Using New Ipods With 10.3

The version of libgpod that comes with SUSE 10.3 does not support the latest ipod nano (6th gen, the fat one that does video). Apple have changed their file formats to include a checksum, which requires libgpod 0.6 or later. You may also have to add a FirewireGuid line to the Sysinfo file (see directions in the libgpod 0.6 installation, at http://gtkpod.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/g...?revision=1770).

You can install libgpod 0.6 and a gtkpod that uses it, from the Packman repository, but there is still a problem: Packman's gtkpod is linked with libgpod.so.2, but the code only works correctly with libgpod.so.3. You can fix this by installing libgpod2 and libgpod3, then hacking the symlinks in /usr/lib both point to the libgpod.so.3:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-08 16:35 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.2 -> libgpod.so.3.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 297752 2007-12-02 22:54 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.2.0.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-08 16:26 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.3 -> libgpod.so.3.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 314268 2007-12-02 22:54 /usr/lib/libgpod.so.3.0.0

Then gtkpod will correctly sync music to the ipod. I assume other programs that use libgpod (Amarok etc) work, but I haven't tried them.

HTH,
-nick

You can fix this by installing libgpod2 and libgpod3, then hacking the symlinks in /usr/lib both point to the libgpod.so.3:
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Though note that this "fix" is put back by the system when online updates are performed - it looks like one of the tidy up scripts at the end of an update/install must fix the links. So it's probably worth checking the links before updating the ipod, at least until gtkpod is released linked aginst libgpod 3.

Cheers,
-nick

Any chance of a dummies guide of the above?

Any chance of a dummies guide of the above?
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I'll try(!) I assume you have a standard 10.3 installation to start with...

The first thing you have to do is to update the gtkpod and libgpod libraries from Packman. To do this, you open Yast, click on "Community Repositories" and check the "Packman Repository" box. Then Finish the Community Repository module back to the Yast front page, and start "Software Management". When the program starts (eventually!) put "gtkpod" into the Search box. You will see the package listed on the right. If you have it installed from DVD, it will have a tick next to it, else the checkbox will be blank. You will see an "Available version" listed - as I write this, the available version is 0.99.10-33. Click the checkbox until it changes to update (if you have it installed) or just a tick if you haven't. Then perform another search for "libgpod". You will see several packages, but you only need libgpod2 and libgpod3. Tick them (or update them if they're installed already). As I write this, the versions are 0.6.0-100.pm.4. Click the Accept button and the three packages will be updated/installed. Exit Software Management and Yast when you're done.

Now you have a gtkpod system capable of accessing the new ipod, but it won't work immediately. The new ipod seems only to work with libgpod3, but the gtkpod binary you just downloaded is linked with libgpod2 (ie. it loads the older library, which doesn't work). So to fix it, you need to bodge the symbolic library links in /usr/lib. Here are the commands: note the first thing you do is change user to root.

~> su
Password:
/home/nick # cd /usr/lib
/usr/lib # ls -l libgpod*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-19 10:44 libgpod.so.2 -> libgpod.so.2.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 297752 2007-12-02 22:54 libgpod.so.2.0.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-08 16:26 libgpod.so.3 -> libgpod.so.3.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 314268 2007-12-02 22:54 libgpod.so.3.0.0
/usr/lib # ln -fs libgpod.so.3.0.0 libgpod.so.2
/usr/lib # ls -l libgpod*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-19 10:48 libgpod.so.2 -> libgpod.so.3.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 297752 2007-12-02 22:54 libgpod.so.2.0.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root**** 16 2007-12-08 16:26 libgpod.so.3 -> libgpod.so.3.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 314268 2007-12-02 22:54 libgpod.so.3.0.0
/usr/lib #

After that, you can see that libgpod.so.2 points to the libgpod.so.3.0.0 library, so although gtkpod still opens the libgpod2 library, it actually is using the libgpod3 library. That is a nasty bodge and you have to repeat it after you do any more updates. Eventually, Packman or SUSE should fix this though (ie. link gtkpod with libgpod3).

HTH,
-nick

Thanks!

Schweet! Thanks for the tip--it worked like a charm!

I truly hope that someone fixes this issue permanently...

I truly hope that someone fixes this issue permanently...
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Presumably it will be fixed in time. I've added some notes to the following bug:

https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=334746

Cheers,
-nick

An update...

I've just seen that Packman have updated their repository version of gtkpod to version gtkpod-0.99.12-0.pm.3, and that this is linked with libgpod3 (rather than libgpod2)... so the nasty hack with the links is no longer necessary.

If you've already installed the Packman version (instructions above), just open the Yast Software Management module, search for "gtkpod" and click on the tick box until it changes to "update" (two circular arrows, though I always though it was a "Z" :-) Then click accept and it will make the upgrade. Part of the upgrade installation will also restore the symlink fix for libgpod too, so you don't have to reverse that nasty hack.

HTH,
-nick

Does Amarok work with the new nano? Or do I have to use GTKpod?

Does Amarok work with the new nano? Or do I have to use GTKpod?
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I think that Amarok uses libgpod, but I suspect that if SUSE's release of libgpod is linked with libgpod2 rather than libgpod3, then it won't support the new ipods - it will corrupt their iTunesDB (though re-writing it with libgpod3 will recover it of course. It's not permanent damage).

You can find which library Amarok is linked with by the command "ldd <path to Amarok> | grep libgpod". If that reports something with libgpod2 in the name, you're out of luck.

Of course there might be an Amarok update on Packman, just like there was for gtkpod. I haven't checked (and can't do so from here - at the office :-) If ldd reports a libgpod3 link after such an update, then it should work... but I haven't tried it.

HTH,
-nick