Here’s a way to quickly get up and running with Amiga OS 3.X on your PS3 running Yellow Dog, complete with internet access running through the E-UAE emulator and virtual hard disks.
1. First, install E-UAE, an Amiga emulator based on WinUAE. I use the version from the Dribble repository, installed via Add/Remove Software or simply yum install e-uae. Setup instructions for Dribble and other repos can be found here. Alternatively, you can manually install the linux-ppc binary located here.
2. As noted on the E-UAE site, “you will need access to an image of some version of the Amiga Kickstart ROM (although UAE does include a ROM emulation which may work with some old games). The Amiga Kickstart ROMs are copyrighted material and may not be freely distributed (so don’t ask me for a copy). If you don’t have an Amiga from which you can legally make a ROM image, a selection of ROM images are available for purchase online from Cloanto - publishers of the Amiga Forever distribution.”
I got the Premium Edition of Amiga Forever by Cloanto, but I think the Plus and Online Editions include the same files I’m using below.
With the Premium Edition I downloaded an installer file called “afplus.exe” that I had to run on a Windows machine to extract the files. I think the Plus Edition downloads as an ISO file (in a ZIP file) so you can avoid installing on Windows. See here for more info.
The installer extracted a folder called “Amiga Files” in My Documents folder on my Windows machine. In that folder was a “System” folder. Quoting the readme file, The “System” directory contains all Amiga system files, including ROM and OS files, workbench ADF files (floppy disk images), and the ‘System” and “Work” partitions of the Amiga OS 3.X environment (which are mapped to directories on the host file system).
To transfer the contents to my PS3 I just shared the folder and copied it over my network. Alternatively you could burn the files to a CD, copy to a memory card, etc. The entire Amiga OS and applications only take up around 30 MB.
The actual folders I needed were: “Amiga Files/System/dir” (both the “System” and “Work” folders) and the “Amiga Files/System/rom” folder.
Note: It took a couple of weeks but eventually I received the CD + 2 DVDs for Amiga Forever Premium Edition from Cloanto. On the Amiga Forever 2006 CD, the System and Work folders are located on the CD under: /Emulation/System/dir. The roms are in the /Emulation/System/rom folder on the CD.
The “Amiga Files/System/dir/System” and “Amiga Files/System/dir/Work” folders will be set up as virtual hard drive partitions in E-UAE.
The “Amiga Files/System/rom” folder includes the Amiga ROM files needed by E-UAE (and also a key file required to use Cloanto’s ROMs).
So, on the PS3 I now have the following folders:
~/UAE/System
~/UAE/Work
~/UAE/rom
3. Then E-UAE needs to be configured to emulate the right Amiga hardware, use the system ROM file, and use the System and Work folders as virtual hard drives. E-UAE uses a config file in your home folder called .uaerc
To make things easier, you can copy/paste/modify this one (save it in your home folder as .uaerc ):
unix.rom_path=/home/bill/UAE/rom/
unix.floppy_path=/mnt/shared/emulators/amiga
cpu_type=68040
chipset=aga
kickstart_rom_file=/home/bill/UAE/rom/amiga-os-310.rom
kickstart_key_file=/home/bill/UAE/rom/rom.key
chipmem_size=4
fastmem_size=8
z3mem_size=64
gfxcard_size=32
cpu_speed=max
filesystem2=rw,DH0:System:/home/bill/UAE/System,1
filesystem2=rw,DH1:Work:/home/bill/UAE/Work,0
gfx_width_fullscreen=960
gfx_height_fullscreen=720
gfx_fullscreen_amiga=false
use_gui=false
gfx_linemode=double
gfx_center_vertical=true
gfx_center_vertical=smart
show_leds=true
joyport0=mouse
joyport1=joy0
bsdsocket_emu=true
Note that you’ll have to modify these file/folder locations to match your own in the above config file:
unix.rom_path=/home/bill/UAE/rom/ (the rom folder path)
unix.floppy_path=/mnt/shared/emulators/amiga (this is where I keep my .ADF floppy disk images, not necessary)
kickstart_rom_file=/home/bill/UAE/rom/amiga-os-310.rom (the ROM version required to use Amiga OS3.X or Workbench 3.1)
kickstart_key_file=/home/bill/UAE/rom/rom.key (the key file required to use Cloanto’s ROM file)
filesystem2=rw,DH0:System:/home/bill/UAE/System,1 (path to the System folder copied from Amiga Forever, works like a hard drive on the Amiga, DH0:)
filesystem2=rw,DH1:Work:/home/bill/UAE/Work,0 (path to the Work folder copied from Amiga Forever, works like a hard drive on the Amiga, DH1:)
Note that you have to use the actual path names and not ~ or $HOME …
Also, you may need to adjust the fullscreen resolution — I have mine set this way since I’m running my PS3 at 720p:
gfx_width_fullscreen=960
gfx_height_fullscreen=720
4. Finally, you can start E-UAE from a terminal window (uae) or the Applications -> Games menu in e17. With the above settings in the config file, it should load straight into the Amiga OS3.X Workbench. Pressing F12-s toggles between windowed and full screen.
You can actually run Amiga OS3.X at 1280×720, full screen, on the PS3.
On the Amiga Workbench, open the System drive, then Prefs, then ScreenMode, and select uaegfx: 1280×720 32bit under Display Mode. (assuming you’re running YDL at 720p)

22 comments
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March 22, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Mattek
Do you think XP would run smooth on the PS3?
Have you had ANY luck at all with diablo2 running on the PS3? - Could it be the OS you used?
March 24, 2009 at 7:36 am
billb
XP will definitely run slower than previous versions of Windows on the PS3 (via QEMU).
Due to the higher memory requirements of XP, I don’t think it would help for Diablo 2. With the PS3’s PPE core having to emulate a full x86 machine I think it’s just not going to be fast enough no matter how you do it.
March 26, 2009 at 5:58 am
Joe Cupertino
I got the Java plugin working for firefox but what I want to do is to be able to run Java apps from the YDL 6.1 desktop.
April 2, 2009 at 2:37 am
PiolloTorm
Hello billb:
Sorry for my poor english, but i don’t control your Lenguage.
My Nickname is Piollotorm and I’ve use your install guide to compile SDLMame that you posted in http://pleasantfiction.ipower.com/bodega/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=sdl+mame#p28. It’s very good.
I’ve translate (freely) to spanish by petition of one user forum (www.elotrolado.net). I´m a simply user.
I tell you if you don’t want to make it public and you want i erase it.
A lot of thanks.
April 10, 2009 at 10:30 am
BAS
Hey bill, I am having some issues. Now I am pretty much a noob to YDL in general, but here is the issue I am having. I went to do this sudo revisited stuff, and it kept saying sudoers was a read only file and wouldn’t let me change it or anything, even in root. So I made a new file, copying all the content of the original, then named it sudoers, and erased the old one (probably a stupid move lol) but now I get this error when I try to enter sudo, it says “sudo: /etc/sudoers is mode 0644, should be 0440″ and it doesn’t allow me to enter sudo. Is there a way to fix this? or am I screwed? Again, I’m new to this stuff so all help you can afford would be appreciated! Thanks!
-BAS
April 12, 2009 at 12:15 pm
billb
I need to update that guide including the step to make the sudoers file writable. You can fix the issue you’re having with (I’m assuming you’ve already edited the file and made the change):
su -
chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers
exit
April 18, 2009 at 12:18 pm
morgan
Any chance you could attempt to run Grim Fandango using this method? Running that would be my only real reason for going through this process and I don’t want to bother if it won’t work. Thanks.
April 26, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Mick711
Hello
On the original Cloanto files af_boot.uaerc you have :
# E-UAE configuration file
# General options
unix.rom_path=/cdrom/Amiga Files/System/rom
unix.floppy_path=
use_gui=false
use_debugger=false
# Host CPU-specific options
x86.use_tsc=true
# CPU emulation options
cpu_type=68020/68881
cpu_speed=max
cpu_compatible=false
cpu_cycle_exact=false
# JIT compiler options
cachesize=16384
compfpu=true
# Chipset options
chipset=ecs_agnus
ntsc=false
immediate_blits=true
collision_level=none
# ROM options
kickstart_rom_file=$(FILE_PATH)/amiga-os-3×0.rom
kickstart_key_file=$(FILE_PATH)/rom.key
kickshifter=false
# RAM options
chipmem_size=4
bogomem_size=0
fastmem_size=8
z3mem_size=0
gfxcard_size=8
# Floppy drive options
floppy0=
floppy0type=0
floppy1=
floppy1type=0
floppy2=
floppy2type=0
floppy3=
floppy3type=0
nr_floppies=4
floppy_speed=100
# Hard disk options
filesystem2=rw,DH0:System:/cdrom/Amiga Files/System/dir/System,1
filesystem2=rw,DH1:Work:/cdrom/Amiga Files/System/dir/Work,0
# Display options
gfx_framerate=1
gfx_width_windowed=800
gfx_height_windowed=600
gfx_width_fullscreen=800
gfx_height_fullscreen=600
gfx_fullscreen_amiga=true
gfx_lores=false
gfx_linemode=double
gfx_correct_aspect=false
gfx_center_horizontal=none
gfx_center_vertical=none
show_leds=false
# Sound options
sound_output=normal
sound_bits=16
sound_frequency=44100
sound_channels=stereo
sound_interpol=none
# Input device options
joyport0=mouse
joyport1=kbd1
# SCSI emulation options
scsi=true
scsi_device=/dev/cdrom
# Network emulation
bsdsocket_emu=true
# X11-specific options
x11.map_raw_keys=false
x11.low_bandwidth=false
x11.use_mitshm=true
What difference is necessary for run on Linux on PS3 ?
April 30, 2009 at 5:53 am
billb
@morgan — I’ll give that a try. Also it appears there’s a sub-project of scummvm that is in the works (http://apps.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/residual/index.php?title=Main_Page) but I haven’t tried it.
April 30, 2009 at 5:56 am
billb
@Mick711 — my .uaerc file is shown in this post: http://blogs.ydl.net/billb/2008/03/02/amiga-os-3x-on-the-ps3/
May 18, 2009 at 4:27 pm
justfreakinwayne
Hey Billb , I’ve been using ydl for about a year. Still no good at running outside gui. Since 6.1 I can’t find any p2p programs that work. Will never get Usenext on this thing due to the mono issue., but do you know of anything?
May 25, 2009 at 6:36 am
billb
I use deluge:
http://pleasantfiction.ipower.com/ps3linux/ps3bodega61/ppc/repodata/repoview/deluge-0-0.5.8.6-2.ydl6.bdg.html
After setting up repo:
http://pleasantfiction.ipower.com/bodega/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=21
Then just:
yum install deluge
The version I have in the repo is a bit old, but it works for me.
May 26, 2009 at 9:22 am
Arakageeta
billb, do you know if anyone tried compiling snes9x with IBM’s Cell xlc compiler (aka Octopiler)? I am curious to see if the emulator can be enhanced with xlc’s automated SPE offloading.
I was thinking of taking a shot at this myself, but I wanted to check here first.
May 27, 2009 at 9:32 am
billb
Sorry, I don’t know of anyone who has attempted that.
June 27, 2009 at 8:06 am
John Murray
Hey billb. I’ve installed YDL 6.1 on my PS3 and then updated it with as much stuff as I can get my hands on (via yum). I’ve also installed the port of VLC and I’m able to play movies and mp3 fils quite sucessfully. What I am having a problem with is sound (and video) in Firefox. At this point I’m unsure what to do–I’ve had a look at the the available plug-ins, but none of them, seems to have anything to do with sound. Any ideas what I can do to get this part working?
July 18, 2009 at 11:13 pm
ynah2q3
You know what that means - pumpkin guts. They’re gooey, they smell a bit funny, and they’re an easy way to quadruple the weight of your garbage can.
Stickiness aside, what CAN you do with pumpkin guts?
July 18, 2009 at 11:15 pm
ynah2q3
I’m due to inherit shortly a PowerPC based Mac (well at least I think it is as I’m sure it’s over a year old) and I was wondering what my hope of running games on it might be.
I would idealy like to run Ubuntu on it as I like it as an OS. It looks like I wont be able to run games using Wine, are there any other options?
July 18, 2009 at 11:17 pm
ynah2q3
Yes that’s exactly how you would do it. However most software has been written to make use of the environment variables so that files can be stored in the users home folder such as save games etc. If you go to the terminal and type set you can see the entire list of environment variables for the current user.
August 9, 2009 at 11:12 am
Dann
Have you got the fluendo mp3 codec installed? that should get sound working in firefox but videos (youtube etc im guessing follow the sfwdec tut on http://www.yellowdog-board.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3712&start=120&st=0&sk=t&sd=a, sorry if this isnt allowed on forum rules but im new to ydl net :-/
September 11, 2009 at 2:38 am
knicknak
Do certain emulators work better than others for various systems?
i.e. For Genesis, does XE work better than sdlmess? For 2600 does stella work better than sdlmess (not listed but I saw in a post that it does work)? Does the order the emulator is listed (when multiple emulators are listed) indicate a preference?
Basically is there a way to tell which emulator is the best to use for each system on the PS3?
PS: I couldn’t type in the anti-spam word on Chrome, it wont let me type in that box (it goes back to the website box).
September 14, 2009 at 8:02 am
billb
@knicknak
Yes, XE works better for Genesis, and I’d prefer stella for Atari 2600 over sdlmess as well. Here’s a short list of what I’d use:
Amiga — e-uae
Apple II series — sdlmess
Atari 2600 — stella
C64 — vice
Coleco — sdlmess
Genesis — xe
NES, GB, GBC, GBA — mednafen
SNES — snes9x-gtk
October 30, 2009 at 12:14 pm
dislaire
can anybody try fallout 1 & 2 on qemu?because i really want to know if it works, specially fallout 2…