this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
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23
Ipod problems (lemmy.world)
submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
42 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Hey Linux community. I have an ipod and I'm trying to put music on it. Itunes simply will not run and it won't recognise stuff I put on it through files. Is there any thing I can try/use? Information: Linux type: Linux Mint Cinnamon Ipod type: 1.1.2 PC, Ipod Nano, 7th Gen

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Unfortunately Apple seems to be actively working to make sure that the only way an iPod can be loaded with music is by using iTunes which is only supported on Mac or Windows.

You have a few of options on how to move forward:

1: Make a Windows virtual machine, install iTunes onto it and pass the iPod though to the VM.

2: Install Rockbox (if able) onto the device to enable it to act as a USB mass storage device allowing drag n drop loading of music.

3: Sell the iPod and get one of the many different digital audio players available on the market as most are OS agnostic (they show up as a USB mass storage device) and most use MicroSD cards to store the music meaning you can move the card to a new player as you upgrade later (so you are not locked to one vendor).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Wanted to say that I've used Rockbox on an old ipod classic with much success. Would recommend. You can even install user created apple-ipod-like themes to get closer to the original look N feel

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Thanks for the the tjps but they all don't look likely they would run.

  1. VM hates me and refuses to run.
  2. Sadly not possible.
  3. I want to use an ipod.
[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Did you adjust the resources given to the VM?

I know with Oracle Virtualbox it defaults to like 1 processor core and 500mb of ram for a VM.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Never had an iPod, so I can't really help you, but have you tried the arch wiki? https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/IPod

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Thanks for your help. Sadly it doesn't help much for Linux Mint.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Other than the way you installed the packages there's nothing intrinsically arch on that wiki. I recommend you read the page and see if it helps before assuming it doesn't because you're using a different distro, arch wiki is great even if you don't use arch.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Hey mate, I did read through it and it was of no use to me. Thanks for your help.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Ah, sorry, your reply was 8 min after I sent the link which seemed awfully short to test the different approaches listed there, I assumed you hadn't read it and just discarded for being a different distro. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Man I love this place. So much less "Fuck you, ur dumb bc xyz" than reddit. Y'all are awesome.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

All good.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

What is the problem? I used rhythmbox for that ~15 years ago and it worked.

[–] muhyb 2 points 11 months ago

Rhythmbox or GTKpod don't work with iPod Nano 6 & 7.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Doesn't recognise my Ipod at all.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

https://www.wikihow.com/Manage-an-iPod-in-Linux

[–] muhyb 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I have Nano 7 as well and I tried many things over the years. However there isn't a good solution to this. I have a Windows 7 VM just for my iPod and installed an old iTunes just to put music on it. You can use Gnome Boxes for this job.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Thanks. Do you think you could help me with it?

[–] muhyb 4 points 11 months ago

Sure.

First, install Gnome Boxes. Then find a Windows 7 ISO, any will do.

Let me open my PC for the next steps.

[–] muhyb 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Once you installed it, start the VM and plug in your iPod. For VM to see it, on right top there is a ... menu, go preferences from there. Switch to Devices & Shares tab. It should see your iPod now, just enable it. Also set a shared directory from below so you can put your music files there before uploading them to your iPod. This is the iTunes version I use: https://www.filehorse.com/download-itunes-64/35820/

Before forget, use a 64-bit Windows.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Aight. 8 Minutes till done.

[–] muhyb 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

OK, ping me when you need.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Thanks :D. You are insanely helpful.

[–] muhyb 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

No problem! Just helping a fellow penguin. :)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This thread makes me so happy. Following along watching good people on the internet help each other solve problems with each other for no other reason than to be kind. Thanks for being a kind person.

[–] muhyb 2 points 11 months ago

Being happy for someone else is also kind, so likewise.

Also helping people who use FOSS has some weird pleasure. :)

[–] muhyb 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

How did it go? Hopefully successful?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sadly, not.

[–] muhyb 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Worry not. Which step did not go as expected?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Unable to connect to internet.

[–] muhyb 2 points 11 months ago

Can you check the device manager inside Windows for this:

Uninstall the "Red Hat VirtIO Ethernet Adapter" in the device manager, after that, simply search for new hardware devices.

[–] muhyb 1 points 11 months ago

Even if you cannot connect to internet (normally that shouldn't be a problem since VM use the internet through host machine), you can still download the said iTunes outside of the VM and install it via shared folder. In the end you don't need internet to put iPod some music.

[–] muhyb 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You can get yourself a Windows 7 ISO from here. https://massgrave.dev/windows_7_links.html

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Grabbed the first one I saw.

[–] muhyb 1 points 11 months ago

Don't grab the first one. :)

Pick one what language you need and also pick a 64-bit one.

[–] muhyb 1 points 11 months ago

OK I'm here.

Click on + to select the ISO from file. It will start the installation process. Install Windows 7 with its steps. 20 GB space and 4 GB RAM would suffice for virtual machine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Just curious why the ipod? Is it for retro chic? Are you trying to load songs you purchased or "backups"? I play my backups with vlc on my phone to save data.

Ipods have a proprietary handshake that must happen between the device and the computer trying to manage it. The open source community was able to reverse engineer it on the older models but not the later ones.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nostlagia. I also just wanna see it run again.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I totally get that! Everyone here is suggesting complicated virtualization options. Maybe they know something I don't. But if it were me, I'd try setting up plain old WINE and seeing if I can install an old version of iTunes from here:

http://www.oldversion.com/windows/itunes/

You could pick an xp era iTunes and set wine compatibility to xp, or 7 or whatever was contemporary for the ipod generation you have.

Unrelated: my phone insists on autocorrecting ipod to iPad. I feel old now.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Using a VM is being suggested as it is:

  • Relatively easy to set up.
  • Gives the user a full Windows OS which simplifies software installation.
  • Allows for snapshot backups to be taken of the install meaning if something breaks you just roll back to a previous snapshot.
  • The VM can have the internet disabled meaning no auto updates to the software or OS.
  • Easy to remove the VM and virtualization software at a later date if required.
  • The VM (or another) can be used to run other Windows only software.
[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I'm not dissing the VM approach. I'm just saying I'd try WINE first. I already have it i stalled for steam.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I use VLC to download music to my ifruit. It's access via a (browser) ip address and upload/download from there.

That's once you enable sharing in the VLC app on your iPod, iPad or iphone

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Think this model predates apps on the iPod.