How to get an ipod working without all the hassle

SO here's the deal - I got an ipod classic (silver 80GB) a few weeks ago, and its great but its hard to get working in linux right? It took me ages looking on ubuntu form and on wordpress to find out how to get it to work with amarok etc. But it works fine, up to a point.
Here is my 2 cents worth of how to get it working in a satisfactory fashion.

1. Install libgpod 0.6.0, and compile from source yourself using checkinstall
1.1. Go here: http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...ease_id=553119. Download this file: libgpod-0.6.0.tar.gz. Save it to your desktop, your home folder, wherever. I put it on my desktop.

Unzip it. I use console commands:

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cd Desktop/
tar -zxvf libgpod-0.6.0.tar.gz


cd libgpod-0.6.0

Don't change out of this directory 'till we're done.

Now you've decompressed the source code for libgpod. Before anything else, make sure you've got the required dependencies installed:

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sudo apt-get install build-essential libglib2.0-dev libgtk2.0-dev libsgutils1-dev checkinstall

now:

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sudo apt-get build-dep libgpod2

FYI: Build-dep installs all the required dependencies for a program, but not the program itself. This is perfect, 'cause we don't WANT the version of libgpod that's on apt right now. We want the one we're about to compile:

5. Compile it!

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./configure
make

6. Now we build a debian install:

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sudo checkinstall

You'll get a prompt that says: "should I create a default set of package docs?" Just press Enter to say YES. On the next screen, type whatever description you'd like. Maybe something like "Compiled libgpod-0.6.0". Press enter again. This is what will show up:

*****************************************
**** Debian package creation selected ***
*****************************************

This package will be built according to these values:

0 - Maintainer: [ you@yourcomputer ]
1 - Summary: [ Package created with checkinstall 1.6.1 ]
2 - Name: [ libgpod ]
3 - Version: [ 0.6.0 ]
4 - Release: [ 1 ]
5 - License: [ GPL ]
6 - Group: [ checkinstall ]
7 - Architecture: [ i386 ]
8 - Source location: [ libgpod-0.6.0 ]
9 - Alternate source location: [ ]
10 - Requires [ ]

Enter a number to change any of them or press ENTER to continue:

Type 2, press Enter. Enter libgpod2 at the prompt. It should now look like this: 2 - Name: [ libgpod2 ]

Press Enter to commit the changes. The package will get automatically installed.

Okay one last thing: we link the libraries:

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sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libgpod.so.3 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.2
sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libgpod.so.3 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.3


then all you have to do is run floola, which you can get at http://www.floola.com

and enter your ipod generation (classic for me) and the fire wire id which you can ifnd out by typing

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sudo lsusb -v | grep -i Serial

and its the 16 digit code that appears (there is a fair amount of data that comes up, not much but enough that might confuse, but its the 16 character one, no more, no less) and enter that in the box where prompted, and youre away!

I hope this helps some people, since I really could have done with something like this when I was starting out with my ipod+linux(-itunes)=hassle/adventure


follow your nose around the menus and it's all fairly self explanatory and it takes little to no effort to get running. A few minutes in the command line, a little time spent in XP (or none if your using your ipod straight out of the box) and youre done.


++++bear in mind that if you have used your ipod with something other than itunes for the setup then this wont work, but since most everyone I know has access to a windowsXP pc (you need it for itunes v7.5+) this asnt an issue++++

and much thanks to Ghostbea121 on the ubuntu forums whose instructions for getting gpod installed!

If anyone feels like stickying this post for general use then pleases do so, mods!

civint