Unofficial iPhone and iPod touch Sync Coming to Linux
While Apple made a Windows version of iTunes years ago, they still haven’t seen fit to roll out any official syncing solution for our Linux friends. That leaves unofficial solutions, which according to Marcan’s Abort, Retry, Hack? blog, are finally on their way:
- libusb-1.0 provides an advanced API to access USB devices under Linux, replacing the old libusb-0.1 API
- usbmuxd coordinates application access to the device and talks the specific iPhone/iTouch USB protocol
- libiphone implements the Apple-specific protocols that are tunneled through usbmuxd: it can launch services through lockdown, retrieve device info, send notifications, and access the filesystem via AFC.
- iFuse and gvfs-backend-afc both provide access to AFC to regular Linux apps. iFuse does this by mounting via FUSE, while gvfs-backend-afc is obviously a backend for gVFS.
- libgpod (the library that traditionally has managed music databases for iPods) is being extended to support the new SQLite format, the new hash, and also to talk to libiphone to properly put the device in to and out of sync mode.
- Theoretically, actual music players such as Amarok and Rhythmbox will need none or very few modifications to work.
If you’ve got your FOSS-on, and you’re eager to check out this solution, head on over for the details, and then let us know what you think!
[Thanks Brian for the tip!]
October 27th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Nice they need to do something for windows users. Btw first
October 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
iFace iPhone Icons and Email Signature sharable for free. So now you can have your own iFace iPhone Icon that you create. You can call and email from it, you can attach all of your Social Media Sites, including your own website.
October 27th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
So excited for this!!
October 27th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
this article neglected to mention that this is a member of the iPhone Dev Team… Creator of ultrasn0w and pwnage tool. The best pwnage tool for windows is buying an inexpensive imac g4…seriously,
October 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
FINALLY!!!!
October 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Oh man what I would do to get Floola working on my Nano 5g and iPhone 3G. Taking 15mins just to put a 2 hour track on my phone is ridicules. iTunes has to be most bloated inefficient software know to man. I think it even tops Adobe products. I miss being able to run Floola, add a track then be done in 30secs.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
WTF is linux!!! Lol
October 27th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
@ Fanboy. Yup. Decent windows sync client for iPhone that works and plays well with other windows software is desperately needed. iTunes is truly awful.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Wonderful! They seem to be very close for full music use. Pictures already may be moved over to your linux machine.
Hey do guys mean X Windows?
October 28th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Wait a min I thought that iTunes was the melting ice in hell. That’s what re tard steve jobs said. But he doesn’t know that all pc users who use iTunes have an iPod and are obligated to sync with it. I personaly hate iTunes. It’s slow it’s miserable and will never use it unless I need new music on my iPhone. Lol or update it. And it automatically installs safari??? Is apple out of their minds??? And what the hell is bonjour???
October 28th, 2009 at 4:01 am
I love my MAC! I hate winblows!! Ubuntu is excellent!!
October 28th, 2009 at 11:57 am
This is good news for all 3 users of Linux! LOL. Why do people waste time on that operating system when OS X exists? I guess for the same reason that people buy into “ionic bracelets” and believe in astrology. LOL.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I personally have been waiting for this functionality for a long time. I’ve used gtkpod and banshee/amarok in the past to sync older generation ipods. Unfortunatly it appears as though they write the db in a different format, because when syncing that way, integration with my Kenwood Car Stereo becomes unreliable. I’ve been a windows guest in vmware to sync, which sucks even more than using itunes on a windows whitebox.
October 28th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
“This is good news for all 3 users of Linux! LOL. But I am luckily one of the 6 that run OS X so I could care less about this announcement? Why do people waste time on that operating system? I guess for the same reason that people buy into “ionic Macs” and believe they are more secure. LOL.”
BTW, OSX is based on… guess what….. Linux. So apparently your hero Steve is also wasting his time.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:35 am
@ermax18: First, stop feeding the trolls! Second, OSX is based on Unix, not Linux. Close, but no cigar.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I have been waiting for a way to get Ubuntu to sync up with my iPhone. This is great news. You MAC snobs: Macs a good product hands down but you are shackled by what Apple gives you. Linux allows me to keep my favorite Thinkpad for a while longer and that’s money in my bank account and not Microsoft’s or Apple’s. And, how many dozen iPhones would have been sold if they worked only with a Mac OS? The OS trolling doesnt work because there were better out there before many of you were born: Ask Steve Jobs about NeXT. Developers: thanks again for finding a Linux solution.