Hacking iPod Firmware from LINUX

Many of you may realize that iPods (5th gen video and lower) can be customized or hacked. Until now, this process was restricted to Windows users, and it is being further developed from Mac; now Linux users will also have that ability.

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS IS YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! YOU CAN BRICK/BREAK YOUR iPOD - PERMANENTLY...

You have been warned!!

In the picture below, the iPod is a ipod video 30gb (5.5g) It kind of looks like the new 'classic', but it doesn't have to.

Step 1 Getting a firmware

Technically, downloading any firmware is illegal under Apple's EULA - however, modifying your own isn't (I don't think :P).
Being on Linux, you already know you cant get 'legal' firmware updates from iTunes, but you can get them here. Once you have the firmware file from felixbruns or here, you can start modifying them...

Comments

[UbuntuNinja]

Is there a way to instead of downloading the firmware from the internet, copying the firmware binary file strait off of the firmware partition of the iPod and then modifying and flashing it to the iPod? That would be good to know just for those of us that don't want to take our chances with whether or not the download is legal.

[Coggz]

Yes there is, using the command in the instructable but the other way around works:
sudo dd if=/dev/sdXY/ of=path/to/yourfirmware.bin
just change the command like it says in the 'ible.
Enjoy

[UbuntuNinja]

Okay so the "if" part of the command tells bash where to copy from and the "of" part tells it where to copy to? And /dev/sdXY is the path to your ipods firmware partition?

[Coggz]

I think of it as IF = input file and OF = output file (i know they are not both files) and yes, /dev/sdXY is your ipod firmware partition

Please rate my instructable ;P

[hayden966]

isnt OF official firmware?

[Coggz]

not in this case hayden. OF is part of the linux command line option for dd.

[UbuntuNinja]

Thanks, that's really helpful. Sure, I'll definitely rate your Instructable.