Rockbox Technical Forums

Installation / Removal => Manual Installation => Apple - Installation/Removal => Topic started by: james2014 on June 13, 2014, 03:13:54 PM

Title: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: james2014 on June 13, 2014, 03:13:54 PM
Apple Ipod Nano 3r Gen. 4 GB

I got it in disk mode ,files loaded onto ipod.

When opening program, entering device info, then "Install"  it gives the message

"Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod "

Tried manual install and it does not recognize there being a device


Pretty frustrated. .please help
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: saratoga on June 15, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
There is no port of Rockbox to your device, hence the installers won't know what to do with your device ;)
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: [Saint] on June 15, 2014, 09:52:54 PM
Out of curiosity, what gave you the idea that this would work, or that your device was supported?

When you say:

I got it in disk mode ,files loaded onto ipod.

Which files are you talking about, exactly?

Anything you downloaded from us should be named in a way that is intended to make it clear that the binary is for a specific device. For instance:

rockbox-ipod3g.zip - iPod 3G
rockbox-ipodnano1g.zip - iPod Nano 1G
rockbox-ipodnano2g.zip - iPod Nano 2G
rockbox-ipodvideo.zip - iPod Video 5/5.5G
etc.

The download page for release builds even has thumbnail images to aid in device identification.

They are not interchangeable. If they were, we wouldn't offer multiple, device specific, binaries.

If we somehow gave you the impression that whatever you did was intended to work, please, make us aware of it so that we may attempt to remedy it if seen fit to do so. We try to make the list of supported devices accessible and prominent, if there is some way we could make it more clear to you or others, please help us achieve this.


[Saint]
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: james2014 on June 23, 2014, 07:02:11 PM
There is a manual for the IPOD 3rd Gen. I assumed that 3rd Gen included 3rd Gen Nano.  If my model is not supported why not post a link to unsupported models on the manual page or a homepage link for unsupported models? Yes I understand that you post multiple device specific binaries although how is a person to know whether or not they are interchangeable when most made in china garbage is generic and interchangeable especially when its the same year of release and similar in model, looks and functionality?   Your link should say...before you download our software and waste a bunch of your time , click on this link for unsupported models....

The only thing I downloaded from you was the main Rockbox program and the manual installer both files are on the ipod so i could try the manual install on the ipod- no dice. 

I now see the dev builds for the Ipod 3rd Gen. I will assume this is not intended for my Nano and will have to reinstall Apple software.

I tried your manual installation and no dice.

The following site talks about partitions...maybe its something I need to do to get your software working or have you even looked into the actual problem here?  Quite the learning curve here!
http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/12187
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: saratoga on June 23, 2014, 07:22:04 PM
There is a manual for the IPOD 3rd Gen. I assumed that 3rd Gen included 3rd Gen Nano.

(http://www.rockbox.org/playerpics/ipod3g-small.png)

Note the black and white screen on the manual download.  Does that look like the player you own?  IF it does, you don't have a Nano, and it will work.  If it does not, its not going to work.

  If my model is not supported why not post a link to unsupported models on the manual page or a homepage link for unsupported models?

There are infinitely many devices that are not supported.  Rather than list everything that is not supported, we provide a list of things that are supported.  This is obviously a much better idea.  If you're not going to read a list of 20 supported things, you're certainly not going to read through a list of thousands of unsupported things. 

Yes I understand that you post multiple device specific binaries although how is a person to know whether or not they are interchangeable when most made in china garbage is generic and interchangeable especially when its the same year of release and similar in model, looks and functionality?

The firmware of MP3 players is virtually never interchangeable between different devices.

The following site talks about partitions...maybe its something I need to do to get your software working or have you even looked into the actual problem here? 

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IpodNano3GPort
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/NewPort

An enormous amount of work has gone into reverse engineering the iPods over the years. 
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: [Saint] on June 23, 2014, 10:02:52 PM
The key word in your last response was "assumed".

I'm having an incredibly difficult time taking this seriously.

It is OK to make mistakes. We all make mistakes.

It is not OK, however, to blame others for the mistakes you have made, especially when it is abundantly clear that the others in question have gone to exhaustive lengths to attempt to ensure that this doesn't happen.

We go out of our way to provide documentation for the supported targets, I can think of very few FOSS projects that provide such extensive documentation and support.

Maintaining a list of unsupported devices wouldn't do anyone any good at all, and compiling such a list would be a truly massive, and completely pointless, undertaking.

The suggestion that we should maintain such a list is, quite frankly, ridiculous, and I suspect that deep down you are aware of this. It would serve no purpose at all.

It is much, much, much simpler, and infinitely more practical, to maintain a list of supported targets. Which we do.

What I find the most confusing, is that even after being told repeatedly that it is not the case, your last post certainly seems to imply that you believe it is possible to install Rockbox on this device.

Just so we're absolutely crystal clear on the topic, you can not install Rockbox on this device.

As an aside, it is also incredibly unlikely that a port for this device will materialize in the near, or even not so near, future. Generally speaking, Rockbox developers work on what they want to work on, when they want to work on it, because they want to work on it, and because it will benefit them directly.

I am not aware of a single active developer that even owns this device (in terms of sales and popularity, this device was a massive failure), and even if a developer did own the hardware, no one actually knows for sure whether or not we have a workable exploit.

Basically, the best person for the job is you.

You have the hardware.
You want Rockbox to run on it.

These two criteria are the basis for every currently supported Rockbox port. At some point, someone wanted Rockbox on a target that did not support it, and they made it happen. No one was born with the knowledge required to achieve such an undertaking, it was learned, often as required, and you are able to do so as well.


[Saint]
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: james2014 on June 24, 2014, 07:54:42 PM
Thanks for posting the following link however the info may not be that helpful as freemyipod cannot be loaded on the Nano 3 either:

http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/IpodNano3GPort

"This device is similar (internally at least) to the Nano 2G. It also a shares a lot in common with Ipod Classic."

Author:
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/RobertMenes

http://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/Status


This seems to be a common problem/error even with other models. Is there not someone here with some technical knowledge to comment on these forums? Let's get this Robert Menes involved here
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: saratoga on June 24, 2014, 08:09:31 PM
Thanks for posting the following link however the info may not be that helpful as freemyipod cannot be loaded on the Nano 3 either:

Thats a summary of what has been done on the Nano 3G.  If it doesn't help you, I guess you're out of luck. 
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: [Saint] on June 24, 2014, 10:45:10 PM
Perhaps I'll be a little bit more blunt,

I at least hinted at this in my last post, but it seems I should been a bit more direct.

"No active developer that I am aware of owns this device, or has ever demonstrated, in any way shape or form, a want or willingness to port Rockbox to the Nano 3G".

I hope that is slightly more clear.

On the other end of the scale, even if  a competent developer did pick up the project *right now*, and was able to re-use massive chunks of code from pre-existing device ports verbatim, it could still potentially take hundreds of man hours to get to a state that was ready for public consumption.

The real issue though is not the length of time it would take to get the port finished one it was started, it is the fact that there is no one willing or able to start it.

Developers have full time jobs, and/or education, and/or families that take up the majority of their time.

If you did not, I think perhaps you should read the New Ports (http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/NewPort) wiki page in order to get a clearer understanding of the massive amount of work you want done for your (relatively obscure) device, and hopefully understand why I said that if you want this done in any reasonable time frame that you are the perfect candidate to do so.


[Saint]
Title: Re: Nano 3rd Gen- Error reading partition table-possibly not an ipod
Post by: james2014 on June 26, 2014, 12:38:23 AM
FOUND A SOLUTION  ;D   

JUST HAD TO DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM MEDIAMONKEY - ADIOS TO ITUNES!!

WORKS GREAT ON THE NANO 3G!!!

NO NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, JUST NEEDED A DIFFERENT TIRE