ipodlinux - warranty issue?

[sunilkolluru]

hi,

ipodlinux(http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/linux_on_ipod/Linux_on_ipod_review.html) can be installed and still get a dual boot option.

I am new to ipod and have a brand new ipod photo. but i have been a mac person from the past 2 years. I love trying new stuff on my ibook and imacs.

ipodlinux sounds interesting to me as it also allows me to record sounds using the ipod.(i record face2face conversations with my friend who helps me to learn j2ee and websphere) I listen to these conversations later for my reference.

My question is...will i lose the warranty on my ipod if i install this ipodlinux? afterall i am not meddling with the mac OS content on the ipod. right?


thanks,
Sunil

[CAlvarez]

US law says that a manufacturer can't use mods to void a warranty unless it can prove that the mods caused the damage. This is part of the Magnusson-Moss warranty act.

[sunilkolluru]

Hi Carlos,

Thanks for the reply.
So it sounds like there IS a good possibility that I can revert to the original ipod settings if I use ipodlinux?

or else it means that I am NOT damaging Apple firmware.



Thanks in advance
Sunil

[CAlvarez]

I have no idea if you can revert.

If what you do is the direct cause of a failure, you're screwed. IE, the firmware install fails and turns your iPod into a brick. That's your fault. If the HD has a failure, it doesn't matter that you put in alternate software. The manufacturer has to prove it was your fault.

[nkuvu]

I have installed iPodLinux on my 3rd gen iPod. I didn't like it, so reverted back to the normal iPod embedded OS. Of course I don't know how easy it is for later generations of iPods (I'd be happy to test if someone wants to submit funding for my research) but with the 3rd gen it was pretty simple.

Of course you'll want to read all the documentation and warnings before proceeding.

[funkycfunkydo]

I haven't checked the iPod linux site in a while but i remember it definatly not being ready for the photo and still having major bugs for 4th gen. I would make sure if you do decide to get it that it wont freeze the hell out of the pod

[Caius]

I have a 2G mini iPod (the ones that don't run linux unless you can be bothered to read lots and lots of stuff to do it!) and I followed some instructions to do it then realised that it didn't work and that my mini was just stuck without a proper firmware on it, (I botched it basically.)

After going "ARGG!" and pulling my hair out, I read around a bit more and found this hint (http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050309134113686&query=ipod+partition). In the comments someone says:

dd is your friend =)
In this case, with the iPod plugged in, you could execute the mount command in Terminal to see which device the iPod was mounted on. Then do a (WARNING, this will wipe your iPod COMPLETELY!)

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/rdiskX

where /dev/rdiskX is the device you identified the iPod as being mounted on previously, to write zeroes to the iPod's disk. Let this run for just a couple of seconds. This blows away the partition map and any of the small partitions at the start of the disk, returning it to a clean, totally unformatted state.

I ran this overnight on my mini and then reflashed it and it worked fine.

To be honest this isn't the first time I've killed the mini and used that hint, its now worked twice to rescue it. The first time I had a copy of Tiger Server Installer disk (legal before you ask) on there, and I botched (well a kernal panic botched) my erasing of it to restore the firmware onto it.

So that really does work!!

[sunilkolluru]

http://www.club60.dk/exdev/?p=20

This blog has all that one needs to install linux on ipod photo.

I have 'msdos' format on my ipod(thats wht it say on "$disktool -l" command). May be its FAT32.

I have reformat it to hfs in order to do this.

I was wondering if anyone succeeded using this procedure...


Regards,
Sunil