Player will not mount under linux

[WhipHubley]

Hi there.

I have a 4GB 1st Gen Ipod Nano which I have installed r12898-070323 onto.

With the Ipod software on there it appeared fine under /dev/sda1, which allowed me to install the RockBox software once I had mounted it.

However, now I have RockBox on there, the device is causing problems.

Upon attaching the device via USB, DMESG displays the following...

usb 5-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
usb 5-3: device descriptor read/64, error -71

...and any attempt to mount it produces...

special device does not exist

The version of Linux is Fedora Core 6 with kernel 2.6.18-1.2868.fc6

Any help on how I can actually access the device would be most appreciated.

Thanks very much!

[linuxstb]

When you attach the ipod running Rockbox to a computer via usb it should reboot into Apple's "emergency disk mode" - this is a black and white screen without the backlight on.

Does this happen to you, or does your ipod stay in Rockbox?

There are problems currently with the 'reboot-to-disk-mode", so if this isn't happening for you, then you need to either manually enter the emergency disk mode (shutdown your ipod, turn it back on, then immediately (before you see the Apple logo), press and hold SELECT+PLAY before attaching to USB.

You'll then need to manually reset your ipod (hold MENU+SELECT for a few seconds) to leave disk mode after you disconnect from your computer.

Or just start the Apple firmware before connecting to USB.

[WhipHubley]

Thanks for the reply.

With the ipod on, and rockbox showing, when I attach it via USB, I see...

A rockbox USB icon, which then quickly changes to...

The Apple logo which is seen on booting the ipod, which quickly changes to...

A screen saying that the ipod can be disconnected (presumably because it is fully charged)

I've tried you suggestion for switching to disk mode, and it does indeed enter disk mode (I see a label at the top of the screen stating "disk mode") but it still will not mount the device. I see the same error in DMESG and the same mount error.

I'd like the try the other solution of starting the Apple firmware. Excuse my numptiness, but could you explain how I do this, and how I return to Rockbox once I am done?

Thanks again.

[xlarge]

Quick question; how do you attempt to mount your ipod? Command?

[WhipHubley]

Actually, after a reboot of Linux, it will now mount the ipod in disk mode :-)

In fact, FC6 seems to now automount the ipod under /media/IPOD, and even provides a nice icon on the desktop!

To do so by hand, check the output of dmesg for the device node Linux assigns the ipod (often /dev/sda1) and mount it under a mount point...

mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/ipod

If you need to specify a filesystem then use vfat for a "windows" ipod (which I believe is required to use Rockbox anyway)

mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/ipod

Have fun!

[Yotto]

I had this exact problem, and for me a cold boot fixed it (warm did nothing).

As it happened on multiple usb ports, I figured it was probably the bus or something.