Author Topic: Troubles with a Ipod Classic 6th gen (Read 18287 times)

jat666 · « **on:** September 10, 2013, 02:48:32 PM »

I successfully installed Rockbox months ago and for no reason it just decided to stop working and came up with an error message saying the partitions missing. I've tried re-installing to no avail as each time I get to the step where I boot up Rockbox for the first time to copy over the contents of the rockbox-ipodclassic.zip it says that I need to format it before I can use the drive. I've also tried entering DFU mode and reverting it to the default firmware but when I load up iTunes it says that it cannot contact the iTunes server.
Can anyone help or is my classic doomed? :'(

[Saint] · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2013, 12:48:43 AM »

Boot into the emCORE main menu (hold any key immediately after start-up if you have fastboot enabled), then select:

Tools -> Reformat data partition

This process should not take long, after which you can then boot the Rockbox fallback image:

Tools -> Run Rockbox fallback image

Mount the device and extract a current Rockbox binary to it, safely eject, shutdown, and reboot.

At some stage in that combination you're also going to want to transfer your media back to the device, be it after booting the fallback image and mounting (whilst transferring the Rockbox binary), or after booting the freshly installed binary and mounting again, either or is fine.

As for why this happened, I have no idea.

[Saint]

syd · « **Reply #2 on:** October 28, 2013, 01:55:03 PM »

Excuse me, I've just tried to make my iPod 5.5th Generation work on Rockbox.
1. When I choose 5gen in the RockboxUtility there goes an error.
2. While manual instalation the ipodpatcher doesn't find my ipod.
3. When I tick on "show blocked devices" and choose 6th Gen the instalation 'goes on' (bootloader is unclicked) but my iPod still uses Apple system
Already tried on win7, winXP, hard reset on iPOD. Maybe there's a way by reseting it while some strange key-combination?
(I've read the manual)

edit. Autodetect shows my iPOD as 6th Gen. Maybe there's a way to manually set the bootloader to boot into Rockbox?

Please help!

saratoga · « **Reply #3 on:** October 28, 2013, 02:55:37 PM »

Do you have a 5.5 or a 6g ? The install directions are very different for those devices.

syd · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2013, 03:03:31 PM »

I've got 5.5th gen.
As I wrote I can choose between 5 and 6th in Rockbox utility.

I searched in other posts and the reason that ipodpatchet doesn't work may be that I "probably have a faulty firmware" and have to Restore your iPod in iTunes first. I don't want to lose my data before I try the Rockbox.

[Saint] · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2013, 04:26:36 PM »

It seems you have an iPod 6G (auto-detection is based on USB V/PID and I'm really not sure how this could fail), so your issues make perfect sense.

Its really important that you know which device you're talking about and articulate that clearly to those trying to assist you.

Currently, there is no way to install Rockbox on this device with any Rockbox sanctioned tools (which seems contradictory since we offer a binary in a semi-public location but offer no way of installing it, I know...its difficult to explain briefly). Installation relies solely on the Freemyipod Project's "emCORE" loader, which is completely unsupported as far as Rockbox is concerned. There is currently no supported installation method from Rockbox and there is unlikely to be one in the very near future.

It is also important to note that emCORE/Rockbox installation *will* erase *all* data on the device. So, backup anything you don't want to lose during installation. Another thing to note is the various missing features from this port, such as original firmware dual-boot (installation actually removes the Apple OF completely), recording, USB HID, and FM. If any of those features are important to you, this port is not for you.

[Saint]

syd · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2013, 04:42:39 PM »

heh, just a minute before you wrote i restored ipod in itunes. After reading your post I went to EmCORE and I holded Menu+Select. Windows showed the Unknown devices. I tried it once more but now my ipod stays down. How the hell shall I turn it back on?

edit.
Ok - it's back! For a minute my heart stopped.

edit2.
I've tried again. Holding the buttons just turn it off. Maybe I miss something?
If I hold Menu+Select for like a minute my iPod turns back on and says 'Connected". (Nothing like "Apple Recovery (DFU) USB Driver" on my pc screen)

[Saint] · « **Reply #7 on:** October 28, 2013, 07:28:25 PM »

The emCORE installation guide I linked to in my prior post gives clear instruction for how to enter DFU mode, even including a video of the process.

[Saint]

syd · « **Reply #8 on:** October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM »

Ok, I tried again.

I got to the point with "64MB-sized UMSboot partition". I put there the "installer-ipodclassic-r859-20120102.ubi" file. Restart the iPod, then it's back to the regular apple system.
I've tried then to instal rockbox by "RockboxUtility" ("successed"). After restart nothing happened. I've tried again with the .ubi file (after restart it's gone!)

I'm a little bit confused. There's no Rockbox for 6g, but there're some 6g Ipods with Rockbox.
The Rockbox utility shows possibility to choose iPod 6G in the list but it's "blocked".
Also the Rockbox manual shows 5.5G compatybility but in the menu there's only 4th, 5th and 6th Gen.

Did I miss something?
The bootloader in Rockbox Ulitity menu is "not needed" but I guess I have to put it with force with EmCORE on that special 64MB-partition.
Why after putting it there it's gone after restart?
Maybe there's a way to put then rockbox without restarting the iPod which deletes the .ubi file?

edit. Restarting directly to disk mode after the 64-MB-partition mode also allows to instal Rockbox with Rockbox Utility, but the effect is still the same (restarting to regular system, the .ubi file's gone, on iPod partition there's .rockbox folder which does nothing)

[Saint] · « **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2013, 01:56:32 PM »

You really need to come talk to us in IRC in #freemyipod-support on Freenode so myself or another can walk you through it.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

Ok, I tried again.

I got to the point with "64MB-sized UMSboot partition". I put there the "installer-ipodclassic-r859-20120102.ubi" file. Restart the iPod, then it's back to the regular apple system.

Nothing in the installation guide mentions restarting the iPod at this point. One should safely eject the device, at which point the installer should take over.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

I've tried then to instal rockbox by "RockboxUtility" ("successed"). After restart nothing happened. I've tried again with the .ubi file (after restart it's gone!)

Nothing in the installation guide mentions doing this.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

I'm a little bit confused. There's no Rockbox for 6g, but there're some 6g Ipods with Rockbox.

These are people who manage to successfully follow the directions given in the Freemyipod emCORE installer guide.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

The Rockbox utility shows possibility to choose iPod 6G in the list but it's "blocked".
Also the Rockbox manual shows 5.5G compatybility but in the menu there's only 4th, 5th and 6th Gen.

The port for the 5 and 5.5G iPods have been unified for some time now, but this doesn't concern you as you don't have either of these devices.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

Why after putting it there it's gone after restart?

The installation doesn't expect you to restart the device at all, so, when you restart everything that was in the UMSboot volume is blown away, as this is a RAMdisk. This is equivalent to forcibly exiting the installer.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 12:56:59 PM

Maybe there's a way to put then rockbox without restarting the iPod which deletes the .ubi file?

Yes, indeed there is. In fact, installation relies on it. When the directions given in the installer are followed verbatim, it will succeed.

[Saint]

PS: "Installing" Rockbox on an iPod is simply extracting an archive to the root of the device which will always succeed if you can write to the volume, but without the bootloader (emCORE in this case, which Rockbox Utility cannot install nor remove and offers no support for as mentioned previously), its useless.

syd · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2013, 02:27:44 PM »

Ok, so after I've put the .ubi file and done the safe unmount the screen on the ipod stays ("UMSboot v0.2 Please copy a UBI file to the mass storage device and safety eject it when you're done. If you booted this accidentally, just press and hold menu+select to reboot").
After I unplug the cable it still stays the same way. How does it have to take control?
maybe something's bad with entering bootstrap_ipodclassic_itunes.exe ?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/2aqq.jpg
- after translation it says error 31, the connected device doesn't work.

edit. On http://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/EmCORE_Releases/r859
except installer-ipodclassic.ubi I aso found
bootstrap-ipodclassic.dfu
rockbox-ipodclassic.zip

Do I have to put them on the drive when iPod is regular connected? or on the 64MB-partition? do I have to unzip the .zip file?
I guess there are not much more possibilities to go.
I don't want't to try like 1000 restarts more

[Saint] · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2013, 10:18:39 PM »

As I said, you really need to come and talk to us in #freemyipod-support on Freenode.

Quote from: syd on October 30, 2013, 02:27:44 PM

edit. On http://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/EmCORE_Releases/r859
except installer-ipodclassic.ubi I aso found
bootstrap-ipodclassic.dfu
rockbox-ipodclassic.zip

Do I have to put them on the drive when iPod is regular connected? or on the 64MB-partition? do I have to unzip the .zip file?

Does the installer guide mention doing this? It does not. It is rather fortunate that you have an iPod, as other devices may have resisted your attempts at inventing new steps in the installation documents by way of ceasing to function by now. There is a very important line you seem to have skipped in the installer documentation:

"Please follow the instructions closely, step by step. If any doubts arise, please ask for support before playing around. You could permanently damage your device!"

...which is absolutely serious. It is saying "follow these instructions, and nothing else, if you get into trouble or something doesn't go as planned, come talk to us". It is not saying "If something doesn't go as planned, invent some steps that you think might work and then go ask for support from a completely different project when you finally decide it isn't working".

[Saint]

syd · « **Reply #12 on:** October 31, 2013, 04:20:06 AM »

Finally I made the installation!

The thing was I eject the drive (on windows) by safty unmounting on the green-next-to-the-clock-icon instead of ejecting the drive.

Thank you very much for your help!

Take care!

[Saint] · « **Reply #13 on:** October 31, 2013, 08:29:30 AM »

Quote from: syd on October 31, 2013, 04:20:06 AM

Sorry for another stupid question but where can I find the instalation documents?
...
Where's the proper instruction, includes "Please follow the instructions closely, step by step. If any doubts arise, please ask for support before playing around. You could permanently damage your device!" text?

That would be the instructions I linked to you in my very first response to you:

Quote from: [Saint] on October 28, 2013, 04:26:36 PM

Currently, there is no way to install Rockbox on this device with any Rockbox sanctioned tools (which seems contradictory since we offer a binary in a semi-public location but offer no way of installing it, I know...its difficult to explain briefly). Installation relies solely on the Freemyipod Project's "emCORE" loader, which is completely unsupported as far as Rockbox is concerned.

[Saint]

nikkifm · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2014, 05:22:49 PM »

I know this is a old thread but I haven't been on here for so long. Is there any progress on the 6th gen classic jw