Loading Rockbox on a used 30GB Video - Need iTunes for initial load?

[ImagoX]

  Hi all...

  Well, I've been delaying this day for a long while, but I can no longer fight it - my beloved iRiver 20GB is finally going belly-up and I'm, about to take the plunge and get a 30GB iPod Video (5th gen).

  QUESTION on loading Rockbox:  Do I need to install iTunes for the initial software load  and/or to have my PC detect the player, or will the use of the patcher application mentioned in the User Guide eliminate the need for me to install iTunes?  As I have no purchased or DRM-controlled music (it's all tracks I ripped to Mp3 via Musicmatch Jukebox), I assume that I will never need iTunes on my system, correct?  I assume that once Rockbox is loaded that the iPod is recognized as a USB storage volume when plugged into the PC, just like my iRiver, correct?  Or will I need drivers from iTunes on my PC prior to attempting to download the patcher application and RB firmware to the unit?

  Also, I know that RB has and always will support .M3U playlist files, but do they function the same way on the iPod as they do on my iRiver?  On my iRiver all I need to do is build a playlist in Musicmatch or Winamp using absolute file names and then save it to the "playlists" folder - the player reads the fil, plays the music and resumes playback from that point should I power the unit off.

  Thanks in advance!

[LambdaCalculus]

The only thing you will ever need iTunes for is just to enable disk use on your iPod. After that, you don't have to touch it ever again... unless (Hades forbid) you have to restore your iPod if it borks out on you.

.M3U playlists will work, as will the MP3s you ripped. Once disk use is enabled, you can use your iPod as a regular USB drive.

Other than that, grab the manual (links on the left hand bar), the build for your device, iPodpatcher, and go to town!

[bluebrother]

The only thing you will ever need iTunes for is just to enable disk use on your iPod. After that, you don't have to touch it ever again... unless (Hades forbid) you have to restore your iPod if it borks out on you.

You could also go with emergency disc mode in the first place, so no real need to install Itunes at all.

Other than that, grab the manual (links on the left hand bar), the build for your device, iPodpatcher, and go to town!

Or use Rockbox Utility, which is more colorful, fluffy and automagically for installation The only drawback is that it has some documentation issues so reading the installation instructions is still recommended.

[linuxstb]

The only thing you will ever need iTunes for is just to enable disk use on your iPod. After that, you don't have to touch it ever again... unless (Hades forbid) you have to restore your iPod if it borks out on you.

You've got the logic wrong.  If itunes isn't installed, your computer can access the ipod in disk mode by default.  Installing itunes disables this feature, unless you turn it back on again.

[LambdaCalculus]

I never knew about that. When I had first gotten my iPod video, the first PC I hooked it to had iTunes installed.

Thanks for clearing that up, linuxstb.