Here is the latest big question on internet forums: can you use the iPod nano
Step 1: Locating the device
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Mandriva (I tested with 10.1) does not readily recognise the iPod, but it's easy to get it working. You'll have to use the console to set it up though. So here we go, open a konsole and log in as root (type su, Figure 1). The first thing you need to do is to locate the device connected to the ipod.
- start monitoring your log file:
tail -f /var/log/messages - plug your iPod into the usb port and you should see a message like
kernel: usb 4-4: new high speed USB device using address 3
kernel: usb 4-4: configuration #1 chosen from 2 choices
kernel: scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
kernel: Vendor: Apple Model: iPod Rev: 1.62
kernel: Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
kernel: sdb: Spinning up disk....ready
kernel: SCSI device sdb: 7999488 512-byte hdwr sectors (4096 MB)
kernel: sdb: Write Protect is off
kernel: sdb: assuming drive cache: write through
kernel: /dev/scsi/host1/bus0/target0/lun0: p1 p2
kernel: Attached scsi removable disk sdb at scsi1, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
usb.agent: Keeping default configuration with
/sys//devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb4/4-4
scsi.agent: disk at /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.7/usb4/4-4/4-4:1.0/host1/1:0:0:0
perl: drakupdate_fstab called with --auto --add /dev/sdb1
perl: drakupdate_fstab called with --auto --add /dev/sdb2 - If you lived in a perfect world, you would see an
iPodicon showing up on the desktop, unfortunately, you don't! - Locate the second partition on the iPod in the message above. In my case:
/dev/sdb2.
Step 2: Setting up the ipod
- Make a directory to mount the iPod:
mkdir /mnt/ipod/. - Mount the ipod:
mount -o users,exec,suid,umask=0 /dev/sdb2 /mnt/ipod/(replace/dev/sdb2with the device you found). - Miracle! You have an iPod icon on the desktop!
Remember or write down the device where you iPod shows up, and next time you will want to use it, you will simply type
mount -o users,exec,suid,umask=0 /dev/sdb2 /mnt/ipod/ /dev/sdb2 with the proper device!
Once you are finished with the iPod, do not forget to unmount it:
umount /mnt/ipod/Step 3: Transfer music!
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Start gtkpod (Figure 2).
You first need to call you need to call File->Create iPod's Directories once to create directories on your iPod.
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The basic use of gtkpod is a follow:
- Import the iTunes database from the iPod: menu
File->Read iTunesDB - To add songs:
+ Filesicon. - To add music files directories:
+ Directoryicon. - To add playlists:
+ Playlisticon. - To delete songs, albums or playlists: select them in the main window, right clik, and select
Delete from iPodin the popup menu. - Once you are done adding or removing files, simply hit the
syncicon and quit gtkpod.
Finally, do not forget to unmount your iPod:
umount /mnt/ipod/As you can see, it's quite easy to get the iPod nano
02/2006 |
Kaydee, 12 December 2005
HOW DO I USE AN iPOD DIRECTORY????? ♥
ZoneO, 15 December 2005
Well, if you're speaking about file directories, linux sees the iPod a simple hard disk, so you can simply mess around, create files, and directory with your regular file manager...
On the other hand, your iPod may not like it! So if you want to create directories, you better do it through gtkpod.
If you're talking about the address book, I don't know...
ZoneO, 30 December 2005
It's much easier with Mandriva 2006, the nano is recognized automatically so you do not have to look for the device.
Still, do not forget to unmount it, it's important!
Walter Stryder, 10 January 2006
Mandriva 2006 automagically mounts the iPod nano to /mnt/IPOD (at least on my computer) so all I needed to do was to install gtkpod and change the ipod path to /mnt/IPOD to get it working propetly. Very easy indeed! I sort of get it, but my 15 year old sister has some usability problems with it:
"hey, ipods fucking up.. first we had all the music an it was fine.. then i wanned to add a few more songs, but it didnt work, or i dont know what it did, but all the music is gone (apart from one song) but it claims that its full.. it says like capacity 1.8 gb, available 424 kb. so like wtf???????? an then on gtkpod its like,.. errrrr i dont get it. wait ill take a screen shot. im not sure WHAT EXACTLY i did, but at the file thingy, i pressed something like read iTunes DB and then i think i might have clicked on export, but i dont think i exported anything, and then i did read iPods files or something an then that screen is what came up.. its so weird, and what does orphaned mean????? like on the left u see like gtkpod, an under it the subfiles are [orphaned] and Sinis music(thats just a playlist i made, its empty).. :S what do i do??????????"
Anyone got amaroK to work with the iPod nano? I have version 1.3.7 and it just doesn't work with the nano.
ZoneO, 10 January 2006
Well, I don't know what to say, maybe 15 years old sisters aren't meant to use an iPod! I'm sure it's fairly easy to crash gtkpod though...
I haven't tried with Amarok recently, but last time I had a look, it did not work very well.
Walter Stryder, 11 January 2006
Oh I forget to say thanks for the great guide, step 3 helped me a lot. Just one thing, how do you unmount the damn thing? "umount /mnt/IPOD" works for me, also gtkpod umounts it automatically. So the device is unmounted (at least the icon disappears..), but the iPod still says "do not disconnect". So how do you unmount it properly? Thanks again!
ZoneO, 11 January 2006
As long as Linux knows the devices is gone, you're fine. It is true that the iPod stills displays a message stating that it is connected, but it's ok.
Tim Abell, 24 January 2006
use eject instead of unmount to get rid of the "do not disconnect" message
Spartacus, 18 March 2006
It's NOT okay to disconnect the iPod if it still says that is connected. You can corrupt the iPod that way. You can either use eject, or login as root and type the following:
# umount /mnt/ipod
# rmmod sbp2
to unload the serial bus protocol driver. This will allow you to safely disconnect the iPod
solarwind, 15 April 2006
Great guide! Linux rocks.But I have one question: Let's say that my iPod Nano holds my entire collection and I lost all of my music files from my hard drive. Is there a way to extract the files from the iPod Nano and copy it back on the hard drive?
--Thanks!
psymole, 11 August 2006
I stil get the do not disconnect message on my ipod nano. I've tried eject /dev/sda and eject /dev/sda2 and rmmod sbp2 and modprobe -r sbp2 ton no avail.
Any other ideas.
Thx
Werner Heuser, 26 December 2006
This guide is listed at the TuxMobil: Linux and Portable Media Player Survey [Apple] ( http://tuxmobil.org/player_linux_survey_apple.html ).
Me, 13 April 2007
HOW DO YOU DELETE SONGS OFF THE IPOD NANO, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, I HAVE LOADS OF SONGA I DON'T KNOW OR LIKE, SO PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO DELETE THEM??????????????????
ZoneO, 11 October 2005
There has been a lot of discussion about the nano screens and covers getting scratched easily: well, it's true that it gets dirty and could be damaged very quickly... I have to admit.
I solved the problem by purchasing a protection skin from PodPlus -- http://www.podsplus.com/. It just costs a just a few dollars and I find it great!
Just get one at Amazon
and you problems will be over!