[lug] using ipod touch or iphone with linux

[Nate Duehr]

On May 29, 2009, at 3:26 PM, Michael Hirsch wrote:

> My daughter is starting to lust for an iPod Touch, and she has the Bat
> Mitzvah money to make her dream come true, but I'm hesitant partly
> because I don't have a Mac or Windows machine to talk with it.  Does
> anyone on the list have experience with Linux and iPod Touch (or
> iPhone)?
>
> I do know that I'll have to jailbreak the iPod, and I can probably use
> my work laptop or a friend's mac for that, but after that, how well
> does it work with Linux?  Specifically:
> 1. I believe that amarok should work with the iPod pretty well for
> uploading songs.  right?

No idea on this one.  Haven't tried, as mentioned in previous posts.   
I use iTunes to manage my two devices...

> 2. How does she install apps without itunes?

There are alternative App Stores for jailbroken phones, I assume there  
are for the Touch also, but I'd investigate.

The bigger problem might be if she wants to download and use the SAME  
applications as her friends.  There are likely to be applications that  
are only available through iTMS, which would tie her to a Windows or  
Mac machine running iTunes.  (Or perhaps a virtualized Windows machine  
on a Linux box, if the USB stuff is supported.)

> 3. Is she going to have to re-joilbreak the iPod every time new
> firmware is released?

You're now a test pilot, as my flight instructor would say about  
flying aircraft outside of their manufacturers published  
specifications... you might survive, you might not, and there's  
certainly legal implications.  :-)

Those folks that I know who've jailbroken phones have to spend a non- 
trivial amount of time watching online information/lists to see when  
it's "safe" to upgrade, and there's new "jailbreak" software for new  
OS versions.  WIth iPhone OS 3.0 coming "very soon now", likely at  
Apple's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), the next few weeks are  
sure to be "entertaining" in the iPhone/iTouch world.

--
Nate Duehr
nate at natetech.com