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The PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay is a 3.5" drive bay in the original (prior to model SCPH-70000) PlayStation 2 designed for the network adaptor and internal hard disk drive (HDD). These peripherals enhance the capabilities of the PS2 to allow online play and other features and were shown at E³ 2001.
Network adaptor
The Network Adaptor was released in August 2002 in North America and features a modem and an Ethernet jack for dial-up or broadband Internet connections. A startup disc is included with the Network Adaptor and installs a file on the memory card for connection settings which are accessible by all but one Network Adaptor compatible game. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 was released in November 2001 and supported the Network Adaptor hardware, but not the software as it was not finalized until much later.
Hard disk drive
The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) was released on March 23, 2004 in North America. It requires the Network Adaptor to connect to the PlayStation 2 and to receive power. The HDD has a 40 GB capacity that can be used by games to reduce load time by putting data on the hard drive temporarily, or back up memory card data. Once an HDD is installed into a PlayStation 2 system, due to MagicGate copyright protection, it cannot be moved to another PlayStation 2 system without reformatting the hard drive. A HDD Utility disc is included to allow maintenance of the HDD and in North America, Final Fantasy XI is also included. Currently, only four games support the HDD.
- Final Fantasy XI is the only game truly dependent on the HDD as it requires various patches and upgrades from Square Enix.
- SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs supports additional maps, however the files must be copied from a magazine demo disc to the hard drive and cannot be downloaded.
- Resident Evil: Outbreak installs 1 GB to the HDD for reduced loading times.
- ESPN NFL 2K5 uses the HDD to improve replays. (If the HDD is not installed, static screenshots are shown as replays. With the HDD, full cutscene-like replays can be displayed.)
Unofficial software called HD Loader (whose website is unavailable at the time of this writing) allows the user to copy entire games to the HDD and running them without the discs. While some argue that this improves performance and protects the potentially fragile discs, especially from young children, others claim that this only encourages piracy as rented games can be copied and kept forever.
As of December 2004, it is widely believed that Sony is no longer interested in supporting the hard drive. The new PStwo model of PlayStation 2, which replaced the older, larger model, is not capable of using the hard drive and while Sony has stated they are investigating alternatives, it is thought that none will be forthcoming due to the relatively late date in the product's lifecycle. The absense of support for the HDD in the PStwo also means that Final Fantasy XI can only be played on older PlayStation 2s. Sony's public response at the time of the introduction of the PStwo (in mid-2004) was that "the more hardcore [HDD-interested] gamers...already have their PlayStation 2 units," according to a company statement.
Linux kit
The Linux Kit for PlayStation 2 was released in 2002 and included the PlayStation 2 Linux software, keyboard, mouse, VGA adapter (which requires a sync-on green (http://playstation2-linux.com/docs/howto/display_doc.php?docid=76#Which_monitors_are_supported_and_what_is) monitor), Network Adaptor (Ethernet only) and a 40 GB hard disk drive. An 8 MB memory card dedicated to Linux is required to run Linux. The Linux Kit turns the PlayStation 2 into a full fledged computer system, but does not allow for use of the DVD-ROM drive. Although the HDD included with the Linux Kit is not compatible with PlayStation 2 games, reformatting the HDD with the utility disc provided with the retail HDD enables use with PlayStation 2 games. Also, since the Network Adaptor included with the kit only features ethernet, a driver download is available to enable modem support. The kit supports display on Sync on green monitors (but VGA adapters are available from 3rd parties) or television sets.
The Playstation 2 Linux distribution is based on Kondara Linux, a Japanese distribution itself based on Red Hat Linux. PS2 Linux is similar to a Red Hat 6. It has most of the things one might expect in a Red Hat 6 system. The stock kernel is 2.2.1 but it is possible to replace that with a newer one (eg 2.2.21 and 2.2.26).
The Linux kits primary purpose is amateur software development, but it is possible to use it as one would any other computer. Noted open source software that compiles on the kit includes: Mozilla, Firefox, Thunderbird, X-Chat, and Gaim. Light-weight applications perhaps better suited to the PS2's 32MB of RAM include xv, Dillo, Ted, and Abiword.
The USB ports of the kit can be connected to external devices, such as printers, camera's, flash drives, and CD drives.
External links
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