By Tim Moynihan
(August 5, 2005)

Want to watch videos on your iPod? Wish there were better games in your iPod's list of offerings? Maybe you want to draw pictures on your iPod without getting ink on the screen?

Well, if you own a first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), or third-generation (3G) iPod, you can already do all those things. The only thing holding your iPod back is its firmware.

To unlock your iPod's full potential, you'll need to install the iPodLinux operating system on your player. The iPod Linux Project is an ever-evolving, community-developed assortment of applications, games, and other goodies that run on the iPodLinux operating system.

In this Weekend Project, we'll show you how to install iPodLinux on your player. It's free to install, and it's a great poster child for the marvels of Linux.

What iPodLinux can do for you
In short, the iPodLinux OS will turn your iPod into a dual-boot entertainment center packed with video, audio, games, and other apps. There are stable versions of iPodLinux available for first- (1G), second- (2G), and third-generation (3G) iPods. Versions also exist for the iPod Mini and fourth-generation iPods, but both are development versions, and they aren't supported by the iPod Linux Project.

For these reasons, we recommend this project only for an older iPod. It'll enhance an iPod that's sitting around gathering dust, an iPod you've retired in favor of another player, or an iPod whose warranty has expired. We don't recommend installing iPodLinux on your brand-new iPod, as installing iPodLinux will void its warranty.

Although this project is just a series of software installations, it's a bit like assembling a piece of IKEA furniture: the software needs to be installed in a certain order and in the right places. And when it comes to the command-line text we'll use to format videos for iPod playback, the instructions may appear to be written in a foreign language.

But don't fret. If you carefully follow the instructions step by step and don't get ahead of yourself, you'll be watching videos on your iPod very soon.

Where to look for Mac and Linux help
Our tutorial applies only to installing iPodLinux from a Windows XP machine. If you have a computer running Mac OS X or Linux, there are instructions for installing iPodLinux from Mac OS X and Linux on the iPod Linux Project site.

Play video on your iPod

To install iPodLinux, which comes bundled with some games and applications, on your iPod, you'll need the following items.

• A first-generation, second-generation, or third-generation iPod. Again, fourth-generation iPods, iPod Minis, and iPod Shuffles are not supported by a stable version of iPodLinux.
• Download the iPod Linux installer from SourceForge.net
• A zip utility, such as WinZip.
  
  

To watch movies on your iPod, you'll need a few extra pieces of free software.

To format your own movies to play on your iPod, you'll need Cygwin, Mplayer for Windows, and the 2bppconv file we'll mention below. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully regarding where to install each file.

Download and install Cygwin
Cygwin is a Unix/Linux terminal emulator for Windows. Using it in conjunction with Mplayer (see below) lets you configure videos to play on your iPod.

First, download and install Cygwin on your Windows PC. Install it directly to your C: drive so that the directory is C:\cygwin.

Download Mplayer and put it in the Cygwin folder
Download and install the Mplayer for Windows ZIP file. Mplayer is an open-source video player that we'll use to convert videos to play on your iPod. Extract the Mplayer files from the ZIP package and save them to the following directory: C:\cygwin.

Place 2bppconv in your Mplayer folder
If your iPod has a grayscale screen (and since we're working with older iPods, it almost certainly does), you'll also need to download and install a color-to-grayscale conversion program called 2bppconv. Follow these directions for installation.

• Right-click the following link: 2bppconv.
• Select Save Target As, then remove the .txt extension from the 2bppconv.txt filename.
• Save the file to the following directory: C:\cygwin\mplayer
  
  

Now that all the prep work is done (we'll put it to good use later), it's time to back up your iPod in case anything goes wrong. We'll do that in the next step.

Play video on your iPod

Before you go any further, make sure to back up all the music and any other files on your iPod.

If your iPod syncs up with iTunes automatically, backing up is simple. In fact, you're already done. Your iTunes library and your iPod library should be identical, so you can transfer all your tunes from iTunes to iPod if anything goes awry.

However, if you're like me, you may have your iPod configured for manual updates. I have two computers with different iTunes libraries, and I like to pick and choose songs from both libraries for my iPod. As such, my iPod's library isn't replicated by either of my iTunes libraries; it's a hodgepodge of songs from both machines.

Luckily for me, and for anyone else who manages their iPod manually, there are ways to create a backup directly from your iPod. We recommend the following iPod backup utilities to keep your playlists safe if any data goes missing.

• For Windows XP machines, CopyPod and iPod Agent are downloadable apps that let you copy music from your iPod to your hard drive. Both applications are free to try; the full versions cost about $15 each after your trial period expires.
• For Mac OS X machines, music editor James Kim recommends PodWorks (free to try and $8 to buy) or iPod Access (free to try, $15 to buy).
  

Play video on your iPod

Now that you're backed up, it's time to add some new weapons to your iPod's arsenal. The first step is putting a basic version of iPodLinux on your iPod. Then, we'll upgrade that version of iPodLinux to get all the latest features.

First step for 1G and 2G iPods
If you are installing iPodLinux on a first-generation or second-generation iPod, you need to first make sure the correct version of Apple's iPod Updater is installed on your PC.

The iPod Updater software dated 2004-11-15 is the latest version of the iPod firmware that makes iPodLinux installation possible on your 1G or 2G iPod. Later versions of the iPod Updater won't work, so make sure the Updater is dated 2004-11-15 or earlier.

Follow these steps to find out if you have that update installed.

1. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add Or Remove Programs.
   
   
2. Scroll down to iPod Updater and make sure the date listed is 2004-11-15.
   
   
3. If there are newer versions in your Add Or Remove Programs list, you'll need to uninstall them to complete this project.
   
   
4. If the 2004-11-15 updater isn't on your computer, you can download it from Softpedia.com.
   
   

How to install iPodLinux

1. Download the iPod Linux installer from SourceForge.net.
   
   
2. Create a new folder on your desktop named iPod Linux Installer.
   
   
3. Extract the files from the ZIP package you downloaded. Save the files to the iPod Linux Installer folder you created on your desktop.
   
   
4. Connect your iPod to your computer.
   
   
5. Open the iPod Linux Installer folder on your desktop. Double-click the ipodlinux-installer.exe file to run the installation program.
   
   
6. The iPod Linux Installer window should launch. Click Next to begin the iPodLinux installation wizard.
   
   
7. The next window lets you select the OS your iPod will load each time you turn it on. We suggest selecting the radio button next to iPodLinux, then clicking Next to continue.
   
   
8. The next window allows you to make a backup of your iPod firmware in its current state. We also suggest making that backup so that you can restore your iPod to its current state if you decide to uninstall iPodLinux. Check the box next to Yes, then click Next.
   
   
9. After the backup is complete, click Next to begin the iPodLinux installation.
   
   
10. Click Finish to exit the installation wizard.
    
    
11. Disconnect your iPod from your computer. Your iPod should reboot automatically.
    
    

Once your iPod reboots, you'll see the familiar Apple logo. Ho-hum. But shortly thereafter, you'll notice a change: the Linux penguin appears on your iPod's screen, then some lines of scrolling code. And then you'll get your first glimpse of Podzilla, iPodLinux's navigation interface.

Take a moment to poke around Podzilla and see what it has to offer. You'll notice a similar look to iPod's official firmware, but with additional features and menu options.

Because the iPodLinux installation created a dual-boot system, you have the option of switching to Apple's iPod firmware at any time. Simply hold down the menu and play buttons simultaneously to reboot your iPod manually. As it reboots, hold the rewind button down. That will boot the original iPod firmware.

Think running a new OS on your iPod is pretty cool? Well, you haven't seen anything yet. The next step is to upgrade Podzilla and the iPodLinux kernel, and after that is when the magic really happens.

Play video on your iPod

So we have iPodLinux up and running on your iPod, but you're still missing several new iPodLinux features.

The iPodLinux Installer includes the latest stable release version of the kernel and Podzilla. Subsequent beta versions of iPodLinux and Podzilla have added the ability to play movies, and they also include several more games and fun apps.

To get those goodies out of Podzilla and iPodLinux--including the ability to watch movies--you'll need to upgrade the iPodLinux kernel and the version of Podzilla running on your iPod. It's easy to do.

Update the iPodLinux kernel
Roughly every day, the iPod Linux Project releases a nightly build of the iPodLinux kernel available at ipodlinux.org/builds.

1. Download the latest nightly build of the kernel from ipodlinux.org/builds. The most recent versions are at the bottom of the page.
   
   
2. The only file in the ZIP package will be the iPodLinux kernel binary. Extract the kernel binary from the ZIP package. Save the file to your desktop as linux.bin.
   
   
3. Drag and drop the new linux.bin file into your iPod Linux Installer folder. This replaces the older version of linux.bin that you installed in step 4 of this project.
   
   
4. Connect your iPod and launch the iPodLinux Installer.
   
   
5. First we're going to uninstall the old version of iPodLinux from your iPod. Select "Restore backup (Uninstall iPodLinux)" from the iPodLinux Installer.
   
   
6. Now, launch the iPodLinux Installer again and reinstall iPodLinux. This will update the kernel with the new version.
   
   

How to update Podzilla
Just like the kernel, there's a fresh nightly build of Podzilla at ipodlinux.org/builds.

1. Download the latest Podzilla binary from the Podzilla nightly build page at ipodlinux.org/builds. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the newest version.
   
   
2. The only file in the ZIP package will be the Podzilla binary. Unzip and extract the Podzilla binary from the ZIP file. If there is an error trying to extract the ZIP file, this just means the ZIP file has been mislabeled and the binary is already unzipped.
   
   
3. Change the file name to just "podzilla," with no file extension. This is very important--make sure the file is named "podzilla" and is showing up as an unknown file type, not another type of file.
   
   
4. Open Notepad or any text editor, type the following text, and save the file to your desktop as start.txt:
   

   mv /hp/podzilla /sbin
   rm /hp/start
   
   

5. Now, locate the start.txt file on your desktop and remove the .txt file extension from the filename. This is very important--make sure the file is named "start" and is showing up as an unknown file type, not a text file.
   
   
6. Boot your iPod into Disk Mode by holding down the Menu and Play buttons to reboot it. Then hold down the rewind button as it reboots. It should boot into the original Apple firmware.
   
   
7. Connect your iPod to your PC.
   
   
8. Open My Computer and locate your iPod. It should show up as a connected device, such as the E: drive. Double-click your iPod's icon.
   
   
9. Drag and drop the podzilla file and the start file into the root directory of your iPod.
   
   
10. Disconnect your iPod. It should reboot automatically and load the new version of Podzilla.
    
    

Thanks to the updated version of Podzilla, you have some nice new games and apps on your iPod. Take a look at them by scrolling down and clicking Extras, then Games. Invaders is a Space Invaders clone, Steroids is Asteroids for the iPod, and you'll be gettin' your Tetris on with BlueCube.

Also, check out Extras > Stuff. You'll see some surprises waiting there for you.

And thanks to the updated kernel, your iPod now has the power to play videos. Next, we'll convert the videos of your choice to play on your iPod.

Play video on your iPod

Unfortunately, you can't just dump any old movie on your iPod as-is and expect it to play it back. You'll need to convert the videos you want to play with Mplayer, which you installed on your PC in the second step of this project.

The good news is that Mplayer can handle almost any kind of digital video file and convert it to something your iPod can handle. The bad news is that you won't have the benefit of a graphical user interface to make that conversion happen.

Yes, to convert your videos, we're going to use Cygwin's command-line interface to communicate with Mplayer and have it reformat the videos for the iPod. And this is where the "foreign language" portion of this tutorial begins.

Let's get ready for some command-line excitement!

1. First, place the video file you want to convert in the Mplayer folder.
   
   
2. Launch Cygwin. Type the following command to navigate to the Mplayer folder:
   

   cd c:/cygwin/mplayer
   
   

3. Now you'll enter the video conversion parameters for your movie. The commands you'll enter depend upon the iPod you have, so these steps apply only for a 1G, 2G, or 3G iPod with a grayscale screen. If you're using any other kind of iPod, stop right now and consult the iPodLinux site.
   
   For grayscale (noncolor) iPods, enter the following command into Cygwin. After entering this string of text, press Enter. Replace YourVideoNameHere with the name of the video file you want to convert, including the file extension (.mov, .avi, .wmv, and so on).
   
   

   ./mencoder.exe -ovc raw -ofps 15 -nosound -vf
   scale=160:-2,expand=160:128,format=bgr24 YourVideoNameHere -o ipodmovie.avi
   
   

   After pressing Enter, you should see some code scroll down your screen in the Cygwin window. Once it stops, enter the following command in Cygwin (replace FinalMovieName with whatever title you want your iPod-friendly video to be, but be sure to include the .avi file extension after it):
   
   

   ./2bppconv movie.avi FinalMovieName.avi
   
   

Now you have a video that's ready to play on your iPod; you just need to put that clip on your player.

1. Open your Mplayer folder and find the FinalMovieName.avi file. Drag and drop the file onto your desktop.
   
   
2. Boot your iPod into Disk Mode by holding down the Menu and Play buttons. Hold down the rewind button when it restarts to launch the Apple firmware.
   
   
3. Connect the iPod to your computer.
   
   
4. Open My Computer, locate your iPod, and create a new folder in the top directory named Movies.
   
   
5. Drag and drop the movie from your desktop to the Movies folder on your iPod.
   
   
6. Disconnect your iPod. It should automatically reboot into iPodLinux.
   
   
7. On your iPod, scroll down to File Browser and click the center button. You'll see a list of folders on your iPod.
   
   
8. Scroll down to the folder named hp and click the center button. You should find your Movies folder in that directory.
   
   
9. Find your movie and select it. It should start playing on your iPod.
   
   

Congratulations! You have an unofficial video iPod. Sure, it's gimmicky: the videos are really small and don't have any sound. But you'll be sure to turn heads in public places with your iPod movies, and your new arsenal of games will come in handy when you're killing time at the bus stop.