Challenges
Running Linux allowed other homebrew programs to run, some of which were illegal. Numerous programs were written for the platform of varying quality. Homebrew emulators for systems such as the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 were produced. A port of MAME was also produced, however it ran poorly due to the limited amount of RAM available.
Gamecube Linux only had 24 MBs of RAM available for the entire system which greatly limited its usefulness. A block driver was written to provide access to the 16 MB ARAM buffer so that it could be used as fast swap space. This was still not enough for most uses, so users had to rely on nbd to provide additional network-backed swap space.
Piracy was also widespread, since the PSO exploit could be used to stream games both to and from the GameCube, which some people would argue was for backup and archival purposes. However, the games ripped this way were notoriously unreliable, and in the end numerous release groups dumped games using PC DVD drives with modified firmware. Those using the streaming function encountered a technical issue with the ethernet adapter throttled its function to 10Mbit, resulting in laggy gameplay and music. Improvements allowed the adapter to be set to 100Mbit, but due to hardware limitations this speed was never achieved.
Read more about this topic: Nintendo Game Cube Linux
Famous quotes containing the word challenges:
“The approval of the public is to be avoided like the plague. It is absolutely essential to keep the public from entering if one wishes to avoid confusion. I must add that the public must be kept panting in expectation at the gate by a system of challenges and provocations.”
—André Breton (1896–1966)
“A powerful idea communicates some of its strength to him who challenges it.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)