This post will show you how to install iPodLinux from Ubuntu; however, this post still applies to Windows. The reason I chose to show the installation from Linux is because it is a little more difficult to get the installer running then in Windows.

The iPodLinux Project is an open source project that has ported Linux to the iPod. iPodLinux allows you to install addons for more functionality, programs and games to your iPod. For example, you can install Wikipedia on your iPod. For a list of all the cool stuff you can install on your iPod, take a look at the module list and the application list.

iPodLinux works with most iPod models, however, you should check to make sure it is compatible with your model by clicking here. According to the iPodLinux website, iPodLinux currently does not work with the following iPod models: 2nd/3rd generation iPod nano, 6th generation iPod classic, all iPod shuffles and the iPod Touch.

iPodLinux provides an installer for installing from Windows or Linux. There is not an installer for Mac OS X; however, you can perform a manual installation if you are Mac OS X user. This post will cover how to install iPodLinux from Ubuntu; however, the installation from Windows is very similar. If you cannot get the installation to work using the installer, try the manual installation mentioned above.

WARNING- BACKUP YOUR DATA BEFORE CONTINUING!!!

You should back up all the files on your iPod (music, pictures, video, data, etc) before continuing. The installation should leave all of your data unharmed but you should still backup in case something were to go wrong. Keep in mind that it is physically impossible to permanently damage your iPod by installing iPodLinux.

Ok, onto the installation.

1.) According to the iPodLinux website, Debian/Ubuntu users need to install libpng3 and libssl0.9.8 libraries before trying to install iPodLinux. To install these libraries, simply type ‘sudo apt-get install libpng3 libssl0.9.8‘ into the terminal.

If you are a Windows user you do not need to do this, merely download the installer (zip archive) to your computer and skip to step 4.

2.) Next, download the iPodLinux installer 2 located under the download section on the Installer 2 page. Be sure to pick the appropriate installer for your computer (32bit or 64bit). Most users will probably need the x86 version.

3.) Once you download the installer, extract the zipped archive with your favorite archive manager. You can also use the following code (only for 32bit) which will extract the files and place an icon on the desktop. For the 64bit version see the iPodLinux website (Installer 2 page).

% gunzip /tmp/ipodlinux-installer-2.2l.run.gz
% chmod +x /tmp/ipodlinux-installer-2.2l.run
% /tmp/ipodlinux-installer-2.2l.run
% /opt/iPodLinux/installer     (or use the icon)

4.) Now you are ready to run the installer. You can do this by either clicking on the icon on your desktop (if you used the code above) or by using the terminal to navigate to the folder and running ‘./installer’ (if you used an archive manager to extract the files).

Windows users should run the file ‘installer’ after extracting the archive.

At this point you should see a screen similar to the following:

5.) I recommend reading the text on this screen as it could be helpful if something were to go wrong. But for those of you who don’t like to read (like myself) just click Next to get started.

You should now see a screen similar to the following. However, it should list the iPod information related to your model. As you can see, I am using a 4th generation black and white iPod.

6.) Because of a bug in the installer, you will have to come back to this step in a minute. But for now just click Next, you do NOT need to click the advanced check box.

There is a bug in the installer that makes it quit once you have backed up your iPod firmware (in this step). Therefore, once you backup the firmware you will have to run the installer again. So for now it doesn’t matter how you load Linux.

7.) However, if you want to be safe just click iPodLoader2. This will bring you to a boot menu when you turn on the iPod. You will then be able to choose whether to start the Apple OS or Linux. You can also choose to turn off the iPod or put it in Disk Mode.

8.) Check ‘Yes, I want to save a backup.’ and leave the directory as it is to save the backup in the iPodLinux folder. If you want you can change the directory and save the backup elsewhere.

The backup will begin and you should see a screen like the following. When the backup finishes, the installer will probably quit. Don’t worry; apparently this is normal. This is the bug I mentioned earlier.

9.) Once the installer quits, run it again and stop when you get to the page that identifies your iPod. This time you should check ‘Advanced partitioning and package selection.’ Click Next when ready to continue.

10.) After clicking Next you will be presented with the following screen. These default settings are fine so you can go ahead and click Next. However, if you are an advanced user (and who isn’t?) you can change these settings to fit your needs.

11.) You should have seen the following screen the first time you ran the installer (to backup the iPod’s firmware). This time uncheck ‘Yes, I want to save a backup’ since you already did this. This will keep the installer from quitting and allow you to finish installing Linux. Click Next when ready.

12.) You should now see a screen where you can select which modules to install. The following modules are required for Linux to run: base, kernel, ipodloader2, appearance, podzilla2. The top 4 are selected by default but podzilla2 is not. Without podzilla2 you will receive an error when trying to boot into Linux.

Under ‘Podzilla modules ‘is a list of modules you can install to your iPod. These include games, applications, and demos. Just scroll through the list and check the ones you find interesting. There is a little bit of everything here. Click Next to begin the installation.

The following screen will show the status of the installation. This should not take very long (less than a minute depending on how many modules you chose).

Once the installer is finished installing the modules you will be presented with the following screen. Again, I recommend reading this page but of course you don’t have to. Just click Finish to close the installer.

You have now successfully installed iPodLinux! ;-) Be sure to unmount your iPod (don’t just unplug it!). The iPod should restart on its own and when the boot loader appears, scroll down and select ‘iPod Linux’. After a few seconds podzilla should run allowing you to run the modules you just installed. The interface is similar to the default Apple firmware.

If you want to uninstall simply run the installer again. This time it should ask if you want to upgrade your iPodLinux, change the boot loader, or remove iPodLinux. Select uninstall iPodLinux and then select the backup you made earlier. This did not work when I tried it. This could be my iPod model or a problem with the installer.

The only way I could successfully remove iPodLinux was to restore my iPod using iTunes.

WARNING- Restoring your iPod will completely erase all data on the iPod.

I had trouble installing iPodLinux at first, mostly because I didn’t read the website. It took me a while to figure out there was a bug in the installer (if only I had read the section of the website entitled Important Notes).

So if you have some trouble with iPodLinux my suggestion to you is to spend some time on the iPodLinux website and even take a look at the forums. It can be hard to find what you are looking for on the website so if you are still having problems post in the comments and I will do my best to help you.

If you would like to see some of the cool stuff you can do with iPodLinux, check out the Screenshots. Some videos are listed at the bottom of the screenshots page.

If you have any more questions about the iPodLinux Project, be sure to check out their FAQ page. There is also some good guides for iPodLinux located in the Documentation page.

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