Linux On iPod

[Top_Cat]

Well, as the resident Linux/UNIX nerd, I'd like to share a damn cool thing which is just proved so damn handy to me it's barely containable (shaddap, I know it's not a word).

The ability to install Linux on my iPod.

Now, lets get one thing straight; I love my iPod. I love having the ability to store my entire CD collection on a small device and listen to it whenever I like. But this has some really handy things and it's just good fun to install and run an alternative OS on something like the iPod (especially GNU Linux or UNIX!).

Check it out;

http://www.ipodlinux.org/Main_Page

Screenshots

http://www.ipodlinux.org/index.php/Screenshots

Now, as per usual in the nerd world, the oldest hardware is usually the most easily hackable so if you want to try this and have a 4G iPod or newer, be VERY aware that you could lose everything. So SAVE your MP3's!

So yeah, basically I can install and run Linux software on my Linux whih has proved a boon to my band; now we have 20Gb of space to record our jams, save as an MP3/OGG/WAV and burn straight to disk. And there's a bunch of other software which runs really well.

Not only does this show that with a little perseverence, you can make a device which seemingly has one use do what YOU want it to do but this shows the versatility of the Linux kernel; from this to a fully-blown, graphics-heavy OS (like the one I'm running, SUSE 9.2).

Anyway, just had to share. ENJOY!

Say hi to Tux!

[SJS]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Well, as the resident Linux/UNIX nerd, I'd like to share a damn cool thing which is just proved so damn handy to me it's barely containable (shaddap, I know it's not a word).

The ability to install Linux on my iPod.

Now, lets get one thing straight; I love my iPod. I love having the ability to store my entire CD collection on a small device and listen to it whenever I like. But this has some really handy things and it's just good fun to install and run an alternative OS on something like the iPod (especially GNU Linux or UNIX!).

Check it out;

http://www.ipodlinux.org/Main_Page

Screenshots

http://www.ipodlinux.org/index.php/Screenshots

Now, as per usual in the nerd world, the oldest hardware is usually the most easily hackable so if you want to try this and have a 4G iPod or newer, be VERY aware that you could lose everything. So SAVE your MP3's!

Hi Thanks for the update.

I love my ipod and am too worried about losing my music to take a risk like this. Tell me what else one can do with the ipod, other than what Apple proclaims without the risk of losing my music

Sorry I am not as much of a 'nerd' as you may expect so use a bit more 'layman' frielndly terminology

[cpr]

Without trying to sound like an a|*se (actually i dont need to try, its natural), but what is it with linux freaks having to try and put linux on anything remotely electrical? Honestly i'm waiting for teh day someones toaster gives them penguin shaped toast.....

Sorry, never really got why people rave some much about linux outside of IT circles......

[Top_Cat]

I love my ipod and am too worried about losing my music to take a risk like this. Tell me what else one can do with the ipod, other than what Apple proclaims without the risk of losing my music

Well it's basically just a computer in a smaller box so you could really do anything you can with a computer. You just need a small enough operating system (like this cut-down version of Linux) and you could conceivably have a server farm fitting into your suitcase. People use them as USB-like memory sticks (that's an official use in terms of what Apple endorses) or you could use mine like I do and record stuff on it. Think of what you do on your PC and you could probably, with the right OS, do the same on your iPod.

Without trying to sound like an a|*se (actually i dont need to try, its natural), but what is it with linux freaks having to try and put linux on anything remotely electrical? Honestly i'm waiting for teh day someones toaster gives them penguin shaped toast.....

Hey man I hear ya on that one. The only sound reason I've gotten from the real Linux freaks is 'because we can and it's fun'. Sorry guys but spending a night watching a 20Kb app compile on my iPod just ain't my idea of fun.

Although I like and use Linux, I only do so because I think it's good, not because I can toy with it, because it's free, etc. If it ever turns to crap, I'll use something else. This, apparently, means I don't qualify as a genuine Linux zealot.

I AM, however, a genuine Amiga zealot.

Sorry, never really got why people rave some much about linux outside of IT circles......

Have you ever used or have you used it much? If not, ask some questions and I'll do my best to answer them. I'll do my best to be accurate but I can tell you I'll be brutally fair. As I said, I don't use it for any other reason other than I think it's good but there's plenty of Linux apps/distributions which a rubbish. Plus I use FreeBSD, a UNIX-like variant, so I've not got entrenched loyalties to Linux by any stretch.

[cpr]

When i say 'outside of IT circles', i mean exactly that.... within the IT industry, or with people who use IT as part of their job, linux is popular for a very good reason. Its more stable, more customisable, easier to manage, cheeper.... the list goes on

Outside of fields like that though, you only really here about linux when some devout freak insists on putting its merits across over windows to your average joe..... and lets face it, 9/10 these people think bill gates is the anti christ, they totally ignore the fact that mr norm hasnt a clue about computers, and windows does what they need, ie runs spreadsheets and games..... Yet you here all these linux freaks going on, almost goading people for using windows... they really **** me off how they get so snooty about it. As a person with more than average IT knowledge (i was doing a computer science degree at uni originally, but i changed courses), yet someone who doesnt really use them beyond the norm, i see absolutely no advantage of linux over windows for the average user, and those people who hark on about it being the best thing since sliced bread are usually either sad muppets who think there great for knowing about linux or..... well thats usually it

That isnt by any means a dig at you, as you said in the first line.. ''I'd like to share a damn cool thing which is just proved so damn handy to me''... As you go onto say, you use your computer for stuff like recording etc, and as someone with a fair idea of computers, you've naturally foudn linux to your liking..... I know you were only sharing what you've found with fellow users, but meh, i've had a bad day, and ranting about my hatred of linux freaks was too easy.... no offence man

oh, and it was Red Hat we used at uni, could they try any harder to clone windows? Suppose thats where my nonchalonce for it comes from, the fact it (well red hat at least) is trying to copy what its attempting to denounce....

[Dasa]

This is very cool. I think I'm going to install Linux on my iPod now, although it probably won't be of any use to me.

[Top_Cat]

Outside of fields like that though, you only really here about linux when some devout freak insists on putting its merits across over windows to your average joe..... and lets face it, 9/10 these people think bill gates is the anti christ, they totally ignore the fact that mr norm hasnt a clue about computers, and windows does what they need, ie runs spreadsheets and games..... Yet you here all these linux freaks going on, almost goading people for using windows... they really **** me off how they get so snooty about it. As a person with more than average IT knowledge (i was doing a computer science degree at uni originally, but i changed courses), yet someone who doesnt really use them beyond the norm, i see absolutely no advantage of linux over windows for the average user, and those people who hark on about it being the best thing since sliced bread are usually either sad muppets who think there great for knowing about linux or..... well thats usually it

Well, that's actually pretty accurate. Certainly in an app for app match, Linux and Windows is no contest; Windows all the way for several reasons. For one, there's tons of non-alpha/beta software out there for Windows doing all sorts of things and for two, driver/vendor support for Linux is nowhere near as good as Windows but this is usually a contractual thing (Linux hackers have to reverse-engineer drivers, etc.). Open Office is a great open-source alternative and if you accept it's not quite the finished product, it's fantastic. But that's it; it's not finished. It 'does the job' but M$ Office is still the premier office app for a reason.

I, however, use Linux/UNIX because my computer runs stable (rarely crashes, although third-party apps crash out; they're still in developmet after all), I don't get virus's/trojans and yes, there's a certain amount of pride in 'beating' Bill Gates (plus it's free ). That said, the Linux version I use works as 'out of the box' as any OS I've ever used. I tried the hardcore nerd OS's like Gentoo, Slackware, LFS, etc. and whilst I found Slack the best, I just don't have time to compile everything from scratch or bugger around with CFLAGS to optimise my kernel so it boots up 0.0000000001% faster. Hence SUSE works for me.

That isnt by any means a dig at you, as you said in the first line.. ''I'd like to share a damn cool thing which is just proved so damn handy to me''... As you go onto say, you use your computer for stuff like recording etc, and as someone with a fair idea of computers, you've naturally foudn linux to your liking..... I know you were only sharing what you've found with fellow users, but meh, i've had a bad day, and ranting about my hatred of linux freaks was too easy.... no offence man

No worries, buddy.

And you're right; I'm giving this iPod Linux thing a go because it's very handy for me, not for the geek factor. Embedding Linux per se isn't a great achievement on something like the iPod, really. It's what I can now do with it that is very awesome.

oh, and it was Red Hat we used at uni, could they try any harder to clone windows? Suppose thats where my nonchalonce for it comes from, the fact it (well red hat at least) is trying to copy what its attempting to denounce....

That was partly the intention (to make the switch for Windows (l)users easier) but RH followed Windows in ways it shouldn't have; bloat, bad security, config files hacks to stich the OS together so it would 'just work'. I used RH up until about RH 8. RH 7.3 was the last decent one, really.

[Top_Cat]

Dasa: if you have a 4G iPod like mine, BE CAREFUL. It works but it's buggy and not officially supported yet. Just to be on the safe side, download the iPod firmware updater from Apple so that if you b0rk your iPod, you can get it running again.

[Macka]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Well, as the resident Linux/UNIX nerd...

Hey! Hold on there a second

But yeah, that's pretty neat. Isn't Linux, well, just the best thing since sliced bread? On a side note, I bought an external USB DVD writer yesterday. Drivers? Software? It's already included within the kernel and distribution. Wonderful. (Granted, I did already have a CD/DVD writing software installed, but it's impressive that I didn't have to install drivers nonetheless.)

[SJS]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Well it's basically just a computer in a smaller box so you could really do anything you can with a computer. You just need a small enough operating system (like this cut-down version of Linux) and you could conceivably have a server farm fitting into your suitcase. People use them as USB-like memory sticks (that's an official use in terms of what Apple endorses) or you could use mine like I do and record stuff on it. Think of what you do on your PC and you could probably, with the right OS, do the same on your iPod.

.

So suggest an OS I could use without the risks you mentioned with linux

[Dasa]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Dasa: if you have a 4G iPod like mine, BE CAREFUL. It works but it's buggy and not officially supported yet. Just to be on the safe side, download the iPod firmware updater from Apple so that if you b0rk your iPod, you can get it running again.

I installed Linux on my iPod. No problems for me as I have a 3G iPod. Not that much I can do with it though - just installed it for the novelty value mainly. The extra games are cool though.

[David]

This all reminds me of my housemate showing me his DS with Linux on it.

Couldn't actually do anything with it so the whole affair was rather pointless.

[Top_Cat]

Hey! Hold on there a second

I see your 'joined in Jul 2004' and raise with 'joined in Feb 2002' and that I'm a mod so I've been the resident Linux nerd for longer so roody doody doo to you too, poo poo.

But yeah, that's pretty neat. Isn't Linux, well, just the best thing since sliced bread? On a side note, I bought an external USB DVD writer yesterday. Drivers? Software? It's already included within the kernel and distribution. Wonderful. (Granted, I did already have a CD/DVD writing software installed, but it's impressive that I didn't have to install drivers nonetheless.)

It always makes me smile when that happens but hacking the kernel and config files to get one working which DOESN'T ain't much fun. My DVD-writer wasn't supported initially............. Mind you, that was with Slackware 9 which you have to do everything yourself anyway. I was running out of time most day to muck around with tarballs so now I'm in RPM heaven with SUSE 9.2.

Unrelated but I remember a little while back, a right-wing American think-tank wrote an article sugesting Linux stole IP from Minix. I thought it was hilarious that the creator of Minix came out and said, "There's no way Linus could have stolen IP from Minix. I've checked the code and if he had, he would have made a better OS! Like mine is!". Classic.

So suggest an OS I could use without the risks you mentioned with linux

On the iPod? As far as I'm aware the Apple firmware and Linux are it.

By the way, just in case we're getting mixed up, the problems I mentioned are NOT universal to all Linux's. Far from it.

I installed Linux on my iPod. No problems for me as I have a 3G iPod. Not that much I can do with it though - just installed it for the novelty value mainly. The extra games are cool though.

Oh yeah, it's not what it CAN do but eventually what it will be able to do which is great.

[Linda]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

I see your 'joined in Jul 2004' and raise with 'joined in Feb 2002' and that I'm a mod so I've been the resident Linux nerd for longer so roody doody doo to you too, poo poo.

All it takes is a tekky gadget for a perfectly normal guy to go goo-goo.

[Jono]

*head blows up*

But the penguin is cool Always been a fan of it.