# IPodLinux
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/IPodLinux
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/IPodLinux.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPodLinux
> Source revision: 1341093465
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|Linux distribution}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2014}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = iPodLinux
| logo = 120px
| screenshot = Ipodlinux-mandelpod.jpg
| caption = ''MandelPod'', a [Mandelbrot set](/source/Mandelbrot_set) running in iPodLinux
| programmed_in = [C](/source/C_(programming_language)), [assembly language](/source/assembly_language)
| license = [GNU GPLv2](/source/GNU_General_Public_License)+
| website = {{URL|http://www.ipodlinux.org/}}
| family = [Linux](/source/Linux) ([Unix-like](/source/Unix-like))
| latest_release_version = 2.3 (x86)
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2007|01|07}}
| kernel_type = [Monolithic](/source/Monolithic_kernel) (modified [μClinux](/source/%CE%BCClinux))
| userland = [uClibc](/source/uClibc), [BusyBox](/source/BusyBox)
| supported_platforms = see Compatibility
|date=July 2014}}
'''iPodLinux''' is a [μClinux](/source/%CE%BCClinux)-based [Linux distribution](/source/Linux_distribution) designed specifically to run on [Apple Inc.](/source/Apple_Inc.)'s [iPod](/source/iPod). When the iPodLinux [kernel](/source/Linux_kernel) is [booted](/source/Booting) it takes the place of Apple's iPod operating system and automatically loads Podzilla, an alternative [GUI](/source/Graphical_user_interface) and launcher for a number of additional included [programs](/source/computer_program) such as a [video player](/source/video_player_(software)), an [image viewer](/source/image_viewer), a [command line shell](/source/command_line_interface), [game](/source/video_game)s, [emulator](/source/emulator)s for [video game console](/source/video_game_console)s, [programming](/source/computer_programming) demos, and other experimental or occasionally unfinished [software](/source/computer_software).
The project has been inactive since 2009, but its website is still online. Further development of [free](/source/Free_software) and [open source](/source/Open-source_software) software for iPods have continued with the [Rockbox Project](/source/rockbox), zeroslackr, and freemyipod, which have largely supplanted iPodLinux. Some third party installers are still available.[{{Cite web|url=http://aqua-gero.com/miche/|title=IPodLinux Installers}}]
== Basic structure ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2017}}
iPodLinux in essence consists of a Linux kernel built from μClinux sources using the [uClibc](/source/uClibc) [C standard library](/source/C_standard_library) with [driver](/source/device_driver) [code](/source/Source_code) for iPod components (or [reverse engineered](/source/reverse_engineered) drivers where available). It includes [userland](/source/Userland_(computing)) programs from μClinux and/or [BusyBox](/source/BusyBox), a [UNIX](/source/UNIX)-style [file system](/source/file_system) (which can be created within [HFS+](/source/HFS_Plus) formatted iPods, or an [ext2](/source/ext2) partition on [FAT32](/source/File_Allocation_Table) formatted iPod), and the Podzilla GUI (and its modules). Apple's [proprietary](/source/Proprietary_software) iPod OS in contrast uses an invisible [boot loader](/source/Booting) and is based on an [ARM processor](/source/ARM_architecture) kernel originally written by [Pixo](/source/Pixo), and the iPod [Miller Columns](/source/Miller_Columns) browser program, a [GUI](/source/Graphical_user_interface) written by Apple and Pixo using the Pixo [application framework](/source/application_framework), and other [firmware](/source/firmware) and component drivers written from manufacturer's reference code to support the standard behavior Apple wanted the iPod to have.
== Features ==
{{One source section|date=September 2017}}
thumb|An iPod booting iPodLinux
Besides the [kernel](/source/Linux_kernel), iPodLinux features as a primary component podzilla and podzilla2, applications which provide:
* An iPod-like [user interface](/source/user_interface)
* Video playback with sound
* Support for [AAC](/source/Advanced_Audio_Coding), [MP3](/source/MP3) and basic [OGG](/source/Ogg) playback (4G & 5G [Music Player Daemon](/source/Music_Player_Daemon) malfunctions, but can be fixed).
* Many games, including TuxChess, Bluecube ([Tetris](/source/Tetris) clone), Chopper, [StepMania](/source/StepMania) (a [Dance Dance Revolution](/source/Dance_Dance_Revolution) clone) and more.[{{cite web
|url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/wiki/Special:Module
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140619214601/http://ipodlinux.wiki/wiki/Special:Module
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=June 19, 2014
|title=iPodLinux: Module List
|access-date=July 23, 2007
}}]
* Recording through [audio jack](/source/TRS_connector) at much higher quality than Apple's firmware
* Ability to play the games ''[Doom](/source/Doom_(series))'' and ''[Doom II](/source/Doom_II%3A_Hell_on_Earth)'' (and presumably any Doom Total Conversion; [Chex Quest](/source/Chex_Quest) for instance)
* [Color scheme](/source/Color_scheme) support
* Ability to run many [emulator](/source/emulator)s, such as iBoy ([Nintendo](/source/Nintendo) [Game Boy](/source/Game_Boy) Emulator), iNES ([Nintendo Entertainment System](/source/Nintendo_Entertainment_System) Emulator), iDarcNES (port of the multiple system emulator DarcNES), iMAME (port of [Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator](/source/MAME)), and iGPSP ([Game Boy Advance](/source/Game_Boy_Advance) emulator).
== History ==
The [bootloader](/source/bootloader) for the 4th generation iPod was extracted by Nils Schneider, a German [computer science](/source/computer_science) student. Previous software methods to extract the necessary bootloader no longer worked. Bernard Leach had previously discovered how to operate the piezo buzzer inside the iPod. Schneider was able to use his program with some modifications to make a series of clicks for each byte of the new iPod's bootloader. The extraction process took 22 hours to complete and required Schneider to construct a soundproof box to prevent outside interference with the process.[{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Will |date=March 1, 2005 |title=iPod 'squeaks' betray software secrets |website=New Scientist |publisher=Reed Business Information Ltd. |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085 |archive-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810083116/http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7085 }}]
=== Server transition ===
On June 11, 2008, the organization's website was suspended and replaced with a redirect to a blank page.[{{cite web |title=suspended.page |url=http://cpanel2.sys-techs.net/suspended.page/ |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |website=cpanel2.sys-techs.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610065741/http://cpanel2.sys-techs.net/suspended.page/ }}] The server had its services restored incrementally.[{{cite web|url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/irc/reader.php?date=2008-09-28 |title=IRC Reader 2008-09-28 |website=iPodLinux.wiki |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082915/http://ipodlinux.wiki/irc/reader.php?date=2008-09-28 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 }}] On October 1, 2008, the ''iPodLinux.org'' DNS address was updated and the server was online again by October 5, 2008. On June 22, 2009, the server was pulled offline again. The server was back online again on September 8. In September 2010 the server went offline again and has not got online again yet. Alexander Papst, one of the developers, has posted a [mirror](/source/mirror_website) of the site at ''ipodlinux.wiki''.[{{cite web |title=iPodLinux |website=ipodlinux.wiki |url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/ |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085608/http://ipodlinux.wiki/ }}] In 2015, the site was offline. However, in 2019, it has gone online, with embedded text advertisements.[{{cite web |title=iPod Linux - Linux for your iPod |url=http://www.ipodlinux.org/ |website=www.ipodlinux.org |access-date=5 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905190158/http://www.ipodlinux.org/ |archive-date=5 September 2022}}]
== Compatibility ==
According to the iPodLinux wiki, "developers have succeeded in getting [the following features] to work- it does not imply that the feature is ready for widespread use."[{{cite web |url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Project_Status&oldid=22760 |title=iPodLinux: Project Status |date=November 14, 2008 |access-date=December 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140619214541/http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Project_Status&oldid=22760 |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}]
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+ iPodLinux compatibility chart[Date that the iPod was originally released, not the date it was supported by iPodLinux.]
! class="unsortable" | [LCD](/source/Liquid_crystal_display)
! class="unsortable" | [Input](/source/Input%2Foutput)
! class="unsortable" | [Serial](/source/Serial_communication)[Serial is required for the remote to work.]
! class="unsortable" | [Hard drive](/source/Hard_disk_drive)
! class="unsortable" | [Piezo](/source/Loudspeakers)
! class="unsortable" | [Audio](/source/audio_file_format) playback
! class="unsortable" | [Audio recording](/source/Sound_recording_and_reproduction)
! class="unsortable" | [FireWire](/source/IEEE_1394_interface)
! class="unsortable" | [USB](/source/Universal_Serial_Bus)
! class="unsortable" | Power management
! class="unsortable" | Video out
|-
! [1G](/source/iPod_classic)
| {{dts|2001-10}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{n/a}} || {{yes}} || {{n/a}} || {{no}} || {{n/a}}
|-
! [2G](/source/iPod_classic)
| {{dts|2002-07}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{n/a}} || {{yes}} || {{n/a}} || {{no}} || {{n/a}}
|-
! [3G](/source/iPod_classic)
| {{dts|2003-04}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{partial}}[Neither [USB](/source/Universal_Serial_Bus) nor [FireWire](/source/IEEE_1394_interface) communication drivers exist yet for these models. Instead when a USB device is plugged in, the iPod prompts the user to restart the iPod into disk mode.]|| {{partial}}[A basic battery meter and deep sleep functions are available.]|| {{n/a}}
|-
! [4G](/source/iPod_classic)
| {{dts|2004-07}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{no}} || {{yes}} || {{partial}}[Currently podzilla accesses the piezo directly- there is no kernel driver.]|| {{yes}} || {{partial}}[Only recording via microphone works on these models, no line in.]|| {{partial}}[Will probably not be supported. iPhone and iPod Touch (OS X) homebrew software is already available.]
| {{dts|2007-09}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}}
|-
! [Mini 1G](/source/iPod_mini)
| {{dts|2004-01}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} || {{no}} || {{yes}} || {{partial}}[{{cite web |url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Manual_Installation&oldid=19063 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140619214544/http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Manual_Installation&oldid=19063 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |title=iPodLinux: Manual Installation |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 24, 2007 }}] The iPodLinux project does not plan support for the [iPod shuffle](/source/iPod_shuffle) due to the lack of a [GCC](/source/GNU_Compiler_Collection) compiler for the shuffle's DSP57000 core, as well as the fact that the iPod shuffle lacks a screen.[{{cite web |url=http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Generations&oldid=23045#iPod_Shuffle |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140619214545/http://ipodlinux.wiki/w/index.php?title=Generations&oldid=23045%23iPod_Shuffle |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |title=iPodLinux: Generations |date=March 21, 2009 |access-date=March 21, 2009 }}] While later generations work fine for many uses of iPodLinux, not all features work; these later generations will not be officially supported by the project until most or all features from the earlier iPods work on them. Installers are in the process of being made. As of now, there is Installer 2.3 for [Microsoft Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows) or [Linux](/source/Linux) which can install on any generation [iPod](/source/iPod) (except for the iPod shuffle and [iPod nano](/source/iPod_nano) 2nd generation). As of April, 2008, iPodLinux does not work on the new iPod firmware included with the second and third generation iPod nano or the 6th generation iPod Classic, and installer 2 cannot be used to install iPodLinux on 5.5th generation iPod. In addition to that, the much spoken about audio recording feature currently does not work on the latest ipodlinux/zeroslackr builds. In ipodlinux, an under development message is given under recording, while in zeroslackr, recording is not displayed at all.
Arguably one of the project's more notable accomplishments is its [video player](/source/video_player_(software)), released months before rumors about Apple's Video iPod began to spread. This video player only plays uncompressed [AVI](/source/Audio_Video_Interleave) files, which are basically just a series of [bitmap](/source/bitmap) formatted frames with an audio overlay that commonly loses sync with the video output. A new compression technique called ''MoviePod'', released in 2006, enables people to put more video content on their iPod. This function continues to be developed and is a useful function for users of older iPod (especially nano users that, with the help of iPodLinux, can get an extremely small [media center](/source/Home_theater_PC) that can be held in the palm of the hand).[{{cite web |url=http://ipodlinux.org/w/index.php?title=Mv_player&oldid=14006 |title=iPodLinux: Mv player |date=September 25, 2006 |access-date=September 30, 2006 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}]
podzilla 2, the second generation of podzilla, and commonly known as pz2, has superseded the original version of podzilla. It included several new features, most notably modularity; users can install new applications without recompiling all of podzilla. This version is the only working set of Podzilla official that will run on 5.5G iPods.
== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [Linux on Apple devices](/source/Linux_on_Apple_devices)
* [Rockbox](/source/Rockbox)
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090318135550/http://www.ipodlinux.org/ IPodLinux Project home page]
* [ Project home page] ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085608/http://ipodlinux.wiki/ |date=August 19, 2014 |title=mirror }})
* {{sourceforge|ipodlinux}}
* [https://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/index.shtml Old project home page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530022549/https://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/index.shtml |date=May 30, 2025 }}
{{Mobile operating systems}}
{{Apple Inc.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ipodlinux}}
Category:Custom firmware
Category:Embedded Linux distributions
Category:Free media players
Category:Free software primarily written in assembly language
Category:Free software programmed in C
Category:Free software projects
Category:IPod software
Category:Linux distributions
Category:Platform-specific Linux distributions
[de:IPod#iPod Linux](/source/de%3AIPod)
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [IPodLinux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPodLinux) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPodLinux?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.