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Sunday, September 9, 2007

How to: install ipodlinux on your ipod

here is a how to install ipodlinux on your ipod. Winpod only. All models except 1G, 2G and nano 2G. I made this based off of this guide. Make sure your ipod is plugged in for all this:

mkdir ipodlinux
cd ipodlinux
wget http://de.dataghost.com/ipl/dg-installer/dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
tar -jxf dg-linux-installer-20070311.tar.bz2
sudo ./installer.sh


Follow the on screen instructions. To restore if something goes wrong, run
./installer.sh restore

I had a problem installing on my machine, one that I have never gotten before. Here are details and my solution, in case you run into the same

When running the installer as instructed above, I got an error similar to 'error in line ? could not find directory ./usr'
I just went into the ipodlinux folder we created in the home folder, and copied all the folders plus loader.bin to the root of my ipod, safely disconnected, and loaded ipodlinux successfully.

video

20 comments:

Hunter said...

does this support the nano? last time i looked into installing ipod linux, it wasn't supported on the nano yet and i couldn't get it working. thanks!

bryan whiting said...

Cool! I've always wanted to try putting linux on my ipod, but i've never had the guts to try. I found your blog via lifehacker.com, by the way.
So I tried running everything like you said, and the bootloader installs just fine on my ipod, but nothing appears in the bootloader other then the Apple OS, Disk Mode, and Sleep. Have any suggestions for me?

-bryan

mike said...

im not sure about the nano, but if it does not support it then it will not detect it and will not install ipodlinux.

if you are not seeing ipodlinux as a choice in the installer, create a file called 'loader.cfg' in the root of your ipod. in the file, place the following text (this is what I have in mine)

Apple OS @ ramimg
iPodLinux @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin
Disk Mode @ diskmode
Sleep @ standby


if you have rockbox, add this line where you want it

Rockbox @ (hd0,1)/.rockbox/rockbox.ipod

tyler said...

I'm running a windows machine. Is there still a way I can install this version of iPod linux? Unless I've missed something all I see is a linux command line.

mike said...

for windows, I would try the official installer

http://ipodlinux.org/Installer_2

or, if you have a 5.5g, which the official installer does not support, try

http://ipodlinux.org/IPodLinux_Manager

that installer works on all ipods except 1g, 2g, and nano 2g.

good luck!

Reclaim:Succumb said...

i tried doing what you said but only apple os sleep and disk show up. the loader.cgi i try to make in ubuntu doesnt seem to help

i clicked create new file and added it in three but nothing happns..


any help would be appreciated

mike said...

its 'loader.cfg' (not cgi) and put it in the root of your player

good luck!

Jordan said...

hi, i ran the installer in linux and adde3d the loader.cfg file to the root of my player... but in the loader i still only see apple os disk mode and sleep. any hope?

mike said...

did you add the custom loader.cfg like I said above? mine is

Apple OS @ ramimg
iPodLinux @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin
Disk Mode @ diskmode
Sleep @ standby

Stuart said...

Wow, that was unbelievably easy. I remember trying to install ipod linux a few months ago and it took me hours of partitioning and reformatting, but this was only a few easy steps. One question though. What is MPD? I understand that it's something for remote access. Would it improve the usibility of ipod linux, and if so, how do I make it work in my ipod? Now it just says that MPD failed to load. Thank you very much.

HBR said...

I had the same problem as you whit the installation but you totally fix it...

I have a question, I have been trying to install a new scheme for ipodlinux but I'm having some problems, could you make a tutorial about it for ubuntu?

Look at this scheme

http://ipodlinux.org/Special:Scheme/macosxtiger

It needs this IconUI

http://ipodlinux.org/Special:Module/iconui

Thanks in advice for the help!

Anonymous said...

link no longer working. Connection keeps reseting.

Austin said...

Thanks, just worked for me :).
The ipodlinux.org website has been down for a couple of weeks so I'd been waiting, until I found this!

Anonymous said...

Try Http://cchskid.com.... It has the exect stuff ipod linux has been using.. Plus in one big easy installation!

Anonymous said...

I put in the configuration file that was suggested and it fixed it right up; however, when I try to boot into iPodlinux I get "file: (hd0, 1)/linux.bin" then under that "Err: open failed". Is there a way I can manully put this bin file onto the ipod, and if so where should I put it? Thanks in advance for any help!

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem:

"file: (hd0, 1)/linux.bin" then under that "Err: open failed"

Any ideas?

GioGioa said...

ipodlinux is really cool! i installed it on my 60gb ipod color! but i have to uninstall it momentarily...can anyone help me?

Rachel said...

It installed successfully but when I boot into ipodlinux as its loading it experiences an error and says that it "can not connect to MPD".. Also when I try to use certain things such as text imput demo and podwrite an error occurs mentioning that it can not connect to MPD.
Help would be appreciated..

Anonymous said...

alright, i am really not good at this......
when you say to add the loader.cfg, i go to media/ipod, right click, make a folder and name it that. then, inside that folder, i create more folders with the other names you put, yet i still only get the three options + /s are not allowed in file names. i know, i know, or rather, i don't, but what am i doing wrong/not doing?

Anonymous said...

This is a reply to those who got the "file: (hd0, 1)/linux.bin" then under that "Err: open failed" error.

Here's the fix: just copy the linux.bin file from your home folder to the ipod root folder and restart.