Cross-compiling for PS3 Linux

I have sucessfully compiled and run using both Yellow Dog Linux [terrasoftsolutions.com] and Fedora Core [redhat.com].

This article assumes that Linux is already installed on the PS3. It's very easy to install and the process is already documented quite well.

Carl Bender over at PS3PC.net has written a very good guide on Installing Fedora 5 Linux on Your PS3 [linuxps3.net]

See also: Installation Guide for Yellow Dog Linux [terrasoftsolutions.com]
See also: Installation Guide for Fedora Core 5
See also: Linux on the Playstation 3 Wiki [pslinux.org]
See also: Installing Gentoo on the PS3 [daniel.jp]

elfspe2 allows SPU executables to be run standalone from the commandline (aka spulets)
libspe2 is a PPU library for launching and communicating with SPU executables.

1. Copy the following files to the PS3. These files can be found on the PS3 Linux Add-On Packages CD in the spu directory.

• libspe2-2.0.0-be0644.3.20061107.1.ps3pf.ppc.rpm
• elfspe2-2.0.0-be0644.3.20061107.1.ps3pf.ppc.rpm

2. As root, rpm -ivh *.rpm

I am using Fedora Core 5 installed on a PowerPC Mac Mini as my host machine for PS3 development. Working from a PowerPC platform is extremely convinient. However, all of the following libraries are also either available as i686 packages or can be recompiled for the i686 platform if you prefer that.

1. Copy the following files to the host PC. These files can be found at Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Linux on Cell [bsc.es] under Programming Models -> Linux on Cell -> Cell BE Components -> GNU Toolchain.

• ppu-binutils-3.2-4.ppc.rpm
• ppu-gcc-3.2-4.ppc.rpm
• ppu-gcc-c++-3.2-4.ppc.rpm
• ppu-toolchain-3.2-4.src.rpm
• ppu-toolchain-debuginfo-3.2-4.ppc.rpm
• spu-binutils-3.2-6.ppc.rpm
• spu-gcc-3.2-6.ppc.rpm
• spu-gcc-c++-3.2-6.ppc.rpm
• spu-newlib-1.14.0.200610300000-1.ps3pf.ppc.rpm
• spu-toolchain-3.2-6.src.rpm
• spu-toolchain-debuginfo-3.2-6.ppc.rpm

2. As root, rpm -ivh *.rpm
1. Copy the following files to the host PC. These files can be found on the PS3 Linux Add-On Packages CD in the spu directory.

• libspe2-2.0.0-be0644.3.20061107.1.ps3pf.ppc.rpm
• libspe2-devel-2.0.0-be0644.3.20061107.1.ps3pf.ppc.rpm

2. As root, rpm -ivh *.rpm

1. On the host PC, compile the example:

ppu-gcc -m32 ppu_hello.c -lspe2 -o ppu_hello
spu-gcc spu_hello.c -o spu_hello

NOTE: If the 64 bit support headers and libraries are installed on the host the -m32 can be omitted from the PPU compilation step.

2. Copy the two executables to the PS3.
3. To execute spu_hello using libspe2, just run ./ppu_hello
4. To execute spu_hello using elfspe2, just run ./spu_hello directly.

ppu_hello.c

  0#include <stdlib.h>
  1#include <libspe2.h>
  2
  3int
  4main()
  5{
  6  unsigned int          createflags = 0;
  7  unsigned int          runflags    = 0;
  8  unsigned int          entry       = SPE_DEFAULT_ENTRY;
  9  void*                 argp        = NULL;
 10  void*                 envp        = NULL;
 11
 12  spe_program_handle_t* program     = spe_image_open("spu_hello");
 13  spe_context_ptr_t     spe         = spe_context_create(createflags, NULL);
 14  spe_stop_info_t       stop_info;
 15
 16  spe_program_load(spe, program);
 17  spe_context_run(spe, &entry, runflags, argp, envp, &stop_info);
 18  spe_image_close(program);
 19  spe_context_destroy(spe);
 20
 21  return (0);
 22}

spu_hello.c

 0#include <stdio.h>
 1 
 2int
 3main( unsigned long spuid )
 4{
 5 printf("Hello, World! (From SPU:%d)\n",spuid);
 6 return (0);
 7}

The IBM SDK uses libspe not libspe2, so in order to build the IBM libraries and samples, libspe must be installed.

1. Copy the following files to the host PC. These files can be found at Barcelona Supercomputing Cente, Linux on Cell [bsc.es] under Programming Models -> Linux on Cell -> Cell BE Components -> GNU Toolchain.

• libspe-1.1.0-1.ppc.rpm
• libspe-debuginfo-1.1.0-1.ppc.rpm
• libspe-devel-1.1.0-1.ppc.rpm

2. As root, rpm -ivh *.rpm

3. Copy the libspe libraries from the Host PC at /usr/lib/libspe.so.* to /usr/lib/ on the PS3.
4. Copy the following file onto the host PC. This file can be found at IBM alphaWorks' IBM Cell Broadband Engine Software Development Kit download page. You will need to agree to the licenses in order to download the file.

• cell-sdk-lib-samples-1.1-10.noarch.rpm

5. As root, rpm -ivh cell-sdk-lib-samples-1.1-10.noarch.rpm. The source files should now be installed in /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1.
6. Only minor modifications are needed to cross-compile the SDK.

• cd /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1
• Open make.footer
• Search for (starting at line 84 in my copy):
  

  ########################################################################
  # Common GNU Defines (Host, PPU32, PPU64, SPU)
  ########################################################################
  

• Delete the following section (starting at line 91 in my copy):

  ifeq "$(HOST_PROCESSOR)" "ppc64"
   SCE_ROOT =
   SCE_SYSROOT =
   SCE_PPU_BINDIR = /usr/bin
   SCE_SPU_BINDIR = /usr/bin
   PPU_TOOL_PREFIX =
   PPU32_TOOL_PREFIX =
  else
   # SCE_VERSION is defined in environment or in make.env
   SCE_ROOT = /opt/sce/$(SCE_VERSION)
   SCE_SYSROOT = $(SCE_ROOT)/ppu/sysroot
   SCE_PPU_BINDIR = $(SCE_ROOT)/ppu/bin
   SCE_SPU_BINDIR = $(SCE_ROOT)/spu/bin
   PPU_TOOL_PREFIX = $(PPU_PREFIX)
   PPU32_TOOL_PREFIX = $(PPU32_PREFIX)
  endif
  

• Insert the following section at the same location:

   SCE_ROOT =
   SCE_SYSROOT =
   SCE_PPU_BINDIR = /usr/bin
   SCE_SPU_BINDIR = /usr/bin

• If 64 bit support is not installed, search for (line 150 in my copy):
  

  #********************
  # 64-bit PPU Targets
  #********************
  

• If 64 bit support is not installed, delete the following lines:
  

  PPU64_TARGETS := $(strip $(PROGRAM_ppu64) \
   $(PROGRAMS_ppu64) \
   $(LIBRARY_ppu64) \
   $(SHARED_LIBRARY_ppu64))
  
  ifdef PPU64_TARGETS
   TARGET_PROCESSOR := ppu64
  endif
  

• Save the changes

7. If GLUT is not installed on the host PC, install it (for Fedora-based hosts) with yum install freeglut-devel
8. The SDK and samples should now build without errors: cd src; make (Although quite a few warnings will be generated - there is a bit of non-standard compliant code in the SDK which should be fixed.)
9. Copy the following files from the host PC to the target PS3's /usr/lib directory.

• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/matrix/ppu_shared/libmatrix.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/image/ppu_shared/libimage.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/vector/ppu_shared/libvector.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/surface/ppu_shared/libsurface.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/noise/ppu_shared/libnoise.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/fft/ppu_shared/libfft.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/gmath/ppu_shared/libgmath.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/math/ppu_shared/libmath.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/misc/ppu_shared/libmisc.so
• /opt/IBM/cell-sdk-1.1/src/lib/audio_resample/ppu_shared/libaudio_resample.so

10. Now anything built with the IBM SDK should be able to run on the PS3. I have two Playstation 3 units and only one HDMI input on my HD TV and that one is going to be used for game playing, not developing. So the PS3 I use for development is head-less. The vast majority of the time I can accomplish everything I need by a simple secure shell to the PS3. But occasionally I want to use the machine as though I were local, and that is what VNC is for.

How to setup VNC on the PS3 (for Yellow Dog Linux):
1. Secure shell from the host to the PS3 with X11 using: ssh -X [PS3_IP_ADDRESS]
2. On the PS3, launch the firewall security settings application using: system-config-securitylevel. At this point you will need to enter the root password for the PS3.
3. Click on "Other ports", then "+ Add" and add port 5901 (TCP). This will allow the VNC connection through the firewall running on the PS3. Go ahead and close the application.
4. On the PS3, run the VNC server using: vncserver. If this is the first time you've run the server, you will need to provide a password that will be used to access the machine.
5. On the host PC, start the VNC client using: vncviewer [PS3_IP_ADDRESS]:[DISPLAY_NUMBER]. The display number was printed when the server was started. It defaults to 1 (ONE).
6. After you enter the password, you should now see the PS3 window manager running with an open shell by default.
7. In order to kill the VNC server use: vncserver -kill :[DISPLAY_NUMBER]
8. In order to use the default Yellow Dog window manager (Enlightenment), uncomment the following lines in ~/.vnc/xstartup on the PS3 and restart the server.

unset SESSION_MANAGER
exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

The only real practical difference between using the PS3 over VNC and using it locally will be if you are writing graphics to the framebuffer. These effects will only display over the locally connected display.

The official release of libspe and libspe2 that were available at launch have some minor issues that were patched recently. Both libraries are being actively developed and there will always be new patches available for brave developers. There is a cumulative version available through December 6.

To build and install the latest version:

1. Download the following files from [Cbe-oss-dev] libspe and libspe2 december release to the Host PC.

• libspe-1.2.0.tar.gz
• libspe2-2.0.1.tar.gz

The files will probably need to be renamed locally after download.
2. Untar the two files with:

• tar xzvf libspe-1.2.0.tar.gz
• tar xzvf libspe2-2.0.1.tar.gz

3. In the libspe2-2.0.1 directory, open the make.defines file, and change the equivalent section to be:

ifeq "$(CROSS_COMPILE)" "1"
SYSROOT ?= sysroot
prefix ?= /usr
CROSS ?= ppu-
EXTRA_CFLAGS = -m32 -mabi=altivec
else

4. Save the file, then build the patches for speevent using:

patch -p1 < initevent.diff
patch -p1 < event-public.diff
patch -p1 < make_speevent_thread_safe.diff

5. Build the library using: make; make install
6. Copy all the files (recursively) in the libspe2-2.0.1/sysroot/usr/ directory to the /usr/ directory on the PS3 and the Host PC.
7. In the libspe-1.2.0 directory, open the Makefile file, and change the equivalent section to be:

ifeq "$(CROSS_COMPILE)" "1"
SYSROOT ?= sysroot
prefix ?= /usr
CROSS ?= ppu-
EXTRA_CFLAGS = -m32 -mabi=altivec
else

8. Save the file, then build the library using: make; make install
9. Copy all the files (recursively) in the libspe-1.2.0/sysroot/usr/ directory to the /usr/ directory on the PS3 and the Host PC.

Congratulations, libspe-1.2.0 and libspe2-2.0.1 are now installed on the PS3 and will be used by the any applications which are dynamically linked to either of those libraries.