gtkpod 2.0.2 April 2015

[tempestuous]

I don't know the full history of your gtkpod installations. You first posted in this thread back in August 2014, when my gtkpod package was 2 versions earlier.
I'm guessing you now have the latest version installed, but didn't reconfigure.

In general, gtkpod interacts with your i-device's database, and there's a necessary setup step which establishes this relationship. See the 3rd post in this thread. You will need to run this command -

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ipod-read-sysinfo-extended <USB bus number> <device number> <mountpoint>

[sindi]

1st gen iPod nano 1GB, given to use and probably initialized on a Mac. I can modprobe hfs and hfsplus, and mount -t hfsplus /dev/sdb3.

I have not disabled journaling since I do not have a Mac.

Can I instead re-initialize (format and set up file system?) in XP to FAT32? This should wipe out the existing music.
The older iTunes are only 20MB instead of 130MB.

instructions worked until:

ipod-read-sysinfo-extended /dev/sdb3 /mnt/sdb3

returns error message
Couldn't write SysInfoExtended to /mnt/sdb3

Probably because I cannot write to journaled file system on sdb3.

Apple offers to replace all 1GB 1st gen ipods (some of which had bad batteries) with 6th gen, which seem more difficult to use with gtkpod but offer
probably 8GB instead of 1GB storage. Hopefully unused and with new battery. I note that 1st gen's sell on ebay for slightly more than 6th gen's.
Any opinions on these two models?

[tempestuous]

I have not disabled journaling since I do not have a Mac.

In theory, then, you cannot successfully write files to your Nano ...
however in practice, as forum member taca0 reports, during the mount process you can forcibly enable write capability, with this command -

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mount /dev/sdb3 -t hfsplus -o force,rw /mnt/sdb3

Can I instead re-initialize (format and set up file system?) in XP to FAT32?

Yes, this would be a better option in my opinion. Though I may not have explained it properly, you can only fully achieve this process while running iTunes. ie. you can't use the standard "format" option under Windows.

[sindi]

Thanks for the info but I cannot yet even play music with gtkpod. I
will find instructions online. I can play files with deadbeef (default
Tahr music player) or mplayer. I installed gstreamer after gtkpod and
tried to enable the media player (it was already checked off), then
uninstalled and reinstalled gtkpod so it would find gstreamer. I have
never used an iPod or iTunes - nothing is intuitive so I made lots of
wrong guesses. /dev/sdb3 is presumably the mount point and I chose the
iPod model and clicked OK and nothing seems to happen.

The iPod also plays music to headphones when not mounted to sdb3.
The switch on top (power?) does nothing.
The touchpad (center) often does not respond. I should trade but want
to get the 1st gen working before tackling 6th gen and new problems.

I hope iTunes (20MB version) works with MicroXP (free) to reformat with.

[tempestuous]

/dev/sdb3 is presumably the mount point

No. /dev/sdb3 is the device name, but you must choose the corresponding directory location ie. /mnt/sdb3
... then again, it might be /mnt/sdb1
once you plug in the Nano, an icon (or several icons) will appear on the desktop. These will tell you which mountpoint is correct.

I suggest you get your Nano reformatted under iTunes/Windows before proceeding.

[sindi]

/dev/sdb3 is presumably the mount point.

"No. /dev/sdb3 is the device name, but you must choose the corresponding directory location ie. /mnt/sdb3
... then again, it might be /mnt/sdb"

I chose /mnt/sdb3 and the 1GB black 1st gen nano as the device.

once you plug in the Nano, an icon (or several icons) will appear on the desktop. These will tell you which mountpoint is correct.

No icons appeared. I could mount -t hfsplus /dev/sdb3 /mnt/sdb3 and play the files with non-gtkpod-related music players. gtkpod at one point found the first of three directories and I could see the .m4a file names, greyed out. (I forget what I was doing at the time).

"I suggest you get your Nano reformatted under iTunes/Windows before proceeding"

I spent a few hours installing iTunes 6.0.5 (35MB, postdates the 1st gen nano) to an XP computer which complained about a newer library despite multiple uninstalls. I finally manually deleted the contents of an itunes directory in My Documents/My Music and it now loads without complaint.
(I had uninstalled some newer version when I got the computer but uninstall does not appear to delete that library despite rebooting).

But when I plug in the iPod:

'An iPod has been detected but the iPod software is not installed'. And says to install files from my CD (which I never had) or the latest (130MB) iTunes from 2015 (should not be needed for a 2005 device). So what version iTunes do I need for this Sept 2005 (or possibly as late as Sept 2006) 1st Gen 1GB nano? It qualifies for a recall of Sept-Dec 2005 models (which may overheat).

It came from a rummage sale and may have some problem (one of the 30 connectors went bad though it still charges, plays, and acts as a USB storage device, but does not cooperate with gtkpod). I jwanted to practice using it before tackling the more difficult 6th gen replacement.
I appreciate all the help.

[sindi]

Version 7 from two years later than the 1st Gen ipod detected the ipod, did not complain about lacking ipod software, but said it is Mac formatted and I need to Restore.

'The ipod update server could not be contacted' (twice).

Same problem if I try to sign in with my (newly created) Apple ID to the Apple Store, which someone else reported co-occurred with the update problem. Their solution was to uninstall iTunes 10 and delete the library file and install 9. Do I really need Version 9 to contact their update server? y

I will try plugging the thing into an OS 10.4 Mac laptop just to see if it actually communicates with any OS. And try a friend's iPod with gtkpod.[/code]

[sindi]

I could play music with a white Mac laptop upgraded to OS 10.4.11, iTunes 9.2.1, Quicktime 7.5.5. It could not access the itunes store or a radio station. It offered to 'sync' by replacing music on the iPod with what it found on the laptop.
It was about 160MB download.
I tried a few other ways to make Restore work in XP with iTunes 7 and may try 9.
On a Mac, restore appears to work by writing to the iPod an image file that you download. Can I download one some place for FAT32 and write it with dd?
The recall program now replaced 1st with 7th gen - 16GB, video player, FM radio. I may give up and trade and hope it comes without a file system so I can initialize to FAT32 (without contact the update server).
No ipod icon appears in Tahr or Precise, but I think BEFORE installing gtkpod I briefly had sdb1 sdb2 and sdb3 on the desktop and could mount sdb3.
Is it worth installing Slacko 5.7 to try gtkpod in?

[sindi]

Boot Precise 5.7.1 after installing gstreamer, gtkpod and the Precise libs.
Plug in iPod 1st gen black 1GB ("Do not disconnect").
modprobe hfs
modprobe hfsplus
mount /dev/sdb3 -t hfsplus -o force,rw /mnt/sdb3
(no icons appear for sdb1 2 or 3)
ipod-read-sysinfo-extended /dev/sdb3 /mnt/sdb3

The following appears in the terminal (manually retyped)

(gtkpod 15939): CRITICAL ** (repeated before the following four lines)

......IA__gtk_entry_set_text: assertion `text !=NULL' failed
.... repository_ipod_init: assertion `gtk_combo-box_get_active_iter' (cb, &iter) failed
.... on_export_tracks_to_file_system: assertion `tracks' failed
......gq_load_ipod: assertion `'itbd_->usertype &GP_ITBD_TYPE_IPOD' failed

Does this mean gtkpod is not working with my ipod? Or my laptop (P III) with lovely screen and keyboard)?

If so, I can't lose much by trading for a 7th generation one. They include an adapter to a new model charger.

Is it worth installing Slacko 5.7? The links to the earlier files for Lupu and Wary (which I usually use on this laptop) appear to be broken (or at least do not work with lynx browser). I have already installed many 100 MB of linux, Windows and Mac operating systems and files today. It would be much easier to just use an old smartphone (I have several Palm, Blackberry and Android models) to play music to the iPod speakers but we are stubborn.

[sindi]

I shrank Windows 7 and used the Windows method to dual boot a 2008 ASUS laptop with grub4dos, Tahr 6,0.2 and Slacko 5.7
I installed gstreamer and gtkpod and modprobed and mounted as above.
I get the same error messages as before from gtkpod, and also comlains from gst-plugin-scanner about failure to load plugins lib libgstcdio.so and libgstneonhttpsrc.so and libgsta52dec.so

Had to enlarge save file and reboot after it ran out of space then remove gtkpod from the list of installed packages before it would actually fully install in Slacko 5.7.
Mounted it and no icons appear.
Same error message when I start gtkpod, also "Import Repositroy Error" Extended info will not be used" (in Slacko). I presume I did something wrong. ???
BUT, this time the program found 'Alison Berger's iPod' and lists various files.
I will try in Slacko on my 1GHz laptop.
Did you actually install and test the program in Precise and Tahr?

It actually plays a file! Without me trying to initialize it.
It also identifies the mountpoint and model without my input. OK still does not work.
Still no icons.

The terminal shows lots more CRITICAL errors for line 503 after I played one file and was unable to play any others.

My partner has an OS 10.5 Mac laptop to use if Slacko and gtkpod won't work with the 7th generation iPod.

[tempestuous]

Don't get a Nano 7gen !
It won't work with gtkpod !!

I only learned this in the last week, after buying a second hand Nano 7gen, myself.
Since then I have been searching the web looking for answers, and it appears that the underlying library, libgpod, stopped development after September 2013.
In the next week or so I will post details about how this affects model compatibility.

The highest Nano model which works with gtkpod is 6gen, as confirmed by forum member taca0.

[tempestuous]

Regarding how to reset the Nano 1gen - I was completely wrong about doing it from iTunes ... I should have Googled the solution (or the person who needed this should have Googled it).
Anyway, the correct process is described here -
http://ipod.about.com/od/RestartingiPod ... -Model.htm
and here -
http://www.wikihow.com/Reset-an-iPod-Nano

You will see that it involves a sequence of button presses.
No connection to computer is involved ... however, once the device is reset its contents and configuration are erased, so THEN you will need to connect to iTunes to initialise it.

[sindi]

gtkpod is not usable with my 1st generation ipod except briefly in Slacko.
After I played a file it would not play others until I exited and reloaded it.
I still get lots of error messages even on our newest laptop (2008).

Did it work for you with Precise or Tahr?

The touchpad (center area) on the 1st gen rarely works.

It does work with OS 10.4.11.
Is the 'reset' you describe the same as a 'restore' (reformat and repartition)? for XP?

The 7th gen would require a newer Mac (OS 10.5, iTunes 10) but with luck might let me initialize with FAT32 and use with MicroXP.

I need to bring the boxed iPod to a FedEx pickup location.

[tempestuous]

Did it work for you with Precise or Tahr?

With the additional gtkpod-Precise-libs.pet installed, I can confirm that gtkpod launches without error under Puppy Precise 5.7.1 and Tahrpup 6.0.1. The media player function works fine, while accessing music files on my local hard drive. I have no experience with connecting an iPod to gtkpod in this environment since, as I mentioned, I acquired my first iPod device only recently (Nano 7gen).

Is the 'reset' you describe the same as a 'restore' (reformat and repartition)? for XP?

Roughly speaking, yes. But more accurately, it's a total erase-and-restore of the factory operating system. Since you have the "luxury" of not caring about preserving the Nano's existing contents, this is the ideal procedure for you - get the device back to factory state.

The 7th gen would require a newer Mac (OS 10.5, iTunes 10) but with luck might let me initialize with FAT32 and use with MicroXP.

Not sure what you mean here. If you aim to use an iPod with gtkpod, then the Nano 7gen is a complete no-go.
If you're contemplating connecting your iPod (regardless of model) to a Mac computer, this is a bad idea - the Nano will be initialised with the HFS+ filesystem instead of FAT32, and it then makes compatibility between your iPod and gtkpod just that much more difficult.

[sindi]

gtkpod launches for me but does not work with the ipod 1st gen in Precise or Tahr.
Or work very well in Slacko (plays one song then needs to be reloaded to play another
from the iPod). With gstreamer installed, it did play music from the hard drive.

I will it try with the neighbor kid's iPod classic.

I was unable to do a 'restore' with XP - cannot contact the update server (or apple store).
With Mac OS 10.4.11 I was unable to contact apple store with iTunes 9.2.1 (so I did not
even try to do a restore) but the iPod worked. So I think the problem lies with gtkpod
not the iPod.

The iPod 1st gen is not usable with gtkpod, or XP (because I cannot change to FAT32).
I did not figure out how to add music with the OS 10.4.11 Mac and iTunes 9.2.1.

It also has a worn out center area (touchpad) which rarely responds, so I boxed it up
and will take it to FedEx (they don't want you leaving it in a FedEx box). Their
shipping box came with foam padding and special tape. I wonder why they do not simply
replace the battery and return it.

I am hoping the 7th gen replacement will come unformatted and work with XP on my
dual-boot laptop (MicroXP and linuxes). It requires iTunes 10 or later (which
in turn requires OS 10.5 or later which would slow our G4 Mac to a crawl).
I don't need another FM radio or pedometer. Maybe they will send a 6th gen.

[sindi]

The neighbor's ipod touch is not recognized by gtkpod. He will borrow his father's Classic to try eventually.
Apple emailed me that the replacement ipod 'MODEL NANO' will be here in about two business days.
Has anyone reading this actually used an ipod with gtkpod?

[tempestuous]

Has anyone reading this actually used an ipod with gtkpod?

Forum member taca0 has the Nano 6gen working with gtkpod, as he wrote earlier in this thread -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 923#809923
Other forum members have reported success with other models of iPod in my earlier gtkpod releases in 2009 and 2011.

The neighbor's ipod touch is not recognized by gtkpod.

The Touch requires special pre-configuration steps with gtkpod, in the same manner that iPhones and iPads need to be pre-configured.
See the 4th post in this thread, titled "INSTRUCTIONS for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch."
See also the 5th post, titled "Special requirements for recent iPhone, iPad, Touch, and Nano models."

No one has actually told me of success with the Nano 1gen, but from all of the feedback I've received about other models I'm 99% confident the Nano 1gen will work fine with gtkpod. Why? It's an older model with no special communication methods required, and no hash code verification issues. This, of course, assumes several conditions: the device is not faulty, and is initialised under a proper installation of Windows, using a proper installation of iTunes. Those conditions don't seem to be met in sindi's case.

I would be happy to test the Nano 1gen, myself, but I see these models are ridiculously expensive on the second hand market. If anyone wants to send me one for testing, I will be happy to do so, then return it.

[Packetteer]

HI tempestuous
Thank You Thank You Thank You,
Thanks to your pets and perfectly wonderful instructions I now have one
less reason to start up Windows.
I can now manage my First gen Ipod Touch thanks to your hard work.

Ipod touch first generation version 3.1.3 an oldie but a goodie.

Best Regards
John

[tempestuous]

I only recently became aware that gtkpod's device compatibility is limited by the underlying libgpod library, which unfortunately stalled development in 2011.
So gtkpod device support goes up to:

- iPhone4 (but not 4S)
- iPod Touch 4th gen
- iPad 1st gen (both WiFi and 3G models)
- Nano 6th gen

- iPod Classic / Mini / Shuffle should be supported across their entire range of releases.

I have just updated this information in the first post.

[mike001]

Hope its alright to resurrect old threads like this. I found my old first gen ipod and it still works, it has version 1.1.5 (4B1) on it and it still works but only with older versions of itunes. (thanks Apple)
I was hoping to get it running in precise puppy using gtkpod, I got gtkpod downloaded and running but when it comes to the ipod I've had some trouble.
following directions in this thread I got it mounted but when I run [ipod-read-sysinfo-extended YOUR_UUID /mnt/ipod] it tells me ipod-read-sysinfo-extended is a command not found.
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
Im running Precise puppy 5.7.1 live on usb.