Guide to Compile PS3 Homebrew via PSL1GHT Open-Source SDK

[PS3 News]

Today Scognito has http://scognito.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/setup-a-build-environment-for-compiling-and-running-homebrew-for-ps3/ a guide on how to setup a build environment for compiling and running PS3 homebrew using the PSL1GHT open-source SDK.

To quote: With the breaking out of PSJailbreak this summer, the homebrew sceene didn't wait so long to appear on PlayStation 3.

So we are finally talking about the possibility to run our own unsigned code, using any of the available dongles (you can even build one yourself).

Before actually start writing our application it is necessary to build our development envirement. For doing this we need a toolchain and a SDK: I'll use ps3chain and PSL1GHT.

The latter one is very young (project started 29-oct-10) and continously mantained, so the are chances that something may not work as you would expect.

Updating git daily, reporting bugs and contributing is appreciated :)

Prerequisites

First of all we need to set our PS3 dev directory and some system variables, as well as all software needed to build our toolchain.

This guide is written for user with Ubuntu 10.10 32bit, but also other Linux distribution are supported, I think.

Let's start from software needed to build the toolchain:
[code]
sudo apt-get install autoconf automake bison flex gcc make wget
git libppl0.10-dev libcloog-ppl-dev libelf-dev
libncurses5-dev texinfo build-essential
['code]
I've set my PS3 dev directory to ~/dev/ps3

mkdir -p ~/dev/ps3

Add these lines at the end of ~/.bashrc for setting needed system variables

export PS3DEV=$HOME/dev/ps3
export PATH=$PATH:$PS3DEV/bin:$PS3DEV/ppu/bin:$PS3DEV/spu/bin

Update bashrc for apply changes:

. .bashrc

Finish :)

Installing the ps3chain toolchain

Let's clone ps3chain git repository:

cd $PS3DEV
git clone git://github.com/HACKERCHANNEL/ps3chain.git

Execute the automated script frorm the ps3chain directory just cloned:

cd ps3chain
./buildit.sh all

Have a loooooong break, then if you don't see any error you can say to all your friends that the toolchain is installed :)

Installing the PSL1GHT SDK

Now clone the psl1ght git repository:

cd $PS3DEV
git clone git://github.com/HACKERCHANNEL/PSL1GHT.git

Add these lines at the end of ~/.bashrc for setting needed system variables:

export PSL1GHT=$PS3DEV/PSL1GHT/psl1ght/build

Build and install it:

cd $PS3DEV/PSL1GHT/psl1ght
make
make install

That's all! :)

Compiling and running samples

Samples are included in PSL1GHT samples directory: I suggest to start with VideoTest.

cd $PS3DEV/PSL1GHT/samples/VideoTest
make
make pkg

Last command will create a .pkg file that can be installed on your jailbreaked PS3.

Copy it over a USB pendrive, start the PS3 in jailbreak mode, go to "Install package files", select your app, install and finally run it!

A nice gray to red gradient screen will appear, press X to exit.

Using ps3load

The above process is fine, but a bit slow. There is a smart way though: compile and launch via wifi using ps3load.

Ps3load is a tool like Nintendo Wii Wiiload that let us loading packages over the network.

First of all set this environment variables as we did with other ones, specifying your PS3 ip address (for example 192.168.0.10):

export PS3LOAD=tcp:192.168.0.10

Compile and install ps3load under samples directory, just like the previous VideoTest.

Once loaded on PS3 you'll be welcomed (at least for now) with a nice black screen: this is normal.

You can now compile other samples with usual make command, then run over the network with:

make run

A lot easier, uh?

Hello World!

You can start your own "hello world" program using the template under PSL1GHT directory.

Here it is mine (using libpng).

Happy coding!


More PlayStation 3 News...

[shummyr]

Nice guide, Very informative and easy to follow...

Shummyr

[Zhar]

I'm getting error messages:

/tmp/cc5goMyK.s: Assembler messages:
/tmp/cc5goMyK.s:10: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_sections'
make[5]: *** [lib_a-dummy.o] Error 1
make[5]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s: Assembler messages:
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:10: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_sections'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:19: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_startproc'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:25: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:29: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:32: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:40: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:41: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:47: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_def_cfa_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:53: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/ccYYCUwK.s:127: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_endproc'
make[5]: *** [lib_a-argz_add.o] Error 1
/tmp/cc666vVK.s: Assembler messages:
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:10: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_sections'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:19: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_startproc'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:28: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:31: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:42: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_def_cfa_offset'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:68: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:69: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_offset'
/tmp/cc666vVK.s:147: Error: unknown pseudo-op: `.cfi_endproc'
make[5]: *** [lib_a-argz_add_sep.o] Error 1
make[5]: Leaving directory `/root/dev/ps3/build_newlib/spu/newlib/libc/argz'
make[4]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[4]: Leaving directory `/root/dev/ps3/build_newlib/spu/newlib/libc'
make[3]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/root/dev/ps3/build_newlib/spu/newlib'
make[2]: *** [all] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/root/dev/ps3/build_newlib/spu/newlib'
make[1]: *** [all-target-newlib] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/root/dev/ps3/build_newlib'
make: *** [all] Error 2
Error building newlib for target spu
root@akaahn-laptop:~/dev/ps3/ps3chain#

Edit: Just wanted to say, got it working. I ran ./buildit.sh with spu instead of all statement (don't know if that's a valid statement, but it didnt give me any errors) and it worked.

Edit #2: maybe it didnt work... getting this error when trying to make psl1ght:

make[1]: Nothing to be done for `all'.
gcc -Wall -Wextra -Os -g -pipe   -c -o main.o main.c
main.c:40: fatal error: zlib.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[1]: *** [main.o] Error 1
make: *** [all] Error 2

Edit #3: Ok, Update:

1. Managed to get it working with ooPo's toolchain.

2. had to set path in "PSL1GHT/psl1ght/tools/ps3load, Line 40, zlib.h"
to

#include </root/dev/ps3/PSL1GHT/psl1ght/tools/ps3load/win32/include/zlib.h>

3. also had to install zlib1g-dev, as I got "/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lz" error

[agdn]

Thanks Zhar, that got it working.

[n4ru]

Is there a guide for windows?

[ylpkm]

hey... what if we made a group here, on ps3 news and came up with some game ideas, and go to scedev, the ps3 developers network, and submit and inquery to make games... if we do, we get the sdk and the other tools... i would be honored to help, and arrange this, but i need people to help and some game ideas.

[n4ru]

we get the sdk and the other tools

You have $10,250 laying around?

[shummyr]

You have $10,250 laying around?

It doesn't cost that much any more (next-gen.biz/news/sony-slashes-cost-ps3-development-tools), to buy a dev machine through SCE, it now cost $2000.00 USD for a DECR1400 Reference Tool...

shummyr

[n4ru]

Holy crap, brb buying one.

[Therionate]

The reload command for bashrc should be ". ~/.bashrc"