I have a few questions that hopefully you guys can answer. 1) If I install the sdk on a linux pc. What parts of the sdk can I actually use. Besides the compiler? 2) Is it possible to do any debugging this way? Like may with RDB Start up card? 3) What is not possible with a pc install vs the Tool? 4) What newer version of Linux would be best to install this on. The PC is a PIII. Thanks!!
You're not supposed to be logging into the PC side of a TOOL; it was meant to be a communications processor. Hence you are supposed to be using a host PC to remotely control the TOOL. There was meant to be a standalone mode for the TOOL (WS mode), but that was never implemented. I guess that it was supposed to involve PS2Linux, so you still wouldn't be allowed to log into the PC side of the TOOL. The SONY PS2SDK (or whatever you want to use) gets installed onto a development machine. Traditionally, it is Linux, but I heard that there are Windows tools as well (although I have never used them). For the Linux toolchain, you use the DECI2 tools (i.e. dsedb) to control development (testing) operations on the TOOL from over the network. I never installed the SONY PS2SDK normally (i.e. I simply copied the files that I wanted) and never used their compiler. But I can say that their DECI2 programs do work on Debian 7, which is what I am using. But due to how old these tools are, I would say that your mileage may vary.
So if I am understanding correctly, the pc side really only is used for compiling code and sending data over to the ps2 side? All the dev work is done on a pc.
It looks like this: Your PC (Development PC) <---Network----> TOOL's PC <--PIF--> IOP <--SIF--> EE Development (programming and compilation) is done on your development PC. Testing and debugging is done on the TOOL, remotely over the network. The TOOL's PC is not used for anything other than just being a middleman in the testing/debugging process.
Thank you!! That clears it up for me. Wish there was more videos explaining how the whole setup works!!!
I currently have the source code to a PS2 game, Would I need to compile it on a linux machine? Because the project is in visual studio 6
You can compile it in a linux machine using only the PS2 SDK, or if you want to compile it on Windows you'll need either ProDG or CodeWarrior. AFAIK, ProDG includes a Visual Studio integration plugin, not sure about CodeWarrior (but I don't think so). In other words, install the PS2 SDK and Visual Studio (order shouldn't matter), then install ProDG (or CW). Another thing to consider is which SDK version was used to develop the source you have.
