iPod anyone?

Forum: USB booting
Topic: iPod anyone?
started by: Xen0n

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 11 2005,20:02

Hello,
Im pretty new to DSL... I've put it on my thumb drive and I love it! But I've got an idea...

1. Partition an iPod and put Damn Small Linux on one of the partitions.

2. Install DSL on a partition on an iPod and boot from it...

I am pretty sure partitioning of iPods is possible, but do you think it'd be possible to install or boot from an iPod into DSL? If possible, the iPod would truely become an all in one device.
You'd be able to use it to boot into DSL, watch an mpeg thats on your iPod, browse the internet on almost any computer because you'd be able to have every single network card driver available... Be able to save your settings, and go on your way.

Possible?

Posted by goldenratiophi on Jan. 11 2005,20:39

Interesting proposition...

You'll have to figure out what the drive name is (eg sda) and how to make the BIOS boot from it (or else you'll need a boot floppy), but it just might work. DSL can access all your partitions, so you would be able to access everything else on your iPod. The only problem might be the actual music you put on. You'll have to figure out a way to make iTunes 'see' which partition has your music.
Of course, an iPod has a large hard drive, so you could put on a Live Linux distro much bigger than DSL...

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 11 2005,21:36

I am going to make a ghost image of my iPod... Then try to partiton it.

Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Jan. 11 2005,22:22

It should work fine. It has a regular hitachi hdd inside, with a bootsector and everything.

Not sure how Apple does there players, but some brands have a special bootloader there too.

You might want to back up the MBR before you start.

Also, we have both the gnu-pod and gtk-pod apps in the repository, for you enjoyment.

My iRiver doesn't need a special ap.

and it plays videos, and cost $80 less...

-J.P.

Posted by Caspar_s on Jan. 11 2005,22:34

I would go have a look here < http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/index.shtml >
for more info - although they are actually running linux on the ipod, not just having a bootable version for when you connect to a computer.

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 12 2005,01:24

Yes, I have read into that. But, it only works for First through Third generation iPods... I have a Forth generation.

I just made a ghost image of my iPod... And I am going to try to partition it now.

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 12 2005,03:31

Well, I read up more about partitoning the iPod... And I have decided... Screw that.

Oh well... Possible to make it so that the firmware/built in OS in the iPod doesn't see the boot files?

Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Jan. 12 2005,04:23

Well, you can make a poorman's on it.

Just unpack the ISO to the drive's root dir, and use the boot floppy and "dsl fromhd=/dev/sda1" if I remember correctly.

-J.P.

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 12 2005,14:48

Well, after some research, I have discovered that it is ok to put stuff in the apples root directory. So Im just going to make a boot floppy.
Thanks everyone!

Posted by Mechcozmo on Jan. 15 2005,02:23

If you totally screw your iPod up, just download the iPod updater from Apple's website and run it. It will reset it to like-new conditions.

There is no reason why you cannot partition an iPod. I don't know if you can still use it to play music, but I'd bet if it was a FAT32 partition for the first partition, the iPod would be fine using that for music, etc, and the second partition (also FAT32) can be used for DSL.

Try it and let us know.

Posted by Xen0n on Jan. 15 2005,18:41

Quote (Mechcozmo @ Jan. 14 2005,21:23)

Actually... If your screw up the firmware and it can't go into diskmode, you screwed... Unless you force it into diskmode. Even if you do use the iPod updater, I don't think it'd do anything to a partition, considering the iPod updater probly won't be able to recognize it.

Posted by Mechcozmo on Jan. 19 2005,00:43

Quote (Xen0n @ Jan. 15 2005,13:41)

Even if you b0rk the firmware, it is still a FireWire hard disk.

I once pulled the plug out on my iPod. (1G 5GB) The firmware was corrupted, all right. But when I reconnected it to my Mac, it showed up in Disk Utility as a 5GB Hard Drive. Running the iPod Firmware Updater scanned the buses and found the hard drive. Apparently there is some unique identifier on the iPods. Anywhoo, it correctly updated the Firmware and it took just a few more seconds to retransfer the music back to it.

Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Jan. 19 2005,02:48

This works in Sindows as well.

My friend thinks he owes me for "fixing" his 'pod.

I told him that I don't tkae credit cards. He laughed. -_-

-J.P.

Posted by Mechcozmo on Jan. 19 2005,04:43

Quote (SaidinUnleashed @ Jan. 18 2005,21:48)

This works in Sindows as well.

My friend thinks he owes me for "fixing" his 'pod.

I told him that I don't tkae credit cards. He laughed. -_-

-J.P.

Sindows.... ah. Yes. The "W"-word.

I take cash, and debit cards.