Total newb few questions and off I install!

[Jin]

I really want to install Rockbox to rekindle life back into my iPod I'm getting bored of but there are few things I'm not sure about holding me back. I had look though manual but I couldn't really find answer to my questions I had.

Currently I'm using iTunes to sync with my iPod video. I don't understand how sync will work with RockBox. Also how music organization, album art will work.

If someone could explain those points I'll be ready to install!

[aaron424]

First of all, when you install rockbox you will be unable to use iTunes to synchronise your music and video. The Video can be converted with winff, and the music will just be drag and drop into any folder on your player. If your itunes music is DRM free .aac, then rockbox will play it. Rockbox will not play DRM Content, so it will require conversion. About music organisation, once you put the files on your player you have two options. You can either browse all the files on your player in the file browser or you can use the Database, which will organize your music according to its tags. If you want to know more about album art, read here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/AlbumArt I recommend RockAA, https://sourceforge.net/projects/rockaa/

[pondlife]

That's not entirely true - you can use iTunes to sync your music, but you'll need to use the database browser in Rockbox as iTunes doesn't give the music files sensible names.

As stated, you can't play any DRMed content in Rockbox.  However, you can dual-boot to the Apple firmware when you need to.

pondlife

[aaron424]

That' s interesting, I didn't think itunes would recognise the Ipod in rockbox usb stack, but I forgot about the dualboot and that rockbox usb stack wasn't enabled in the ipods just yet. (I don't have an Ipod or itunes installed) My statement above was not false, because it read, " you will be unable to use itunes to synchronise your music AND video. It should read only video.

[GodEater]

I believe our USB stack fakes the information that iTunes expects too - so it WILL appear as an iPod to iTunes as soon as the Rockbox USB stack is enabled by default for iPods.

[aaron424]

Wow, I didn't expect that. Good work, guys. @ Jin, I hope we have answered your questions in our ramblings.

[Jin]

Thanks for replies just noticed while I was typing more info came in!
Ok I don't really get how exactly database will work, but to get music onto ipod ill I need copy from iTunes music folder to ipod and it won't be syncing but just playable on my Rockbox ipod and how will database structure work, lets say my music are all tagged correct but they're in messy folders

[AlexP]

You can use itunes to sync your music as you did before.  The Rockbox database will build a database based on the tags of your music, irrespective of where they are on disk.  I suggest you read about the database in the manual.

You can of course copy your music over however you wish, and still use the database.

You can also copy the music over however you wish, and then navigate by the file tree.

The choice is yours.  I would very much recommend looking at the manual however.

[gevaerts]

I believe our USB stack fakes the information that iTunes expects too - so it WILL appear as an iPod to iTunes as soon as the Rockbox USB stack is enabled by default for iPods.

It doesn't. We know how to make it work in most cases, but that code isn't fully tested, isn't clean enough to be committed, and is expected to have lots of bugs.

[GodEater]

I stand corrected then. But since he'll be using the original iPod stack for a while, it's not an issue for him yet.

[bluebrother]

I'm wondering why we are maintaining a FAQ if people don't read it ... Most of the original questions are covered there.