Xbox Linux moves a step closer

The Xbox Linux Project, a group of programmers trying to bring Linux software to Microsoft's Xbox, released a "pre-alpha" version of the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) that will eventually run open-source code on the game console. When completed, the BIOS, a crucial price of software that lets hardware communicate with software, will allow programmers to boot Linux up on the device. Pre-alpha versions are the earliest stage of the software development process.

The Xbox Linux Project recently received a grant of a total of $200,000 from an anonymous donor, which was awarded to developers for completing various parts of the project, culminating in the ability to boot Linux on the machine from a CD-ROM. Non-Microsoft software can currently only run on an Xbox with a modification chip.

ZDNet U.K.'s Matthew Broersma reported from London. News.com's Michael Kanellos contributed.

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