GNUpod

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In computing, GNUpod is a collection of Perl scripts that allow one to use an iPod with Linux and many other operating systems, such as NetBSD, Solaris, and Mac OS X.

The main advantage to using GNUpod is that, unlike other iPod-management utilities, it does not require X11 to run, and it can easily be scripted, allowing users to develop their own utilities for managing their iPod.

1 Compatibility with the iPod
2 Playlists
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Compatibility with the iPod

The iPod uses a proprietary, binary format to store the database of music on it. The name of the file is called iTunesDB, because iTunes is the official software to manage an iPod, both on Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.

Instead of directly manipulating the binary file, like iTunes and other programs do, GNUpod uses an XML document called GNUtunesDB^[1]. Scripts named tunes2pod.pl (which converts iTunesDB into GNUtunesDB) and mktunes.pl (which converts GNUtunesDB into iTunesDB) are used to manipulate the binary format.

[edit] Playlists

iTunesDB is not "smart" about sorting playlists. It has the name of the playlist, then the ID of each song in the order they go. Most iPod manipulation programs make this transparent, by having sortable columns for playlists. GNUpod has a special format in GNUtuneDB to manipulate playlists.

However, if one uses a non-GNUpod utility and later uses tunes2pod.pl, the XML file's playlist entry will resemble that of iTunesDB, instead of the expressions originally used.

Because of the special format that GNUpod uses, it can be easy to disrupt the organisation on an iPod.