Ipod Video

Hardware

• From the serial number I can see this is a iPod Video 30G of the initial fifth generation (not 5.5g)

Tools

• gnupod-tools - command-line tools for the iPod family of portable music players
• gtkpod - manage songs and playlists on an Apple iPod
• tripod - iPod photo uploader
• python-gpod - a library to read and write songs and artwork to an iPod
• python-ipod - ipod library
• ipod - tool for retrieving informations from iPods
• banshee - Audio Management and Playback application
• banshee-daap - Audio Management and Playback application (DAAP sharing plugin)

First time

scsi 3:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Apple    iPod             1.62 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
SCSI device sdb: 58605120 512-byte hdwr sectors (30006 MB)
sdb: Write Protect is off
sdb: Mode Sense: 68 00 00 08
sdb: assuming drive cache: write through
 sdb: [mac] sdb1 sdb2 sdb3
sd 3:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdb
sd 3:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0

# file -s /dev/sdb1
/dev/sdb1: Apple Partition data (block size: 0): 
           first type: Apple_MDFW, 
           name: firmware, 
           number of blocks: 131072, 
           second type: Apple_HFS, 
           name: disk, 
           number of blocks: 58473976,
# file -s /dev/sdb2
/dev/sdb2: data
# file -s /dev/sdb3
/dev/sdb3: Macintosh HFS Extended version 4 data last mounted by: '10.0', 
           created: Thu May 24 11:40:21 2007, 
           last modified: Fri May 25 10:54:01 2007, 
           last checked: Thu May 24 20:40:21 2007, 
           block size: 4096, 
           number of blocks: 7309247, 
           free blocks: 7302027

Trying ipodpatcher:

$ ./ipodpatcher -l
ipodpatcher v1.0 with v1.1 bootloaders - (C) Dave Chapman 2006-2007
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. 

[INFO] Scanning disk devices...
[INFO] Ipod found - Video (aka 5th Generation) ("macpod") - /dev/sdb
[INFO] Reading partition table from /dev/sdb
[INFO] Sector size is 512 bytes
[INFO] Part    Start Sector    End Sector   Size (MB)   Type
[INFO]    0              63        131134        64.0   Empty (0x00)
[INFO]    1          131136      58605111     28551.7   HFS/HFS+ (0xffffffff)
[INFO] Ipod model: Video (aka 5th Generation) ("macpod")
[INFO] ************************************************************************
[INFO] *** WARNING FOR ROCKBOX USERS
[INFO] *** You must convert this ipod to FAT32 format (aka a "winpod")
[INFO] *** if you want to run Rockbox.  Rockbox WILL NOT work on this ipod.
[INFO] *** See http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/IpodConversionToFAT32
[INFO] ************************************************************************

Listing firmware partition contents: 

Image 1:
    Main firmware - 7500800 bytes
Image 2:
    RSRC - 5242880 bytes
Image 3:
    AUPD - 1074176 bytes
Image 4:
    HIBE - 33556480 bytes

Macpod to winpod

My ipod was formatted for Mac so I had to install iTunes on a Windows machine, I skip nasty details, the only Windows I have is at the office, the enterprise proxy blocking apple store website, having to go through a VPN thanks to openvpn, etc)
Just start iTunes, plug the iPod and the soft proposes to "restore" it.
now I get:

scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Apple    iPod             1.62 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
SCSI device sdb: 58605120 512-byte hdwr sectors (30006 MB)
sdb: Write Protect is off
sdb: Mode Sense: 68 00 00 08
sdb: assuming drive cache: write through
 sdb: sdb1 sdb2
sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdb
sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0

# file -s /dev/sdb1
/dev/sdb1: data
# file -s /dev/sdb2
/dev/sdb2: x86 boot sector, 
           code offset 0x3c, 
           OEM-ID "*UOKJIHC", 
           sectors/cluster 8, 
           Media descriptor 0xf8, 
           heads 255, 
           hidden sectors 160650, 
           sectors 58444470 (volumes > 32 MB) , 
           FAT (32 bit), 
           sectors/FAT 57019, 
           serial number 0x38786c67, 
           label: "IPOD       "

$ ./ipodpatcher -l
ipodpatcher v1.0 with v1.1 bootloaders - (C) Dave Chapman 2006-2007
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. 

[INFO] Scanning disk devices...
[INFO] Ipod found - Video (aka 5th Generation) ("winpod") - /dev/sdb
[INFO] Reading partition table from /dev/sdb
[INFO] Sector size is 512 bytes
[INFO] Part    Start Sector    End Sector   Size (MB)   Type
[INFO]    0              63        160649        78.4   Empty (0x00)
[INFO]    1          160650      58605119     28537.3   W95 FAT32 (0x0b)
[INFO] Ipod model: Video (aka 5th Generation) ("winpod")

Listing firmware partition contents: 

Image 1:
    Main firmware - 7500800 bytes
Image 2:
    RSRC - 5242880 bytes
Image 3:
    AUPD - 1074176 bytes

echo -e "p\nq"|fdisk /dev/sdb
 
The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 3648.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): 
Disk /dev/sdb: 30.0 GB, 30005821440 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3648 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes 

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1          10       80293+   0  Empty
/dev/sdb2              11        3648    29222235    b  W95 FAT32

# ipod --list
Path Info
  Device Path:      /dev/sdb2
  Mount Point:      /mnt/ipod
  Control Path:     /mnt/ipod/iPod_Control/
  HAL ID:           /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/volume_uuid_4695_EE40
Device Info
  Model Number:     A146
  Device Model:     Video (Black)
  iPod Generation:  Fifth (5)
  Adv. Capacity:    30 GB
  Is New:           NO
  Writable:         YES
  Serial Number:    4J6041ZYTXK
  Firmware Version: (null)
  Manufacturer ID:  4J
  Production Year:  2006
  Production Week:  04
  Production Index: 1
Volume Info
  Volume Size:      28525271040
  Volume Used:      164747264
  Available         28360523776
  UUID:             4695-EE40
  Label             
User-Provided Info
  Device Name:      Doegox
  User Name:        PhilippeTeuwen
  Host Name:        -
Supported Artwork Formats
  Cover:            200x200
  Cover:            100x100
  Photo:            50x41
  Photo:            320x240
  Photo:            130x88
  Photo:            640x480

Tests

• I repartitioned the iPod as explained here
  but the svn server seemed to be down so I could not try further.
• I installed rockbox by following these instructions
  • To start the Apple firmware, maintain the hold switch during reboot
• I added the FrostBox theme from rockbox-themes
• I added the tango iconset from rockbox iconsets

Tips

• Disconnect (from http://home.c-otto.de/ipod/) :
  With Linux you normally get the "Don't disconnect" message whenever you insert the cable/dock. With the "eject" tool (for ejecting CD drives) you can disconnect the ipod from your computer but still have the power connection to recharge the batteries.
• Reset (from http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/five_rs/)
  1. Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
  2. Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 10 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
• Disk Mode
  First apply reset as above then when the Apple logo is shown, hold select+play buttons several seconds.
  To exit disk mode it seems you've to reset again.
• Backup macpod

dd if=/dev/sdb of=mbr-video30gb-mac.bin bs=512 count=1
dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=part1-firmware.bin
dd if=/dev/sdb2 of=part2.bin

• Backup winpod

dd if=/dev/sdb of=mbr-video30gb-win.bin bs=512 count=1
dd if=/dev/sdb1 of=part1.bin