[PLUG] iPod with Linux?

[Carlos Konstanski]

There's one more variable to this equation.  The kernel needs support
for the filesystem.  Userland programs are not enough.  You may want to
fire up "make menuconfig" and browse your kernel's filesystem settings.
If HFS+ is there, but compiled as a module, you'll need to modprobe it
or add it to /etc/modules.

But I really think it's best to just use FAT32 for simplicity's sake.
You won't lose the ipod OS if you follow the instructions in this
writeup:

http://pag.csail.mit.edu/~adonovan/hacks/ipod.html

There's a step where you dd the OS into a file, and then dd it back
after the reformat.  Scary, but it works fine.

Carlos

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005, John Jordan wrote:

> Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2005 17:47:16 -0700
> From: John Jordan <johnxj at comcast.net>
> Reply-To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help; civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> To: "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help; civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Subject: Re: [PLUG] iPod with Linux?
> 
> 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.
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