iPod Classic 6th gen rockbox utility support coming soon?

[cadia1977]

I read on another forum this could be happening soon. Any idea on how soon?

[__builtin]

I read on another forum this could be happening soon. Any idea on how soon?

It is disabled, but it works fine for me under Linux. (as in installing fonts, game fiels, voice files, but not emCORE)
Use it at your own risk.

[saratoga]

It can already install rockbox, just not emcore.  Eventually I think the plan is to remove the need for emcore, in which case you will be able to use rbutil for the entire install.  But for now, you have to install emcore manually. 

[[Saint]]

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but, from this side of the fence, we can offer you no confirmation that this is true or correct at all.

As stated, RbUtil /already/ has support for the Classic, but it can't install emCORE, and nor should it, as that's an entirely unrelated and unsupported project.

It is worth noting, however, that there won't ever be a full-manual installation method.
If that is on your wish list, I'm sorry to disappoint, but its not going to happen.

It is always going to rely on the user, at the most integral part of the installation, so there's still plenty of room for things to go wrong and users to claim it non-functional.

There *is* some work ongoing for a Rockbox bootloader for the iPod Classic (emCORE was never going to be accepted into ROckbox's sources, nor was it ever intended to be), and that work is quite far progressed, but one thing I can tell you is that exactly none of that work has been committed to Rockbox's sources.

What I can say is that, eventually, it is highly probable that a semi-automated installation will be possible with RbUtil (though arguably the most critical part of the installation cannot be automated, and is always going to be left to the user) in the near-to-not-so-distant-future, but there are a still LOT of challenges to overcome.

It is disabled, but it works fine for me under Linux.
Use it at your own risk.

The installation method for the iPod Classic is absolutely _brutal_ compared to the other iPods we have in our source tree, and there's still very close to zero risk.

As long as you use the tools provided _only_ as intended, the risk is very near 0%.

Of course, due to the very nature of the project I can't ever say that the risk is an absolute zero, but what I can say is that we have no record of anyone, ever, bricking an iPod with Rockbox without first doing something really stupid, or trying very, very, very hard. It also pays to note that even the people who did try very hard to make their own lives difficult only made their device slightly frustrating to recover.

As a general rule of thumb, it is pretty much impossible to brick an iPod.


[Saint]

[__builtin]

There *is* some work ongoing for a Rockbox bootloader for the iPod Classic (emCORE was never going to be accepted into ROckbox's sources, nor was it ever intended to be), and that work is quite far progressed, but one thing I can tell you is that exactly none of that work has been committed to Rockbox's sources.

Who is working on it? Will/is it based on emCORE? Will it allow you to dual boot OF?

It is always going to rely on the user, at the most integral part of the installation, so there's still plenty of room for things to go wrong and users to claim it non-functional.

What part?

[[Saint]]

Who is working on it? Will/is it based on emCORE? Will it allow you to dual boot OF?

Michael Sparmann (whom you may know as TheSeven), primarily.

Will/is it based on emCORE?

Yes.

Will it allow you to dual boot OF?

Potentially, though there is some difficulties here. Dual-boot is currently partially functional in a tethered form in emCORE already and has been for some time.

What part?

Entering DFU mode.

A surprising amount of people fail at this seemingly simple task, and if they do, there is not a single thing we can do to assist them until they get it right. There is no way to automate or force a DFU connection, and the installation requires this. There is no avoiding it. If the user cannot enter DFU mode, they cannot install Rockbox. Its that simple.


[Saint]

[__builtin]

A surprising amount of people fail at this seemingly simple task, and if they do, there is not a single thing we can do to assist them until they get it right. There is no way to automate or force a DFU connection, and the installation requires this. There is no avoiding it. If the user cannot enter DFU mode, they cannot install Rockbox. Its that simple.

Maybe like something like the jailbreak DFU timers would be helpful. It tells you what to do, and when to do it.

[cadia1977]

Yeah, dual boot is the feature I most wish to have. I have installed rockbox on my 6th gen Classic. It really wasn't that hard.

[nikkifm]

Glad to hear that there is still work going on for the classic 6th gen and its improving  ill have to get my classic up and going again maybe rebuild it while im at it tho

[[Saint]]

Maybe like something like the jailbreak DFU timers would be helpful. It tells you what to do, and when to do it.

The emCORE installation walkthrough already includes such a thing, and it is likely to be included in Rockbox Utility as well, but it is not a bullet proof solution. Some users can't manage to get the timing right, even with extensive hand holding and visual cues.


[Saint]