Linux From my ipod?

[jthom203]

First of all i am new to Linux. And here is what i want to do...I have a 60gig ipod, i can use it just like a giant flash drive, i want to install linux on the ipod to run on my computer. I think my BIOS supports Booting from a USB device. But i don't want to screw up my ipod in the process since i do use it for music also. So if you could tell me if this is possible, and what distribution would work the best, would be great. Thanks

[Bruno]

Hi jthom203Welcome to the forum !The easiest way is to download D*** Small Linux, run it live and use the menu-etry it has for installing it to USB-drive. It has a nice script to do the trick and a few minutes later you can boot from your Ipod.Get the latest version ( 2.2 ) here: dsl-2.2.iso ( only 50 MB )If D*** Small works, you can venture out other distros.Because you just use your Ipod like a storage device there is no risk damaging it Bruno

[jthom203]

Hey Thanks for the info i will give it a try

[jthom203]

i have one more question if i have other files on my ipod should i transfer them somewhere else? or will they be fine left on there

[Bruno]

Hi jthomBetter back them up somewhere because your ipod will be formatted so you will lose everything that is on it ( or it must be partitioned already and you have one of the partitions you want to use ) Bruno

[jthom203]

well i put D*** small onto my 128mb thumb drive and it works great (if i boot to ram) But how do i set a partition on my ipod so that maybe 30gig is for music and 30 gig for Linux? And would it change the way itunes reads the ipod? Sorry for all the questions but i am a college freshman and just starting to learn all of this stuff.

[Bruno]

Well, jthom203 . . . let me start with a disclaimer:>> I don't have an ipod myself and have no clue how it works nor what file-system it uses <<But basically you want to use a partition tool to make 2 partitions on the ipod, the first one a linux Ext3 partition with a "bootable flag", the second one an "ipod-native" partition.Chances are that your ipod player will not see the linux partition and just see the "ipod-native" one and think it has only 30 GB to play music. So from that point of view all should be smooth.What I would do as first step is boot a Linux distro ( live or installed to HD ) plug in the ipod and do:

$ su< root-password ># fdisk -l

This will list all partitions also the one on your ipod and show us what "format" the ipod partition is . . . . ( NOTE: the -l is the letter L and not the number 1 )Next you would like to see what files are on the ipod partition . . and you will want to back the up so you can restore them after making the new partitions.Once you have the partitions in place and the needed files back on the ipod partition you can do the first test to see if the ipod is still happy to play the music you store on it.Finally you can install D Small Linux on the Ext3 Linux partition. Bruno

[jthom203]

what is the root password?

[Bruno]

what is the root password?

Depends on the distro you use and boot . . . but if you use D Small Linux you use "sudo" so the command changes to:

$ sudo fdisk -l

Please post the result so we all can have a look Bruno

[jthom203]

Disk /dev/sda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7296 cylindersUnits = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 0 Empty/dev/sda2 6 7296 58564957+ b Win95 FAT32Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 5169 cylindersUnits = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System/dev/hda1 1 771 5828728+ b Win95 FAT32/dev/hda2 * 772 5168 33241320 7 HPFS/NTFSthis is what it gives me

[jthom203]

You should not partition, format, or change the formatting of iPod's hard disk using Disk Utility, Windows Explorer or other utility unless you are performing troubleshooting steps that require this step.iPod, iPod mini, and iPod shuffle cannot play music if you format or partition the hard disk.iPod only works (as a music player) when its hard disk is formatted for the appropriate platform using the Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) or FAT32 formats. Do not reformat the disk using Mac OS Standard (HFS), New Technology File System (NTFS), or UNIX File System (UFS) formats.Whether you use a Mac or Windows, iPod shuffle only works (as a music player) when its disk partition is formatted as FAT32 format.If iPod's hard drive was partitioned, formatted, or the format was changed, use the latest version of the iPod Updater application to restore iPod iPod back to its factory condition.Warning: The restore process cannot be undone. All of your songs and files will be deleted. Always make a backup of your important daI Found this on Apples web site

Edited February 15, 2006 by jthom203

[Bruno]

Okay this shows me ( and correct me if I am wrong ) that you have a Win XP installed on a 40 GB hda and the ipod on 60 GB sda.sda1 is empty . . but I assume there is a real good reason for itsda2 is formatted FAT32, that makes our job a lot easier . . . . ;)Now we need to see what is stored on those 2 partitions ( even the empty one, just to be sure )

$ sudo mkdir /mnt/sda1$ sudo mkdir /mnt/sda2$ sudo mount /dev/sda1  /mnt/sda1$ sudo mount /dev/sda2  /mnt/sda2$ sudo ls -al /mnt/sda2$ sudo ls -al /mnt/sda1$ sudo umount /mnt/sda1$ sudo umount /mnt/sda2

( the commands on the /mnt/sda1 can give errors )Please show us the results . . . . . BTW: do you have a kind of restore-disk for the ipod ?? Bruno

[teacher]

http://ipodlinux.org/Installation

[jthom203]

ya it comes with a cd and also software installed to my pc

[Bruno]

From what I am reading . . . using the ipod for a Linux distro AND as music player seems impossible . . The sda1 partition is needed for the ipod OS and boots from the MBR . . . You can backup the MBR and the sda1 to restore them after formatting but the Linux partition can not come first so you will not be able to boot from it. ( read "BACUP" section: http://ipodlinux.org/Installation_from_Linux )The best possible option is to make sda3 and install Linux on the 3rd partition . . . but you will not be able to boot from it. BrunoPS: You can let the player use Linux as OS for playing musinc, games and much more . . . but it will not boot the same as your USB drive you installed D*** Small Linux on.See: http://ipodlinux.org/Applications

[teacher]

BrunoWe must be reading different sources becaues everything I have read indicates it is possible and tells you how to do it.

[zlim]

jthom203, wait until someone has a broken ipod, take it off their hands, format it and install linux.

[Bruno]

JuliaWhat he wants is using it as thumbdrive ( sticking it in the USB of a computer and booting D Small Linux from it ) AND using it as ipod music player.What you read is replacing the Ipod firmware with a special ipod-linux os . . . . it will still only be an ipod with additionally a few aplications like games etc. . . . You can not stick it in the USB of a computer and boot DSL or any other "real" distro.Only if you wipe the contents completely you can use it as mass storage device and install a "normal" Linux distro. Bruno

[burninbush]

iPod only works (as a music player) when its hard disk is formatted for the appropriate platform using the Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) or FAT32 formats. Do not reformat the disk using Mac OS Standard (HFS), New Technology File System (NTFS), or UNIX File System (UFS) formats.++++++++++++Yeah, I was about to put up a post about that. To the thread author ... there may be hope yet; Slax will run perfectly happily from a fat32 part, also any Knoppix / Kanotix /knoppix or slax clone. You could even go for the Knoppix dvd release [~2.3gb] with as much space as you are willing to use. Google for 'poor man's install' -- really nothing more than copying some files from the cd / dvd to a subdirectory on the harddisk. Any of those will also know how to use a swap file in lieu of a swap partition.Can't imagine that you'd need 30gb for any linux partition. Those I've just mentioned, 3gb would be plenty, given you have all the rest of the iPod disk for data storage. The remaining issue would seem to be booting. Not sure how to tell you how to boot directly from the iPod without risking the original function of the iPod. Does it use the MBR for something else? Can you even get to the mbr over the usb link? Would it report a 'bootable' flag to your bios? Is it even willing to let you make another partition on the disk? But it seems you could boot from a usbstick -- from which you could then access a full Knoppix copy on the iPod. Recent releases of Knoppix allow you to run directly from the iso file on harddisk, perhaps even that file located on an ntfs partition, only needs read-only access [i haven't tried that]. Again, booting it can be an issue -- but you could do that part from your usbstick, and also keep a permanent /home partition on it. There are now a few 1gb usbsticks available, which would easily hold a Knoppix / Kanotix cd with room for saving configs and a 200mb Knoppix /home partition, and easily made bootable. Might be a better choice than the iPod for this trick. And of course, you could still use the iPod as-is for data file storage.

[Bruno]

That is what I thought . . . use the USB thumbdrive to run Linux on any computer that boots from USB, and use your Ipod to listen to music ( with the ipod-linux software so you can also play games one it ):"> Bruno

[jthom203]

okay heres the deal i had a broken ipod. i sent it to have it fixed and they thought they lost it. so they sent me a new one. but i also recieved my old one back the same day, i plugged it in and it didn't work. so today (4 months later) i pulled it out plugged it in and it works fine. so know that i am not worried about listening to music on this one i should be free to do it right?

[Bruno]

Yep . . . . go for it . . . . just boot D*** Small Linux . . plug in the Ipod and install D Small on it and chek if it boots ( If not we might have to wipe the drive in the Ipod first . . . but chances are the D Small installer will take care of all ) BrunoPS: Once this experiment works we can explore other possible setups

[jthom203]

okay i will let you know

[Bruno]

. . good luck . . crossing fingers for you ! Bruno

[jthom203]

Writing zero's to beginning of /dev/sda Done.Partitioning /dev/sda/dev/sda:Formatting /dev/sda10+1 records in0+1 records outApplying syslinux to pendrive partition./dev/sda1: This doesn't look like a FAT filesystem/dev/sda1: Sector sizes other than 512 not supportedSetting up system image on /mnt/sda1...mkdir: Cannot create directory `/mnt/pendrive': File existsmount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda1, or too many mounted file systemsError mounting usb devicePress Enter key to continue.this is what it told mecheck that i got a usb complete this time....now to see if it boots

Edited February 15, 2006 by jthom203

[jthom203]

hey i got it to worki have a question is it possible to save the chanes you make in the xsetup? and how would i go about installing new software like say the updated version of firefox?

[zlim]

You may have to wait to get those questions answered. Bruno lives in Amersdam so he is about 7 hours ahead of the east coast US. He'll check in around 3am, local east coast time and answer questions before he heads off to work. I just started using linux in September so I'm not sure how to save changes in a live distro running from a USB drive.When you are ready to install updates, in the menu look for maybe Configuration or anything that says package manager. (It's been awhile since I looked at DSL so I don't remember the wording). If you see something called Synaptic, that's what you will run. The first thing to do is click the Reload icon. It will go to the server that stores the software for DSL and compare what you have on your drive then it will download the information. Synaptic sorts by All, upgradeable, and obsolete (or something similar). You would click on Installed, upgradeable and will find a newer Firefox in there. You'd right-click on it and select upgrade. Then you look at the icons at the top and click apply. A window pops up just to double-check what you want to do. You can look it over and select ok. The package will auto download and install. The next time you fire up FF it will be a newer version.

Edited February 15, 2006 by zlim

[Bruno]

Bravo jthom203 . . . congrats !!Now for extra software D Small Linux has something it calls MyDSL . . . it has all kind of extra you can install.Maybe I should point you to: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.p...yDSL_Extensions on how to use it . . . . but basically if you click the MyDSL icon on the desktop you will figure it out yourself too ;) Bruno

[jthom203]

Hey thanks for all of your help

[Bruno]

You're welcome !! . . . . . . Maybe when you want another distro someday on that ipod we can try another flavor of Linux . . . . . but the DSL is a really nice small and ultra fast distro, so enjoy ! BrunoPS: I changed the link in my last post for the MyDSL ;)PS2: Sorry I forgot . . the Xsettings . . . . have a look in their wiki ( same link as in previous post ) it explains exactly how to do it . . . . but be aware that if you use the ipod on another computer the Xsettings will have to be different . . . . . . so maybe you should not make them permanent.