Why isn't it just possible to use ipod as external harddrive?

[skeetone]

I know about the linux-on-ipod project....that's to get linux running on the Ipod...but is it possible maybe to format the ipod and then install linux on it as an external linux harddrive with which I can just startup my computer???

I was just wondering about it and if it can be used like that...then I'll do it...even though I can't listen to mp3's anymore or use the controls or anything...but then I also want to be sure I can turn it back to the normal ipod....

anybody knows if this is all possible, and if not. I'm very curious why it won't work....so plz inform me =)

And does anybody know why that linux-on-ipod project isn't going much further lately?

grtz,
SkEE-ToNE.

[chabig]

If you format your ipod, it will ikely never play music again. Essentially, it will be ruined as an iPod and will only function as an expensive external hard drive.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60957

It would be a lot smarter to buy an external hard drive for what you want to try.

Chris

[skeetone]

hmz..too bad. =)

Tnx for the fast reply.


Guess I'll just have to wait for further development of linux-on-ipod and see where that'll take us.

Later! =)

[tlarkin]

Why can you not format the HD in the ipod? I would assume that its OS, and Interface are all on a ROM chip, and the HD just acts as storage? is the firmware and the rom for the ipod on the HD part? I can't remember a company doing that since back in the day when compaq would put the system's bios on the HD, so if you wipe the HD, no bios. Thats ghetto.

[AKcrab]

Quote: Originally posted by tlarkin Why can you not format the HD in the ipod?

The knowledge base article linked above seems to be a bit misleading.

Quote: iPod only works (as music player) when its hard disk is formatted using the Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) or MS-DOS format (for the appropriate platform). Do not reformat the disk using Mac OS Standard (HFS) or UNIX File System (UFS) formats.

So it looks like you can format/partition all you want if you use HFS+?

[tlarkin]

Yeah I would have to agree with AKcrab on this. I don't see why you could not format the ipod in HFS+ or FAT32 (msdos) and it would still work. The ipod itself is a HD. I am pretty sure all the firmware, os, etc is on a rom chip which would not be affected if you were to format the HD part of the ipod.

[yellow]

Quote: Do not format iPod to erase songs or playlists Important: Do not use a disk utility program, such as Disk Utility or Drive Setup, to erase iPod. Erasing the contents of iPod in this way can disable its music playing capabilities and you may have to perform an update or a restore to get iPod to work again. For information on updating or restoring iPod, see technical document 60944: "iPod: How to Update" or technical document 60983: "iPod: How to Restore."

That would lead me to believe that formatting it will naturally ruin what you've got, but the iPod as a music playing entity is recoverable, so it's not a complete loss. As theorized by AKCrab & Tlarkin.
To use YDL on a vloume it has to be partitioned right? The boot partition is HFS+ and then the running partition is ext3 or something? Or does YDL do this on the fly? I'm a bit hazy on the whole YDL thing. But I don't know how an iPod would behave (musically) if you reformatted and tried to partition it (assuming a partition was needed).

Soooooo.. why not just buy an external HD and put Linux on that? It's certainly cheaper than an iPod.