When Sony released its PlayStation 3 console in 2006, most fans were excited by the enhanced graphics and processing power, but a small (yet significant) group of buyers was excited about an entirely different feature. The PS3 allowed users to install an alternative operating system on their machines—a feature they called Other OS.
Users were free to choose from several operating systems, including Linux. And, it wasn’t the first time Sony had released a Linux-compatible console. The PlayStation 2 also supported alternative operating systems, and Sony had promoted the fact heavily in its marketing.