RockBox and iTunes

[Hirst]

Hi there.

I was looking into purchasing and iPod Video and shoving Rockbox on it and I was just thinking I'd better check how Rockbox affects iTunes.

Feel free to bash me if I have put this on the wrong forum/it is an FAQ as I am very much in a rush and haven't had time to check.

Sorry and thanks.

Hx

[Febs]

Rockbox doesn't "affect iTunes" at all.  I'm not sure what you're asking?

[Hirst]

Well, can you still use iTunes when your iPod uses Rockbox? Does Rockbox affect iTunes' functionality at all?

Hx

[Llorean]

Rockbox in no way requires iTunes, and does not actually interface it. Rockbox is capable of finding the music that iTunes hides and renames on your iPod. You can always boot into the Apple firmware, so Rockbox in no way affects how iTunes works with your iPod.

[PromisedPlanet]

I followed the instructions at http://www.alwaysbeta.com/2006/08/24/how-to-dual-boot-your-ipod-with-rockbox/ to have my iPod Nano dual-boot RockBox and the Apple iPod OS.  I then booted into the Apple OS and synced my iPod with iTunes.  

Although I can see the MP3s on my iPod using Rockbox (they're located in the directories under \iPod_Control\Music, as expected), I can't see the songs when booted into the Apple iPod OS.  It's as if the iPod database wasn't contructed properly, though I don't see how the existence of Rockbox could affect this.

Anyone else encountered a similar problem?

Thanks in advance.

[Llorean]

This is a bug with bad installs. If you'd followed the official installation instructions with the tools we provided, it wouldn't be a problem.

[PromisedPlanet]

I had followed the instructions at the rockbox.org website, but then came across the afore-mentioned website in my search for a multi-boot loader when I decided that I wanted to preserve the Apple OS as well.

I get the impression there's some bad vibes between rockbox.org and http://www.alwaysbeta.com...t-your-ipod-with-rockbox/.  ;-)  I'll see if I can divine the multi-boot info I require from the "official" website.

Thank you for your reply, however terse and finger-wagging it may have been.  ;-)

[Llorean]

The official install method preserves the Apple OS and has no problem multi-booting.

There's no bad vibes between them and us, other than the fact that there's general bad vibes from me personally toward anyone who feels the need to repost the full installation instructions when the instructions they post could easily become outdated, or simply not work properly (in this case).

[scorche]

The only bad vibes are between us and various versions of unofficial instructions.

The rockbox bootloader "preserves the Apple OS" just fine and to boot into it, and it really doesn't require "crazy button combinations to remember" to boot into the original firmware.  See the manual and FAQ for more information about this and other topics.

[link343]

Thanks. I put Rockbox on my friends nano and it has done the same thing.

EDIT 2/8

It works. If you want to use the Apple OS on your nano, then use the original rockbox bootloader.