Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Firstly apologizes if I've put this under the wrong category (Admin feel free to move it to the appropriate category if I have) I've got a black 160gb ipod classic (7th Generation) which I use on a daily basis for work, travel etc and I'm trying to sync it in gtkpod 2.1.5 which I downloaded in PPM to add and remove some albums to it (I normally use Mediamonkey on my Windows 10 partition) but I'm trying to go Windows free outside of work as I prefer Puppy

When I click on tools - Create Ipod's directories then select ipod mountpoint which is listed as Drive sde1

Then Ive gone through all the black listed classic 160GB options and each time I get the following error:

Error Initializing iPod: Couldn't find the iPod firewire ID

Anyone got any ideas where I can find the firewire ID Or what I might be doing wrong?

Many thanks

@Fat Tony :-

FireWire, huh? Hoo, boy.....you might have some serious issues with that.

"FireWire" is a now-defunct connection standard, based on the IEEE1394 "bus", and jointly-developed in the late 80s/early 90s by Apple, together with Sony & Panasonic. It was the fore-runner to the now ubiquitous USB standard. My old Compaq 'Presario' desktop rig used to have a FireWire port, thought I never ever found a use for it.....and that dated from 2005.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_1394

How are you connecting your iPod Classic? What cable are you using.....what connectors does it use? Are you on a laptop here, or a desktop? Reason I ask is that if it's a desktop, you do at least have the option of getting hold of a suitable adapter card that will work for what you want.

AFAIK, even if you manage to plug it into a USB port, that port has to be able to recognise the FireWire interface protocol, in order to be able to "talk" to the iPod. Otherwise, you're going to get exactly what's happening to you.

There IS one other possibility, unfortunately. Periodically, the Linux kernel maintainers "prune" the humungous number of drivers that are built-in to the kernel; it's entirely possible that FireWire support has by now been removed. AFAIK, the main bunch of folks who used to use it on a regular basis would have been those who did an awful lot of video-editing & multimedia work, 'cos that's it was originally developed for.

(Don't give up, though; somebody else might have some ideas on this one yet... I'm by no means the 'all-seeing', 'all-knowing' guru some seem to think I am! I've just been round the block several times, that's all there is to it... )

Mike.

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:38 am

FireWire, huh? Hoo, boy.....you might have some serious issues with that.

"FireWire" is a now-defunct connection standard, based on the IEEE1394 "bus", and jointly-developed in the late 80s/early 90s by Apple, together with Sony & Panasonic. It was the fore-runner to the now ubiquitous USB standard. My old Compaq 'Presario' desktop rig used to have a FireWire port, thought I never ever found a use for it.....and that dated from 2005.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_1394

Hoo Boy trust me to open up a can of worms Thanks for the useful and informative background into FireWire Mike

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:38 am

How are you connecting your iPod Classic? What cable are you using.....what connectors does it use? Are you on a laptop here, or a desktop? Reason I ask is that if it's a desktop, you do at least have the option of getting hold of a suitable adapter card that will work for what you want.

AFAIK, even if you manage to plug it into a USB port, that port has to be able to recognise the FireWire interface protocol, in order to be able to "talk" to the iPod. Otherwise, you're going to get exactly what's happening to you.

Unfortunately I'm using a HP Pavilion G6 laptop with the following specs:

HP Pavilon G6
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3632QM CPU
AMD Radeon HD 7600m Series
8GB DDR3 Ram (2x 4GB 1600MHz sticks)
Intel (R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205 Network Adapter
Kingston SKC600 256GB SSD (Windows 10 Pro & Programs)
Also I've swapped out the optical drive for a
2TB 2.5 inch Western Digital Blue WD20SPZX-22UA7T0 (Storage)
Running FossaPup64 9.5 as a fugal install with save on a 16GB SanDisk Cruzer Edge USB

I'm connecting the iPod Classic with the original ipod dock connector to usb cable that came with my iPod straight into my laptop (the cable looks something like this:)

Apart from the FireWire issues, it charges like it should via the usb port plugged in and I can access it on pMount and clicking through ROX Filer I can also acesss random parts of the iPod as well

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 12:38 am

There IS one other possibility, unfortunately. Periodically, the Linux kernel maintainers "prune" the humungous number of drivers that are built-in to the kernel; it's entirely possible that FireWire support has by now been removed. AFAIK, the main bunch of folks who used to use it on a regular basis would have been those who did an awful lot of video-editing & multimedia work, 'cos that's it was originally developed for.

(Don't give up, though; somebody else might have some ideas on this one yet... I'm by no means the 'all-seeing', 'all-knowing' guru some seem to think I am! I've just been round the block several times, that's all there is to it... )

So in theory I could I souce code and build an update to date kernel with FireWire support if I could find out what FireWire version I needed and relevant firmware, drivers etc? I know that Mediamonkey are going to port release version 5 to Linux at some point in the near future, another option would be going down the portable route with Wine but I feel I'm going to meet the same issue with syncing?

@Fat Tony :-

I'll be honest, Tony; I'm only assuming it's a hardware-support issue. Kernels are not my strong point, I'm afraid; I'm like most others on here.....as long as a kernel supports all my hardware and lets me do what I need, I tend to leave well alone!

You really need to have a word with our kernel experts; they know far more about this stuff than I do.....

Try posting here, maybe? Sorry I can't be more help, mate.

Mike.

No worries Mike mate you been more then helpful

I will ask the kernel experts if it's doable

I have been trying to get Gtkpod to work for some time now. I did once on a Bionic64 since then no go. I am trying it out in KLV-Airedale but I have yet to get to "see" any of the iPods. I have an older Nano with same connector and a 5th Gen Touch with the newer micro plug.

I'll look at closer soon because I would really find it convenient if I could load and unload music from a Puppy Linux or KLV to these iPods and manage them without resorting to iTunes for Windows.

Yeah its a right royal pain in the ass trying to find the needle in the haystack but hopefully we can get it working in Puppy Linux and never have resort to loading Windows again

This may help:
https://www.howtoforge.com/linux_gtkpod_ipod

Sure seems like a lot of steps to get it correctly done.

Thanks BigPup, will give it a go mate