Xbox Linux/crack group seeks Microsoft approval
C|Net | at | by Mike
The group of programmers working to run Linux on Microsoft's Xbox video game console is seeking the software giant's seal of approval. In an open letter sent to Microsoft, the organizers of the Xbox Linux Project requested that the software giant "sign" its Xbox version of the open-source operating sytem. Microsoft's electronic signature would allow the software to run on an unmodified Xbox. Currently, an Xbox must be outfitted with a "mod chip"--a gray-market add-on that overrides security features in the console--to run Linux or any other unapproved software. Microsoft has pursued a variety of legal and technical means to thwart mod chips, on the grounds that the devices aid software piracy.
A Microsoft representative said that the security features and specialized operating system used in the Xbox were necessary to protect against software piracy. "It's designed the way it is to protect the (intellectual property) of our game developers and our partners," the representative said.