From wikiPodLinux

A frequent question being asked in forums is how a Windows user of iPodLinux can access the iPod's root directory, or "/". This page aims to discuss the differences between "/" and "/mnt/" ("/hp/" for earlier versions of iPodLinux, if this is the folder your iPod is using, replace "/mnt/" with "/hp/") so that users will better understand the differences between the two.

If you're using Windows, you'll notice that you can't access the "/" directory in iPod Linux. When you put a file on your iPod in Windows, it does appear within Podzilla's File Browser, but in the "/mnt/" folder. To understand why this is the case, then read on. If you just want to find out how to access the ext2 partition see Accessing ext2.

Partitions Within iPodLinux

A hard disk, like the one that holds your music on your iPod, can be split up into various separate sections known as partitions. A Windows iPod with iPodLinux installed has three partitions, the first is the firmware partition, the second is the music partition (the one you can see from Windows), and the third is the iPodLinux partition. Each partition may have its own file system, the file system on the music partition is known as FAT32, the iPodLinux partition is an ext2 or ext3 partition.

The reason these two are separate is because the iPodLinux kernel requires a unix compliant partition in order to function properly. The FAT32 partition can be accessed from within iPodLinux, as evident by the "/mnt/" directory, which is actually a link (or symlink) between the two partitions. This enables applications to use files in both partitions easily by simply accessing those in the FAT32 partition through this folder.

Why You Can't Access It

When you connect your iPod to your computer, Windows looks at the iPod's hard disk to see if it recognises any of the file systems available there. It successfully mounts your FAT32 partition because Windows is able to use this file system, however the ext2 partition is not recognised and so you can't see it from Windows Explorer like you can with other devices.

There are a number of ways to access the ext2 partition from Windows, and for the most up-to-date information on doing this see Accessing ext2

Questions

What is the root? The root is the upper most directory within any hierarchical file system, in other words, when you open your iPod from My Computer you are opening the FAT32 partition's root directory. If you are asked to put a file in the root directory, check which partition's root that is being referred to.

Why can't I just have one partition? You can, but only if you have a Mac (or don't want to use iTunes to manage your music ever again). The FAT32 partition used in Windows iPods does not have specific features required by iPodLinux. For example, Windows Executables can be told apart from other files by their extension; in Linux an executable may have any extension, it's executability will not change if you rename it to a ".txt" file etc. The file system determines which files can and can not be executed using flags embedded in the file system. Fundamental differences like these mean that iPodLinux can not run natively on the FAT32 partition, thus it has its own.

How much space does the iPodLinux partition take up? Anywhere from around 30mb to the whole size of your iPod's hard disk drive (except the firmware partition). The new Installer allows you to choose how large the partition is during the installation.

How do I put files in the iPodLinux partition? See Accessing ext2 for how to view and modify this partition. In some cases accessing, putting files in your iPodLinux partition can be made simpler by creating a symlink between a place on your iPodLinux partition and the music partition. See this (http://www.ipodlinux.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23139) forum post for details on how to set up a symlink in order to install most modules.