Linux on an XBOX for CarPC

**PURDooM** · 05-08-2006, 10:19 PM

Windows 98 was running emulated in vmware or bochs or something within debian lunux on an xbox. W98 doesn't work well on 64 MB of ram as it is, it works even more crappy emulated in a an operating system that has a 20 mb+ memory footprint translating machine instructions through a low end celeron processor.

As far as modding: I can do them for free, it is pretty easy. Look up how to use the UXE exploit, and how to do mod chipless hard drive installs. Its all on xbox scene.

Xbox media center look: Have you seen http://www.team-mediaportal.com/ ?

**avengerki** · 05-09-2006, 12:01 AM

Just a random tip. If you happen to upgrade your hard drive in it and your doing a softmod, or even if you dont do a upgrade. write the harddrive key on the harddrives using a sharpie or something its a life saver if you ever decide to go legit or if you have a hd crash.

**PURDooM** · 05-09-2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by avengerki

Just a random tip. If you happen to upgrade your hard drive in it and your doing a softmod, or even if you dont do a upgrade. write the harddrive key on the harddrives using a sharpie or something its a life saver if you ever decide to go legit or if you have a hd crash.

Yeah. I also find if you use the XboxHDM tools to lock your new drive, it sets a backdoor password called 'xboxscene' somehow so you can unlock drives no matter what you do.

**avengerki** · 05-09-2006, 12:07 AM

Dont know never used that program. And from the very first one I modded I wrote the code on the HD at least once I realised they were somewhat unique to each drive and xbox mobo. Although I havent delt with any of that in the past year or two.

**PURDooM** · 05-09-2006, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by avengerki

Although I havent delt with any of that in the past year or two.

Likewise; xbox's time has passed I only use mine to stream divx movies now

**avengerki** · 05-09-2006, 12:17 AM

I still use mine but I mostly pay for any game I get anymore. *gasp*. As I've gotten older and try to stay more on the legal side of things.

**will1384** · 05-09-2006, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by oldskoolvwlover

hmmm I modded my xbox for free, you can get a 30-40 gig HD for next to nothing now. Really the only thing you can't do is GPS.... touchscreen is probably possible with some work, the few threads I have found on it were of people who just plugged it in, and it didn't work.... there is major homebrew development for XBOX, if you have the skill you really could do it all for next to nothing.

I just don't get how you say a Carputer does not cost a lot of money, but a modded box does? Sure you could buy a crappy 700 mhz PC for about the cost of an XBOX..... you still would have a big *** desktop you would have to cram into your car, and you would not have any of the positives of the xbox.

Like I said above, figure out what you really wanna do with it... then go from there. I personally like XBMC better than any of the mp3 player interfaces I have seen for a carputer. A lot of the people on these forums want the top of the line do everything carputer.... if you want a box in your car that can hold all of your music, movies, etc, play games and cost you less than $200 + monitor. I say rock it and see where the limits are. If you really want GPS, you could give it a try, but probably not worth it.

For the guy talking about windows.... the only windows that has been run on a xbox was thru emulation from linux. Can't remember the specific reason why, but windows is a no go on the xbox and even when it has been ran it is not stable and is slow due to lack of ram.

I have a desktop in my car - that BTW is not much bigger than the XBOX

- Its only 2 inches thicker than the xbox - the rest of the dimensions
are smaller
- It does VGA without and adapter - That would cost extra
- I can upgrade the memory to 1GB
- I can run any thing I want
- No driver issues
- Runs faster
- Has PCI slots
- I can use an M1-ATX or any car-computer power supply
- Software is out there and free, to use in a car - Road Runner

- And you can get cases that are smaller than the XBox
- You can get a NEW computer that is faster plays games ect ect
for $200 or less - IF YOU MAKE IT YOUR SELF

Like I said - its easy - to use a regular desktop or laptop
but if you want to do things the hard way and not get results
as good as a desktop or laptop - then have at it, If you want
to do it for fun - then have at it

But thats the only good reason

I have softmoded a few xboxes my self - and chiped one
- Mine has a custom paint job, see threw jewl, 2 usb ports on back,
usbport on the controler, 100GB hard disk, HardDrive LED, and uses
a moded DVD drive that can read CDRs, shows a custom logo, on
start-up - no microsoft junk, and a XChanger mod chip

the mouse and keyboard in the pic are used with the XBOX
- BECAUSE I CANT STAND USING XBOX MEDIA CENTER
WITH THE GAMEPAD -

Dont get me wrong - its ok if you just want to load a file
real quick - but from there it get to be a pain and
complicated

**oldskoolvwlover** · 05-09-2006, 01:50 AM

with all those cool things on your carputer.... you still can't just throw in an xbox game and have it load.

not putting you down, just saying you want different things. I am having this battle now, this is why I posed in this thread.

I have a ripped apart desktop sitting on the desk I am typing on right now..... I also have a softmoded xbox. The problem is, what will you get more use out of.... the only reason I want GPS and touchscreen is to have the toys (same reason most people here have carputers). At the same time I would like to be able to play XBOX games and as far as car show cool factor (I have noticed lots of people run carputers in non show cars) the xbox seams to be the easier options. I really like the XBMC large icons with cover art from the albums of the music I would be using, this would probably get more use in my car than a touch screen and gps.

Like I said the original poster has to decide what he wants, I have seen some really cool custom installs of XBOX' with remote power/eject buttons and remote mount dvd-roms.

When you talk about size, a desktop mobo with PCI cards.... won't save you any space, even if you remote mount the DVD drive from the desktop. I am sure you have seen the custom mini xbox cases, these are much smaller than any mobo w/ pci cards sticking out off of it.

There are good and bad points to each, the original poster really needs to post up what they want to do with their install to get a better idea of what solution would be better for them. In my case either option loses some of the things I like about each, in the end it's gonna be the choice that best fits my overall install.

**will1384** · 05-09-2006, 05:42 AM

Originally Posted by oldskoolvwlover

with all those cool things on your carputer.... you still can't just throw in an xbox game and have it load.

not putting you down, just saying you want different things. I am having this battle now, this is why I posed in this thread.

I have a ripped apart desktop sitting on the desk I am typing on right now..... I also have a softmoded xbox. The problem is, what will you get more use out of.... the only reason I want GPS and touchscreen is to have the toys (same reason most people here have carputers). At the same time I would like to be able to play XBOX games and as far as car show cool factor (I have noticed lots of people run carputers in non show cars) the xbox seams to be the easier options. I really like the XBMC large icons with cover art from the albums of the music I would be using, this would probably get more use in my car than a touch screen and gps.

Like I said the original poster has to decide what he wants, I have seen some really cool custom installs of XBOX' with remote power/eject buttons and remote mount dvd-roms.

When you talk about size, a desktop mobo with PCI cards.... won't save you any space, even if you remote mount the DVD drive from the desktop. I am sure you have seen the custom mini xbox cases, these are much smaller than any mobo w/ pci cards sticking out off of it.

There are good and bad points to each, the original poster really needs to post up what they want to do with their install to get a better idea of what solution would be better for them. In my case either option loses some of the things I like about each, in the end it's gonna be the choice that best fits my overall install.

Xbox games cool

I have yet to find any one that thought that
computers, Xbox and stuff like that in a car was cool - and I have tried
- they all thought I was a dork - or watching porn in my car,
dont do it for the cool factor - it wont work - do it for you

I play games in my call all the time - NES SNES SEGA PSX
- I was siting at a gas station waiting for a friend, and was
playing a playstation game, and I herd - "oh my god what a dork,
look he is playing video games in his car", another time I was
watching TV - just regular TV - I over hear - "hey hey look I think
that dude is watching porn - yea and I think he is jerking to"

not one time - except here, has any one said it was cool
- not once - even my friends think I am a retard for doing it

I think its cool - and if any of you ever get one install
post picks - but dont do it to make you self look cool

on a second note

why not do both then - car-computer and an xbox - they could even share
the same screen - just mod the X2VGA to have an external switch

could even have 2 screens - 1 would be shared and the second would
be xbox only

Xbox Media center is really cool and I like it, a lot - but I like simple
and easy, better - and I cant seam to remember all the button combos
in Xbox Media center - its like I am playing mortal combat or
something

Good luck -

**PURDooM** · 05-09-2006, 07:54 AM

Realistically, you are putting a computer in your car. If you *have* to choose between GPS and xbox games and that is the only limiting factor, you should probably go GPS.

You can't play dead or alive 3 and watch the bouncing boobies very well going 70 MPH down the interstate and still drive safley. I would be distracted