Installation

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Installing Linux onto your iPod is a non-dangerous process. When you think your iPod is broken, it is not. You cannot render your iPod useless with software.

Contents

Preperation

Computer Connection

In order to install Linux on your iPod you first need to make sure your system is configured to connect to your iPod. If you are using Mac OS X, it is most likely already configured. If you are using Windows, make sure iTunes lets your iPod show up as a disk drive in My Computer.

Disk Mode

Connect the iPod to your computer and make sure it shows Do not disconnect on the iPod's screen. This is called Disk mode. The iPod should enter Disk mode automatically once connected. If it does not, you can force it to enter disk mode.


iPodLinux

Components

iPodLinux consists of several components, some of which are currently being migrated from their original versions to second generation versions. Here is a overview of the components involved:

  • The Boot Loader. There is the original version which silently boots either the Apple firmware or Linux, choosing the other by pressing the Rewind key at startup. There is also a new version 2 which offers a menu with many more options, including support for Rockbox loading.
  • The Kernel. There is mainly one version, which is stored in SVN and which you can download as a prebuilt file.
  • The Userland is a set of files and folders providing the basic functionality to using Linux on the iPod. It contains a shell, the /etc/rc startup file, among others.
  • Podzilla is the main user application for iPodLinux, being similar to what you use on a Apple-driven iPod: You get a graphical menu from which you can launch tools, change settings, browse music etc. There exists the original monolithic podzilla, which only supports older iPod models, and the new modular podzilla 2, which supports all current iPod models and allows adding new modules easily.


Partitioning

Linux needs a file system that supports Unix-style permissions.

WinPods use the FAT32 format, which is not adequate for Linux. Therefore, you need to add another partition, e.g. ext2, to install Linux on. This may require that you reformat your iPod, losing all your stored data on it. Make sure you have a backup of your iPod files before installing iPodLinux on it.

MacPods, on the other hand, use the HFS+ format, which Linux can be run from. Hence, you can simply store the Linux files on a MacPod from a Mac OS computer by copying them using the Finder or the cp in a command shell. You may have to use chmod +x on select files (/etc/rc and /sbin/* after the copying to make them executable).

Installation

There are several methods for installing iPodLinux. Here is a brief list of your options:

Official

  • Installer 2: Using the new Installer 2 is probably the easiest solution to get a quick start. It is currently only available for Windows and Linux, not yet on Mac OS X, though. It is a good idea to use a "fresh" iPod, meaning that if you have already done any kind of modification to your iPod and the installer isn't working for you, you should restore your iPod with iTunes to return your iPod to a workable state.
  • Manual Installation: You can also install iPodLinux manually (not only recommended for MacPods). If you follow the instructions closely and from the beginning you will notice that a manual installation isn't that hard either.
See also

Unofficial

Do not ask the iPodLinux team for help with these, as they are not involved in the following projects. For support, contact the author/distributor of these builds. There are many topics posted regarding these subjects on the forum, however.
See Also

Starting iPodLinux and the Apple Firmware

Reboot the iPod using the Key Combinations.

Important: When you had connected your iPod to your PC, do not reboot the iPod while it says do not disconnect, because that might have the bad effect that the modifications you made to the iPod get partially lost. Make sure you eject the iPod so that it says ready to disconnect before you reboot it!

When the iPod restarts, it'll show first the usual picture of an apple, then it should either:

  • Show a picture of the original happy Mac, and after another few seconds should be back in the normal Apple software.
  • Show a picture of a penguin, after which it will boot into Linux.
  • Show a menu with choices such as Apple OS and iPodLinux.

In the first two cases, you have the original loader installed - hold down the << (rewind) key after a reboot and before either the Mac or the penguin picture appears to have the iPodLinux loaded.

In the latter case, you have Loader 2 installed. Use the << and >> keys or the wheel to select an item from the menu and press the center button to select it.

If you chose to boot into Linux, podzilla should start. It may show a few messages which you have to dismiss with the center button, and then you have a menu interface similar to that of the original Apple software.

Now you are ready to explore iPodLinux. See the Documentation page for further pointers.

Note that if you have a WinPod, you'll not be able to see the newly installed Linux files from your Windows PC. See Accessing ext2 to learn how to access those linux files and folders.

If you want to copy new items to the iPod, you'll have to get it into disk mode again, just like before. iPodLinux does not offer its own disk mode - you have to reboot it into Apple's software for that.

What if something goes wrong?

Be sure to have a backup of your music before installing iPodLinux! Installer 2 offers to make a backup for you, but that only includes Apple's iPod firmware, not your files!

If anything goes wrong, you can always use iTunes handy restore function to reinstall Apple's iPod operating system (called firmware). This will remove iPodLinux and make your iPod work the same way it did when you bought it. The worst case scenario is to lose your music and settings.

When you think your iPod is broken, it is not. You cannot render your iPod useless with software.

Retrieved from "http://ipodlinux.org/wiki/Installation"