Ipod 5g questions about usb host and remote

[megabug]

Hi,

I have an ipod 5g and want to know if the usb host functionality works?! So that I can copy images from my digital camera to the Ipod (with the right cable). And does the Remote work?


And a general ipod question:

My 5g has audio out at the dock connector and the remote i ordered at ebay (should get here soon) has the dock plug and a plug for the headphones.... so why dont take the audio signal from the rear? Isnt that possible?


Thanks in advance

[linuxstb]

USB host isn't implemented in Rockbox, and neither is the "Apple Accessory Protocol" required to support accessories such as remotes.

I'm not sure I understand your second question, but the audio-out in the dock connector is a line-out, not a headphone-out.

[5.5gInJapan]

You say "USB host isn't implemented in Rockbox, and neither is the "Apple Accessory Protocol" required to support accessories such as remotes."

So it sounds like you're saying (basically) "remotes won't work in Rockbox (atm)". I would like to know if this applies to using remotes (remote controls) when using the Apple OS?

[GodEater]

So it sounds like you're saying (basically) "remotes won't work in Rockbox (atm)". I would like to know if this applies to using remotes (remote controls) when using the Apple OS?

I'm not sure what you're asking here.

What linuxstb's answer boils down to is : If you have an accessory for your iPod which requires using the Apple Accessory Protocol, Rockbox can't use it. This applies AFAIAA to all remote controls.

I don't understand what part of using them under Apple OS has you confused though.

[5.5gInJapan]

okay, i bought a wired remote for my iPod. It worked like a charm until i installed rockbox, now when i use the Apple OS (i.e. NOT rockbox), the remote doesn't work. Is that clear? My question is, should the remote be working under the Apple OS?

[Llorean]

Yes, it should. Rockbox should not affect the workings of the Apple OS when properly installed (and when improperly installed, the Apple OS shouldn't boot at all).

[linuxstb]

okay, i bought a wired remote for my iPod. It worked like a charm until i installed rockbox, now when i use the Apple OS (i.e. NOT rockbox), the remote doesn't work. Is that clear? My question is, should the remote be working under the Apple OS?

Which bootloader are you using?  i.e. the Rockbox bootloader or the ipodlinux loader2?

If you uninstall the bootloader, does the remote work again in the Apple OS?

If the Rockbox bootloader is definitely preventing your remote working with the Apple OS, then it's a bug, and it would be useful if you could file a bug report.  I'm not aware of anyone else reporting this issue though.

[5.5gInJapan]

I'm using the rockbox loader.
When I did a restore, the remote was working fine in Apple OS.
So then i re-installed rockbox and now the remote has stopped working again (in Apple OS). 

So, out-of-the-box iPod, remote worked perfect. Rockboxed iPod, remote didn't work in Apple OS. Restored iPod, remote worked fine. Re-rockboxed iPod, remote stopped working again.

It seems pretty conclusive to me, but on the other hand it doesn't seem to make sense, since, as I understand it, once the Apple OS is loaded/booted the rockbox install shouldn't have any effect.
I suspect there's something else at work here, perhaps I dropped/knocked the remote or something? 

I just thought I'd ask in case anyone else has had this problem or that it might be a well-known issue. Apparently not?

[edit: oh and thanks for the help so far ]

[Llorean]

"Shouldn't" and "Won't" are two different things though. It is possible that something the Rockbox loader does during its hardware init could be preventing Apple OS from properly initializing/using the serial communications for the remote once it starts (though I'm not at all knowledgeable in this area, this is wild speculation).

[GodEater]

Could you let us know the make and model of remote you're using ?

[LION]

And support remotes in rockbox it is not planned to make at all?

[GodEater]

I think I speak for most people when I say we'd love to support them.

The trouble is we don't know how to talk to them - so implementing support for them is not trivial.

[LION]

Thanks for understanding! Remotes a convenient thing and Rockbox very convenient thing, it is a pity that they are not compatible. That will have than to endow.  

[Flid]

Why do you need to talk to the remote?
Obviously, for "special" accessories (ie. iTrips, FM Remotes etc), they require Apple Firmware / Apple Accessory Protocol to do more than just accept an input signal, but for basic remote control capabilities, is there no way for rockbox to receive this remote input signal?? How do other players with functioning remotes work?

http://www.ipodlinux.org/Apple_Accessory_Protocol

[GodEater]

Why do you need to talk to the remote?

We need to be able to talk to it (or more accurately "hear" it when it talks to us) so that we know what the user is asking to do.

The first player rockbox supported with a remote AFAIK, was the iriver H1x0 series - and the remote took a long time after the initial port. I believe it was, like the rest of the port, completely reverse engineered - which is a time consuming process. It was made easier by there only being one model of remote for the player. I'm given to understand there are a number of them for iPods - making support for them harder to implement.