Thanks for the help - we're getting somewhere.
Here's the complete fdi file I used:
[root@flyjack 95userpolicy]# more /usr/share/hal/fdi/95userpolicy/ipod.fdi
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <!-- -*- SGML -*- -->
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
<device>
<match key="block.is_volume" bool="true">
<match key="volume.fsusage" string="filesystem">
<match key="@block.storage_device:storage.vendor" string="Apple">
<match key="@block.storage_device:storage.model" string="iPod">
<merge key="volume.policy.mount_option.check=r" type="bool">true</merge>
</match>
</match>
</match>
</match>
</device>
</deviceinfo>
and this seems to work insofar as the line in fstab now has the check=r option I wanted:
[root@flyjack 95userpolicy]# tail -1 /etc/fstab
/dev/sda2 /media/ELIOT_IPOD vfat pamconsole,exec,noauto,check=r,iocharset=utf8,managed 0 0
but somehow gnupod is still complaining the drive is mounted case senstive:
[eliot@flyjack ~]$ gnupod_check.pl
gnupod_check.pl Version 0.98 (C) Adrian Ulrich
warning: /media/ELIOT_IPOD seems to be mounted *CASE SENSITIVE*
Mounting VFAT/HFS+ like this is a VERY BAD(tm) idea,
strange things may happen... GNUpod may not work correctly!
Please mount the Filesystem CASE *IN*SENSITIVE
(use 'mount ... -o check=r' for VFAT)
[Ignore this message if /media/ELIOT_IPOD isn't a
VFAT or HFS+ Filesystem

]
Pass 1: Checking Files in the GNUtunesDB.xml...
Pass 2: Checking Files on the iPod...
..finished
Total Playtime : 34 h
Space used : 2.52 GB
iPod files : 437
GNUpod files : 437
-> Everything is fine
