Xbox Linux moves one step closer

The Xbox Linux Project, a volunteer effort aimed at running the Linux operating system on Microsoft's Xbox gaming console, said Friday it has succeeded in booting the Linux kernel--a small but important step forward.

The Xbox does not have its own official version of Linux and is unlikely to get one, given Microsoft's competitive stance toward the open-source operating system. Xbox Linux, led by Michael Steil of Germany, is aimed at developing a legal way to turn the console into a full-featured Linux workstation. Steil announced on the Xbox Hacker site on Friday that the kernel had booted. As the Xbox uses customized system software, programmers had to create a custom bootloader to load the kernel into memory and execute it.

ZDNet U.K.'s Matthew Broersma reported from London.

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