[Dr.Michael]

Hi,

I planned to buy a shuffle also as a memory stick to take files from my powerbook to my linux box (and back). With the existence of windows capable iPods I thought they might use FAT 32 as a file system. This would be perfect because linux, mac and windows can mount this and thus a FAT32 iPod would be useful also as a universally usable memory stick.

Now a seller told me that the iPod has to be reformated if a windows formated iPod is connected to a mac and acessed by iTunes (I keep my music library on my powerbook). Is that true? That would mean I have to find out how to mount hfs+ on linux (and windows). I tried that before and it didn't look easy. Basically the iPod would not be usable as memory stick outside of the mac world.

Does anybody have experience with an iPod connected to windows and mac and can report?

[Dr.Michael]

Sorry, it seems I was too lazy.

I did a search and found out that it seems to be possible to use a FAT32 formated iPod on a Mac without reformatting. Thats what I assumed. But hey, the seller was a smart one: he knew what I was talking about when I mentioned FAT32 and hfs+ .

Can you please confirm that he was wrong (before I buy a shuffle).

Anyway: I don't use windows, and it would be complicated to format and update an iPod with FAT32. I would have to do that with virtual pc (I only have NT4 on it) or on my work thinkpad (that has a small and unused xp partition).

So has anyone mounted a hfs+ formatted iPod on a X86 linux box? I know it works with ppc linux (yellow dog for example). But suse or redhat? Can you post the fstab entry?

[Big Mac]

Your assumption is correct. The file format of the shuffle is FAT, and it can be used between a PC and Mac with no issue. Other iPods are formatted either as FAT or HFS+, and PCs cannot natively read HFS+. But the shuffle uses FAT exclusively.

[Dr.Michael]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Your assumption is correct. The file format of the shuffle is FAT, and it can be used between a PC and Mac with no issue. Other iPods are formatted either as FAT or HFS+, and PCs cannot natively read HFS+. But the shuffle uses FAT exclusively.

Thanks.
I bought the iPod and it indeed automounts without problems on suse linux 9.2. It is even faster on linux: 16 secs to copy 15 MB from the iPod to the linux drive, 37 sec on Mac OS (both usb1). Well and it has these prehistoric limitations with the name: "Goofys iPod Shuffle" was automatically converted to GOOFYS_I. So I had to use a simple name: iShuffle (now ISHUFFLE) .
Looks more like REAL DOS file format, not FAT 32 if you ask me. Maybe i should try i.Pod .