Linux runs everything from the world’s most powerful supercomputers to most cellphones to low-power smart devices. However, the Linux community—never a group to not tinker—has been making Linux run on dozens of devices, from calculators to iPods to game consoles.
Most of the ports are only partially functional and can’t really be used reliably as a general-purpose computer or a game console, but some of them are decent. Even so, if you’re looking for a weekend project, these are primarily curiosity, not something you should actually do if you want a useful device.
Some Apple iPods can run Linux
And it can run Doom
iPodLinux is a special distro based on uCLinux designed specifically to run on Apple’s 1st through 3rd generation iPods.
It adds console emulators, a video player(that predated Apple’s own video-capable iPods), and higher-quality audio recording. However, it comes with some serious tradeoffs. The battery life is much worse, and music playback is reportedly a bit flaky. There is also a serious risk of bricking the device, which may be difficult to replace.
However, if you want to play Doom on an antique iPod, it is pretty much your only option.
The Nintendo DS can turn into a computer
You can run a “full” Linux desktop
DSLinux is another uClinux port that brings text-mode Linux to the dual-screen handheld. It utilizes the touchscreen for input and the built-in Wi-Fi for basic networking.
You can run shells, simple editors, and even a bare-bones web browser, though the DS’s RAM (only 4MB) imposes serious limits on what you can run.
If you want to try it, you can load it as homebrew from a flash cart.
The Original Xbox
A 2001 game console can turn into a low-power Linux server
The Xbox Linux Project allows desktop distros to boot on Microsoft’s first console, which runs a 733MHz Pentium III and 64MB of RAM. Long before the Raspberry Pi was a staple of the DIY community, hobbyists used the Xbox as a small file server, media box, or emulation host.
Back in the day, an Xbox could provide cheap, quiet (relatively), always-on hardware for a starter home server. The catch was that it required a modchip, which would definitely void your warranty, or a save game softmod, which allowed you to bypass the console’s normal security functions.
The PlayStation 3
Sony gave us Linux, then ripped it away
Early PlayStation 3 (PS3) units had an “Install Other OS” feature that let owners run Linux distributions on the device. Because of the PS3’s great (for the time) parallel processing horsepower, some users even built inexpensive computing clusters. In fact, the US Air Force Research Laboratory tied together 1760 PS3s to create a 500 teraflop PC for a few million dollars—a tiny fraction of the cost of a conventional supercomputer.
Interestingly, Sony removed the feature with a firmware release in 2010, which kicked off a lawsuit and a huge amount of community interest. Despite the lawsuit, the PS3’s official support for Linux is gone, and you can’t install Linux without “jailbreaking” the device or if you have a unit that ran the earlier firmware.
The Nintendo Switch
A Linux port that is actually useful
You can actually run full Ubuntu on the Nintendo Switch. And, unlike many other Linux ports that run on game consoles, L4T Ubuntu is actually pretty useable. It supports audio, GDMI out, GPU acceleration, and the controllers work as you might expect.
t is an ideal choice for modders who want a dual-boot handheld. However, it only works on unpatched, exploitable consoles and boots from an SD card via a separate bootloader. It also sits in a legal grey area, which means if something goes wrong you definitely won’t receive any warranty coverage, and rooting it may run afoul of the terms and conditions.
If you really want a handheld gaming console that can dual-boot operating systems, I’d look into something like a Steam Deck or a Windows handheld instead. They’re much more open and friendly towards Linux, and something is less likely to go amiss.
8/10
- 4K Capability
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Yes, docked
- 4K Capabilities
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HDR
- What’s Included
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Dock, Charger, HDMI cable, Joy-Con adapter
- Brand
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Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the company’s latest hybrid home console, with more powerful graphics and processing, a larger 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR, and more online features.
The point isn’t the practicality
Like many things the tinkerer, DIY, and grey hat communities do, porting Linux isn’t about making something more practical. It is more like overclocking a CPU to 9.1GHz or making Doom run on a smart fridge—it is about seeing if it can be done, and the challenge of making it work.
It also proves a point. If you’ve ever looked at the technology around you, and you wonder “Can that run Linux?” The answer is almost certainly yes—you just need to be willing to sink months into the project to make it work.
If you’re looking for something practical, there are dozens of projects that make use of other small, low-power devices like a Raspberry pi to build things like an iPod that run Linux that are much more reliable.
