Restore iPod nano for FAT32 in Mac OS X

[krmathis]

Someone know if its possible to format an iPod nano for FAT32 in Mac OS X?

Story:
I have an iPod nano formatted HFS+ (Mac), and want to test Rockbox on it.
The problem is that Rockbox dont support HFS+ formatted iPod's!
So to manage this it has to be converted to FAT32 (Windows). But I cant find a setting in 'iPod Software Updater' to use the FAT32 filesystem, instead of HFS+.

Am I missing something, or have not Apple provided such a cross-formatting feature?

[moriond]

I think the Mac iPod updates are all HFS+ and the Windows ones are FAT32. So you can use PC-formatted cross-platform, as long as you don't run the iPod software updater from a Mac. I'm not sure how you'd format this as FAT32 (and keep this working as an iPod) under your Mac. The software updater doesn't provide this option, and disk utility would only treat this as a data disk.

Which Rockbox features were you interested in trying? I've been following the threads, and I agree that this looks interesting.

[Baphomet]

If you have a PC you can "borrow" for the operation, you could simply connect the iPod to said PC, wait for it come up as a USB device, right click on the drive in Windows Explorer and then select "Format".

This assumes, of course, that the HFS+ formatting won't prevent Windows from mounting the iPod as a USB device.

Once it's formatted in FAT32 via Windows, it will be cross-platform capable.

[krmathis]

I know that Mac OS X can read and access FAT32 iPod's.
But since I dont have access to a Windows computer I wondered if it could be restored on a Mac. Especially since Disk Utility have the ability to format with the FAT32 filesystem.

The Rockbox feature I'm most interested in trying is the gapless playback. But also the different encoder playback support.


Looks like Apple have not implemented such a restore feature.
So I'll have to wait for the Rockbox developers to add the needed code to their project.

[moriond]

Originally posted by solaris
I know that Mac OS X can read and access FAT32 iPod's.
But since I dont have access to a Windows computer I wondered if it could be restored on a Mac. Especially since Disk Utility have the ability to format with the FAT32 filesystem.

Looks like Apple have not implemented such a restore feature.
So I'll have to wait for the Rockbox developers to add the needed code to their project.

solaris,

The Rockbox pages now have (since 28 February) a page named IPodInstallationFromMacOSX that gives a set of downloadable partition tables for recreating a Windows-formatted iPod. You need to download the one that exactly matches your model iPod -- presumably either a 2GB nano or a 4GB nano (which are available partition table options, along with 60GB Photo/Color and 30GB Video),

[krmathis]

^ Thanks, but I already know!
Cause I'm the one who wrote the Rockbox - Convert an iPod from HFS to FAT32 part in the Wiki.

Its a bit troublesome, but its the only way for a Mac user to install Rockbox on a Mac formatted iPod.

[moriond]

Originally posted by solaris
^ Thanks, but I already know!
Cause I'm the one who wrote the Rockbox - Convert an iPod from HFS to FAT32 part in the Wiki.

Then thanks for doing the work! I didn't see any credits on that page that could tie it to your post, and since you hadn't posted back in the iLounge forums since then I wanted to make sure that you had the information. Should have guessed you would have been following this closely given your level of interest

How do like the interface? (And had you experimented earlier with ChapterTool as a workaround for gapless playback?)

Cheers,

moriond

[krmathis]

Glad you posted, since you could never know I had seen it!
The interface is totally different than the original iPod firmware, so I need some time to get used to it.

Rockbox is not mature enough for me yet, but I'll certainly follow the development.
Some griefs:
* Almost impossible to load the original firmware (5 of 6 tries fail).
* Rockbox crash if its not loaded when I plug in the USB.
* Power consumption.
* Dont remember playback point after sleep.
* No HFS+ support (I know I'm asking too much).
* No battery meter.

But Rockbox have only been running on iPod the last 3-4 weeks, so I am certain it will be better in the recent future.

[mnhnhyouh]

Points 2, 3, and 6 should be cleared up before long.

Point 5 however will not be changed, at least according to this RB wiki page...

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/vie...systems_than_F

h