It seems that some users were more determined than others to keep the option to run Linux on their PlayStation 3s after Sony removed the capability using a firmware update late last week.

The hack could even bring Linux to the PS3 Slim...

While the official word from Sony was, essentially, that the ability to install Linux to the PlayStation 3 was an underused feature, the fact is that it was fairly widely believed that having Linux installed on the PS3 could, eventually, lead to the PlayStation 3 being hacked. It’s interesting stuff, but now it seems that things have turned around a little, with the absence of Linux in the latest firmware for the PS3 being the first thing tackled by those trying to modify their consoles.

As people who’ve followed the story as it’s unfolded might have come to expect, this news comes from George Hotz, the man behind the first iPhone ‘jailbreak.’ It had emerged recently enough that Hotz was working on the PS3, but now it seems that he’s come up with a solution for those who would like to keep their Linux installs but to also be able to connect to Sony’s PlayStation Network.

Hotz posted a video to his blog, saying,

“Here is a video demoing my “custom firmware”. It’s not any sort of version string change; I would have added something showing off the new features of 3.21, but oh wait, there aren’t any.

This can be installed without having to open up your PS3, just by restoring a custom generated PUP file, but only from 3.15 or previous. It’s possible this CFW will also work on the slim to actually enable OtherOS; I’ll know when my infectus gets here…

Note to the people who removed OtherOS, you are potentially turning 100,000+ legit users into “hackers.” There was a huge (20x) traffic spike to this blog after the announcement of 3.21. If I had ads on this site I guess I’d be thanking you.”

It’s interesting stuff, and it seems very much as though it could indicate the beginning of exactly the kind of arms race that Sony might have been trying to avoid by removing Linux in the first place.