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Sony to launch PlayStation2 Linux for UK

Matthew Broersma ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 23 Oct 2001 15:34 BST

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) says it will release a Linux-enabled version of its PlayStation2 video game console for the UK and other markets following a Japanese launch over the summer.

SCEI's chief technical officer, Shin'ichi Okamoto, said at a presentation at the Rambus Developer Forum in San Jose, California, that the company was planning to make an announcement about a "worldwide" version of the kit "soon", though he did not give a release date.

Sony launched Linux for the PS2 in Japan in June, in response to customer demand, but that kit only operates on Japanese machines. At the conference Sony demonstrated several Linux applications running on the console.

Linux, which evolved out of the GNU project for creating a Unix-like, free operating system, has gained wide support among software developers because its source code is available and can be freely altered. It is seen as a competitor to Microsoft's Windows in several markets including servers and ultimately the desktop.

See GameSpot UK's PlayStation2 channel for the latest news.

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