iPod in linux question

Quads · 10-05-2008, 06:20 PM

I have never used an iPod under any OS before, but I got a good deal on one and decided to pick it up. So when I use gtkpod it pulls everything up and lets me move around and listen to tracks, but I have no idea how to get it to delete tracks. For some reason it will never update the iPod. The error it gives is that it is a read only file system. So what gives?

BallsOfSteel · 10-05-2008, 07:10 PM

Try running gtkpod as sudo or root? You shouldn't have to, but you might.

Quads · 10-05-2008, 10:32 PM

I tried...running it as root I can't get the iPod to show up

Quads · 10-09-2008, 12:31 PM

Just in case anyone ever has this issue, I ended up figuring it out. The iPod I have is a Macintosh version, which is to say that all iPods are the same but some are formatted HFS+ for use on the Mac. The file system on the iPod can be journalized as an option which is set through the iTunes software. If the journaling is turned on, Linux can read from the disk, but of course not write to it. The only way to solve this problem is to find a Mac and use iTunes to change the setting, or nuke the iPod and find a Windows or Mac machine to use iTunes to restore it to factory settings. Can't do it on Linux because you need iTunes and of course there is no Linux version.

dasy2k1 · 10-09-2008, 08:23 PM

you could always install hfsplusutils which should let you write to hsf+ filesystems

johnson_steve · 10-09-2008, 08:34 PM

hfsplusutils is horibly outdated. the linux kernel can read and write hfs+ without those utilities just turn the journaling off like he said.

Quads · 10-09-2008, 09:40 PM

I don't know anything about Macs, but can't they read and write in NTFS or FAT32 or whatever a Windows iPod is formatted to? You would think when they are such a small percentage of the market they would work with the competition. For example, if a Mac owner wanted to load some media at a friend's house the odds are that the friend would have a windows pc. So you would think that OSX would support Windows file systems in order to facilitate that. My solution to the problem is to go this weekend to somewhere with a Windows machine and nuke the thing and have iTunes build it as whatever file system they use on a Windows iPod.

johnson_steve · 10-09-2008, 09:52 PM

You have to understand the iPod is a major driving force of the sale of apple computers. when it first came out it didn't even support windows at all just mac. afaik a mac with iTunes can use a windows formatted (fat32) iPod just not the other way around. Linux can use both types of iPod.