbox bios and the gentoox loader.

not sure why you would want to mess around with re-partitioning and what not, if your going to put it all into a pc case then you have enough room to put a couple of extra hdd`s in there. say 2 for gentoox and 1 for xbox.

bLiGhTy.

Re: Native install maintaining Xbox functionality

Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:43 pm
by rbsfou
Well, I think the point of partitioning is so that he can use space that he is not using (for FatX) for a NATIVE linux filesystem, NOT an Image living in the 'E' or 'F' drive.

I posted a similar question to this in the newbie forum, but seeing as i can't post URL's in here i can't point you to it :evil: . Maybe some C guru could write something allowing the Linux Partition Detection routines to look for an Dos-style MBR on the first sector of unused space (i.e. first sector after the last one specified in the Xbox partition table on the disk)...I also think the partition table in the kernel is fixed sizes (or fatx 32k cluster support is broken), which is why i can't access my 'G' drive properly :(

The trouble is (and i'm sure anyone who does know C & the kernel well enough would find this) i'm really not sure where the Xbox Linux kernel is right now...There seems to be 2.6 series kernel patches, but only up to 2.6.16 (iirc), and seeing as all the distros are using 2.4.something i'm guessin there's a good reason for not using 2.6 (i just wish i could find out what this was!)