Uninstallation

From iPodLinux

These are instructions for removing iPodLinux from your iPod. If you choose to use iTunes or Apple's Updater's full firmware Restore, you will lose your previous data (music files, etc.).

Contents 1 Using Installer 2 2 Using Apple's iTunes 3 Using Apple's iPod Updater Utility (Old) 4 Manually without using iTunes or the Apple Updater 5 Troubleshooting

Using Installer 2

If you have used Installer 2 to install iPodLinux, and if you have instructed it to create a backup, then you can use it to restore the firmware partition, as well as erase the ext2 partition (applies to WinPods only), to the state it was when you created that backup. Note that this will not erase your files on the music partition.

Using Apple's iTunes

If you did not create a backup of your iPod's firmware partition through some medium (i.e. Installer 2, ipodpatcher, etc.), a simple way to restore your iPod to its original firmware and bootloader is through iTunes' built-in Restore functionality.

1. Boot into either Disk Mode or Apple's firmware and connect your iPod to the computer.

2. If iTunes doesn't automatically start, start iTunes manually.

3. Once iTunes has detected your iPod, click on the "Restore" button to format your iPod and restore it to the default factory settings (iTunes may have to download new firmware files first). Note that this will completely wipe your iPod's data, so you may want to back up your data first (i.e., you may choose to backup your "iPod_Control" folder, which contains your music files and settings).

4. While iTunes is restoring, do not disconnect your iPod!!! Just wait patiently as the whole process happens.

5. Once iTunes is done restoring, your iPod should automatically restart into it's clean, factory settings with no iPodLinux or Loader 2.

Using Apple's iPod Updater Utility (Old)

This is also called a fake update. Note that this is an old method and may not work with the newer iPods. The iPod Updater Utility has been integrated into the latest versions of iTunes (see above).

By following this procedure, the Apple updater will only replace the firmware and partition table of your iPod. This means that it does not necessarily completely restore your iPod to its state before you installed iPodLinux to it. In particular...

• On a WinPod, where an iPodLinux installation created a new ext2 partition to be used for the Linux files, this partition will be lost due to the fact that the restored partition does not list the ext2 partition any more. This means that on a WinPod, this procedure effectively restores your iPod to a state without any iPodLinux installed.
• On a MacPod, where the partition table did not need to be changed to install iPodLinux, effectively nothing but the bootloader gets uninstalled by this procedure. It does not remove the linux related files and folders that were installed on the (main) music partition. You can remove them manually in the Finder, though. You may also easily enable iPodLinux again by re-installing a bootloader.

Hence, this procedure is having the same effect as the uninstall function of Installer 2 as mentioned above.

1. Boot into either Disk Mode or Apple's firmware and connect your iPod to the computer.

2. Navigate (browse) to the following directory on the iPod: iPod_Control/Device

These directories will probably be hidden.

• On Windows, turn on Show Hidden Files to access them, or browse to the directory directly by adding \iPod_Control\Device to the window's address field when viewing the iPod's folder. (Note: to view hidden files, use pulldown menu Tools in Explorer, choose Folder Options.... Choose the second tab to the right (View). Expand the Hidden Files and Folders folder in the menu, and select "Show Hidden Files and Folders".)
• On Mac OS X, either "cd" to it using the Terminal application, then open it in the Finder using "open .", or use the Finder's Go to Folder... command from the menu (or press Command-Shift-G) and enter this path: /Volumes/your iPod's name/iPod_Control/Device

3. In the Device folder you should see a file called SysInfo. Open that in a text editor (Windows: Wordpad, Mac: just double click the file, it should open in TextEdit)

4. Find the 2 lines that look similar to:

buildID: 0x02208000 (2.2)
visibleBuildID: 0x02208000 (2.2)

Modify the values to be less than the original, eg: decrement the first or second non-zero digit by one and it should look like this:

buildID: 0x02108000
visibleBuildID: 0x02108000

Note: you may ignore the number in parentheses)

Save it.

5. Run the iPod Updater Application. Its Update button should now be enabled.

6. Use the Update button to have iPodLinux uninstalled from your iPod without erasing your music and other files you see on your iPod's disk (i.e. the main music partition).

Manually without using iTunes or the Apple Updater

MacPods:

If you follow these simple steps you will uninstall iPodlinux without losing your Music and files.

• Delete all files and folders that belong to the Userland
• Install a current firmware manually by following this (ignore the partitiontable layouts and the "Restore the Disk Layout" step).

WinPods:

If you want to uninstall iPodLinux without losing any Music or files you only have to this (ignore the partitiontable layouts and the "Restore the Disk Layout" step).

However this will keep your linux partition intact. If you want to get the space back that the linux partition takes up you have follow the entire Restore without iTunes instructions but that involves formatting your iPod which will lead to dataloss. In this case you can also just use the Apple Updater or iTunes

Troubleshooting

If the above methods failed, see the Troubleshooting page for help.