[PLUG] iPod with Linux?

[John Jordan]

On 2 Jul 2005, at 14:25, Carlos Konstanski wrote:

> If you dig deep into the OSX Middleware thread, you'll find a patch
> for teh HFS+ friver in the 2.6 kernel.  That would allow you to keep
> the HFS+ filesystem when using linux.  It disables the disk checking
> mount count, basically.

OK, I launched Synaptic and searched on "HFS." That got me nine 
possibilities to install. Some were clearly the wrong thing, but one 
(hfsplus) was described as "tools to access HFS+ formatted 
volumes." I marked it for installation, which prompted Synaptic to 
add libhfsp0, described as "shared library to access HFS+ 
formatted volumes." Unfortunately, after installing them I still can't 
write to the iPod. 

However, I did just discover that I can read and copy from it. I never 
tried that before, so I don't know if the tools I just installed made it 
possible. All I know is that I copied the three folders (Contacts, 
Calendars, iPod_Control and Notes) into my /home directory. 
Nevertheless, there are three files listed (.Trashes, ,Journal and 
.jpurnal_info_block) that I cannot copy. All three have an X in the 
file icon. When I try to copy them I get the "permissions" error 
message.

Actually, I don't give a rat's patootie if the iPod retains HFS or is 
converted to FAT32. I just want something I can read and write to, 
and I don't want to destroy the system Apple installed to enable 
me to play the tracks from the menu.

> You sure Windows saves the mp3 files off, then reformats, then puts
> the files back on?  I thought it simply overwrote the ipod with a
> FAT32 filesystem and then wrote the os image anew.  How can Windows
> read the files without understanding the filesystem?  That's what I'd
> like to know.

Maybe Windows doesn't understand it, but iTunes does. I have no 
idea what I'm talking about. You're probably right. More likely 
iTunes installs the correct files on the Windows computer, formats 
the iPod as FAT32 -- wiping everything out -- then transfers the files 
to it.

> You cannot use ogg files, as was mentioned.  You must use mp3 files
> that have the proper id3 tags.  The ipod will not use the actual
> filenames. It will only use the info in the id3 tags.

Somewhere I know I read that one of these utilities (gtkpod, I think) 
converts the ogg files to mp3s as it transfers them to the iPod.

But perhaps that is not correct. I put the Stravinksy CD back in the 
drive and decided to re-rip it. This time I went into Config in grip and 
found a number of options --

bladeenc
lame
l3enc
xingmp3enc
gogo
oggenc
flac
other

It was set on oggenc, so I switched it to mp3encode. When I did 
the "encode file extension" box changed from ogg to mp3. "Cool," I 
thought, and proceeded to start the rip process. But when I tried to 
start it I got an error message "invalid encoder executable, Check 
your encoder config." Looking at the encoder config there are a 
bazillion settings that can be changed. And I don't know what any 
of them mean. :(

So for the moment I'm stymied. Wish grip had a help file to explain 
the settings.