Sorry, I'm too tired to come up with a snarky 'It Only Does...' joke.
Regardless of its purpose, Sony has announced that the next version of the PlayStation firmware, v3.21, will remove the Other OS functionality from the older PS3 units, as well. Users won't be able to access any sort of alternate OS partition following the update, and Sony has recommended that any users looking to upgrade should back-up their data from that alternate install before proceeding.
The reason cited is "security concerns." This is probably related to the hack released back in January by "George Hotz," who also released a pretty snappy iPhone jailbreak tool last year. The hack used code running in an Other OS install to eventually grant users full low-level access to the PS3's guts.
So, if you value your Linux install, you'd be better off not upgrading when v3.21 hits on April 1. Of course, if you don't upgrade, you'll lose all of your online access and, eventually, newer PS3 games that require a higher-level firmware install won't run, either. Not to tell you how to live your lives, but a PS3 that doesn't play current PS3 games doesn't sound like much fun at all.
Did any of you ever install another OS on your PS3? What did you use it for? I always thought about doing it, but then I also bought the PS2 Linux kit and never actually installed it.
Sony really needs to stop removing features.
Seriously, what's next they going to patch out backwards compatibility from older PS3's too?
EDIT seriously, if we install this patch this feature will be gone FOREVER. Thats forever. On all PS3s. Imagine if Nintendo could unilateraly remove support for the duck hunt gun, or in a more comparable example the SNES mouse. Thats a part of history completely eliminated. It may not be important, but it happened god damnit. I will not permit the internet to engage in revisionist history. Crap crap crap crap crap.
PS2 Linux kit? Christ, there's been so many useless console accessories I had no idea existed until I heard that you bought one, Jeff.
Did you read the article? People have been trying to figure out how to access the full power of the PS3 and trying to dig through all their code and stuff. Its dangerous because this could potentially lead to the ability to pirate PS3 games, although realistically that will never be much of a concern. I doubt many people are willing to buy a blueray burner, a stack of empty bluerays (both of which are still retardedly expensive), and then downloading a PS3 game which can be upwards of 50GB. I very much doubt that would ever catch on, at least for the next few years or so =P Maybe when we get really hardcore internet and blueray becomes the new standard.