What is Rockbox?
Rockbox is another alternative to the good original Apple OS. It is also more stable than iPodLinux but a lot of extensions use iPodLinux which makes it as useful as Rockbox.

This OS is constantly improved and easy to use that is why I recommend you install this as well. You can get games, apps and demos.

There are currently two ways to install Rockbox

1. With the installer (Easiest and fastest)
2. The manual way

The installer way

1. Head over to Rockbox.org and Download the automatic installer
2. Download the program that affects you ( if you have windows, download the windows version etc.)
3. Save it somewhere that you will remember (Desktop is recommended)
4. Extract and launch the program

If you are on Vista or Windows 7, right-Click and Run as administrator


5. On the devices box click on Change



6. Click on autodetect (or choose the device you have if you are sure of what you are doing)



7. Click on Language tab and make sure English is selected (or any language you want)



8. Click on “Ok” when you are done ( if it ask you to restart the application just do it)
9. Make sure the device detected is the one you want
10. Click on Complete install then on OK



11. If you get prompt saying that you already have a bootloader and you should reinstall it, Click no if you have iPodLinux



12. It is going to start to the latest build of rockbox + all the extras(font pack, Games including Doom and themes) which is suggested



13. You will prompted with this screen



14. Scroll trough the themes and Ctrl + Click on all the themes you want. If you want all the themes just click on the first on then Shift + Click on the last one
15. Click on install
16. Let the themes download and the installation finish



17. We are almost done
18. Go to start > my Computer > “Your iPod”
19. Open loader.cfg with wordpad
20. Add this line anywhere between “Apple OS @ osos” and the settings option

Rockbox @ (hd0,1)/.rockbox/rockbox.ipod



21. Reboot your iPod and select Rockbox on the menu

The manual way (Pro’s)

1. Get the latest build of Rockbox for your iPod Video

The latest for iPod Video 30 Gig http://build.rockbox.org/data/rockbox-ipodvideo.zip
The latest for the iPod video 60 and 80 Gig http://build.rockbox.org/data/rockbox-ipodvideo64mb.zip

2. Save the file somewhere you will remember (Desktop recommended)
3. Make a folder called Rockbox on your desktop (Optional but makes it simpler)
4. Make sure your iPod is connected
5. Go to start > my Computer > “Your iPod”
6. Extract latest build of rockbox (Previously downloaded) into the root of your iPod (The folder you just opened)
7. The file extracted should be .rockbox
8. (If you already have iPodlinux installed skip to step 9) install bootloader by downloading this http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/ipod/ipodpatcher/win32/ipodpatcher.exe

1. Start the installer and the program will search for the ipod
2. After it found it, Press I and enter

Note: If you want to switch OS, Just reboot the ipod by pressing Menu + center, till the screen turns black and switch the hold button
PS: it will take at least like 30 seconds for the Apple OS to load

9. If you have iPodLinux installed follow this:

1. Go to start > my Computer > “Your iPod”
2. Open loader.cfg with wordpad
3. Add this line anywhere between “Apple OS @ osos” and the settings option

Rockbox @ (hd0,1)/.rockbox/rockbox.ipod



10. Reboot your iPod and you are done

Listening to  songs in Rockbox

1. Go on Rockbox
2. Go to Settings > General Settings > File View > Show Files > Music -> Click center
3. Go to Settings > General Settings > Database > Load to RAM  > Yes -> Click center
4. In the same menu page, Press Initialize Now

To access your songs

1. Go back to the Main Screen
2. Go to Database
3. Leave the Database build

Installing Themes

1. Go to http://themes.rockbox.org/index.php?target=ipodvideo
2. Download the theme you want
3. Extract the theme into the rockbox folder on your desktop
4. Go to start > my Computer > “Your iPod” > .rockbox
5. The theme folders have folders that are the same as the ones in the .rockbox folders. You are going to have to copy the files inside the folders into the corresponding folders on your iPod
6. Disconnect
7. Go on rockbox > Settings > Browse Theme > Select the theme you downloaded

Adding Fonts

1. Download this font pack
2. Go to Start > My Computer > “Your iPod” > .rockbox > fonts
3. Extract the content of the font pack into that folder.

Playing GB and GBC games on your ipod!

1. Download a .gb or .gbc rom from google
2. Go to start > my Computer > “Your iPod”
3. Make a folder called Rom (If you do not have one)
4. Place the .gb or .gbc file in that folder you have just created
5. Eject the iPod and go on Rockbox
6. Go on Files > Rom > the game you have just downloaded
7. It should load

What is the IPL Bootloader?

The iPod Bootloader is a menu that will let you access extra options on your iPod.

For example you can install iPodLinux, RockBox, iBoy, iGPSP, extra themes, Iarcnes and many others. When you install iPodLinux you automatically get a bootloader but the only options that come with it are

1. Apple  OS (The original iPod operating System)
2. iPodLinux (Enables you to launch iPodLinux
3. Sleep (Puts your iPod in deep sleep. To turn on just press and hold menu + center)
4. Disk mode  (Same as when you press and hold center + Play when the iPod is connected. Useful when your computer cannot find your iPod)

As I wrote earlier you can add even more options by editing the Bootloader file and here is how to do it.

Note this works with iPod Video 5G, 5.5G and Nano

Thank to an example of a loader.cfg file provided by Y2KCPI1 I will show you how to edit the file. The file is called loader.cfg and is located in the root of the iPod.

1. Make sure you installed iPodlinux
2. Make sure your iPod is plugged
3. Go to Start > my computer > “Your iPod”
4. Find the file name loader.cfg
5. Right-Click and open with Wordpad

You will see something like this:
#iPodLoader 2.5 config File

Apple OS @ osos

iPodLinux @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin

Sleep @ Standby (To Put The iPod To Sleep)

Disk Mode @ diskmode

6. To add another menu option you must put the code in a new line

Here are all the option you can add/ modify

Note: All the menu choices for iPodLinux, Rockbox, iBoy, IArcnes etc are given in each of the respective tutorials.

#iPodLoader 2.5 config File

backlight = 1 (Backlight On) (Must Be 1)

timeout = 10 (How Long Before It Chooses The Default)

default = 1 (Which One It Chooses If No Response)

# Here Come The Menu Choices:

Apple OS @ osos (This Is The Regular Apple Software)

iPodLinux @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin (This Is If You Have iPodLinux)

Rockbox @ (hd0,1)/.rockbox/rockbox.ipod (For Rockbox)

Sleep @ Standby (To Put The iPod To Sleep)

Disk Mode @ diskmode (To Put The iPod Into Diskmode)

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Extra Settings (These Are Not Required)

debug (To Debug Differnent Settings)

• 1 – print messages to screen and pause for a few seconds before the menu appears or an image is started.
• 2 – print messages to screen and wait for a keypress before the menu appears or an image is started.
• 4 – print messages to screen and pause for a second after each printed line.
• 8 – lines counting from 1 to 15 will be printed. This is to test the scroll feature (see below) .
• 16 – to show a test screen in which you can adjust the contrast, turn backlight on/off and test the keys.

contrast = 0 (The Contrast Used For The Menu Screen It Goes From -10 to +10)

How To Set Colors >> Provide Numbers From 0 – 255 For The Three Colors

bg_color = (red,green,blue) (Menu Background Color)

• (Default is (0,255,128)

hilight_color = (red,green,blue) (Menu Hilight & Selector Color)

• (Default is (128,128,0)

bg_gradient = 1 (To Have A Gradient BG Ranging From Black To The bg_color To Have A Plain Background Just Put 0)

• (Default is (1)

beep_duration 50ms (The Duration Of The Click (Has To Be In milliseconds(1/1000))

beep_period 30 (The Pitch Of The Beep (Could Go From 20 To 40))

You can Also Download an example file that I personally use.
Here is the download link.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/nj0kmeg0ijm/loader.cfg

What is iGPSP?

iGPSP is a Gameboy Advance Emulator for the iPod touch so that you can play “.GBA” roms
Caution: iGPSP runs at about half the regular speed therefore the gaming experience won’t be as good as playing a real Gameboy Advance

Prerequisites: iPodLinux and Bootloader

Click for tutorial

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1. Download this file
2. Save to a place you will remember
3. Make sure your iPod video is connected
4. Go to Start > my computer > “Your iPod”
5. Extract the content of the zip file inside your iPod so that it looks like this



6. Make sure these files, Except “zelda.gba”, are in the GBA folder



7. Search on Google for .gba Roms and Download somewhere you will remember (The file has to have .gba extension)
8. Drag and Drop the rom into the GBA folder
9. Go back to the iPod Root
10. Open the Loader.cfg with wordpad
11. Add this line between “iPodLinux” and “Sleep”

If you want sound to play (Might be slower) add this line

1. iGPSP @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin /mnt/igpsp-with-sound

If you do not want sound add this line

2. iGPSP @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin /mnt/GBA/igpsp-no-sound



12. Save the loader.cfg file and reboot your iPod by pressing Menu + center
13. Select iGPSP from the menu

If you want to load another game while on iGPSP

1. Switch on and switch off the lock button and a menu will appear
2. Go to Load new Game
3. Select your new game and Voila!

iGPSP Problems

Not All Roms work with IGPSP. All the Pokemon games don’t work sorry.

For a full list of compatible games visit

http://ipodlinux.org/wiki/Igpsp/roms

If ever your iPod Freezes, just reboot it and everything should be fine!

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Controls taken from the readme file

In the igpSP menu, the default controls are as followed:
MENU = up
PAUSE/PLAY = down
REWIND = left (on settings)
FAST FORWARD = right (on settings)
CENTRE = selection (of menu item)
HOLD SWITCH = exit menu

In the igpSP menu, if the “Menu scrolling” setting is “On”:
SCROLL LEFT = up
SCROLL RIGHT = down
REWIND = left (on settings)
FAST FORWARD = right (on settings)
CENTRE = selection (of menu item)
MENU = exit menu

In-game, controls are based on wheel touches as well as key
presses. They are as followed.
TOUCH UP = up
TOUCH DOWN = down
TOUCH LEFT = left
TOUCH RIGHT = right
TOUCH UP-RIGHT = A
TOUCH UP-LEFT = B
TOUCH DOWN-RIGHT = start
TOUCH DOWN-LEFT = select
MENU = up + B
PAUSE/PLAY = down + B
REWIND = left + B
FAST FORWARD = right + B
CENTRE = A
HOLD SWITCH = enter menu

In game, if the “Map L/R Triggers” setting is “On”:
REWIND = left trigger
FAST FORWARD = right trigger

In game, if the “Rapid Fire A & B” setting is “On”:
TOUCH UP-RIGHT = A (rapid fire)
TOUCH UP-LEFT = B (rapid fire)

Note that igpSP sometimes freezes when exiting. The
cause of this is unknown but I suspect it is due to
synchronization issues for COP (but I’m not sure).
If this happens, just force reboot your iPod

This tutorial will show you how to install wikipedia on your ipod!

1. Install iPodLinux
2. Download this file and extract its content to your iPod root (Start > my computer > your iPod)
3. Download encyclopodia (be careful it is 1.7 gig) and place it in your ipod under /Wikipodia/encyclopodia/library
4. Go get a cup of coffee or do your groceries because it might take long
5. If you have a loader.cfg file in your root add this line anywhere you want

Wikipedia @ (hd0,1)/linux.bin /mnt/Wikipodia/wikizilla

6. If you dont have one you can download this one and edit it by adding the line in the previous step Download file (Loader.cfg)
7. Save your loader.cfg in the root, eject and reboot!
8. That’s it, now select wikipedia and search what you want!

What is iBoy?

iBoy is a gameboy (.gb) and gameboy color (.gbc) emulator it allows you to play some of them. Attention only .gb and .gbc files are accepted

How to install iBoy

Alright

Prerequisites:

You will need to install ipodlinux + bootloader to do this

1. Download the latest iBoy build. Currently this is the easiest way to install iBoy Download here It comes with pokemon Silver

Alternatively you can check out this link for any new update

2. Open your iPod root in windows

Start -> my computer -> your iPod

3. Now extract the iBoy_install.zip that you previously downloaded so that you have these files in your iPod root
   • 1 folder named gameboy
   • 1 .cfg file named iboy.cfg
   • 1 file named iboy_newkern



4. Now right-click on loader.cfg and add this line of code between iPodLinux and sleep
   

   iBoy @ (hd0,1)/iboy_kernel.bin /mnt/iboy_newkern

You can also Download the one I use but I also have Rockbox installed

5. Google your own roms and add them to the rom folder inside the gameboy folder in your root
   The rom files should be either .gb or .gbc nothing else



6. Reboot your iPod and select iBoy
7. Click on load rom and select the Rom you want to play

If ever you are in game and want to access the menu, just put your iPod on hold and unhold.

If you have any problems, Just comment here or send an e-mail to or
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Controls

Lightly touch:

* Menu: Up

* Play: Down

* Forward: Right

* Rewind: Left

* Center: A

* Upper Right: A

* Upper Left: B

* Lower Right: Start

* Lower Left: Select

* Hold: Menu

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