Yes, many Linux users are into the iPod thing these days. And while there is some stuff you need to be ready for before taking the leap, it’s not really that hard once you get your hands dirty.

This page shows you how to use an iPod with Linux. It’s aimed at Linux purists, i.e. people who don’t want to have to use a Mac or MS Windows-based PC to get going, nor to have to use Wine or any Windows software. (I fall into this category, not because of any religious convictions, but merely because Linux is all I have).

Also, I do not address any of the non-music features (games, calender, etc) in the latest iPods — I regard these as feature creep. Buy a PDA if you want that.

This page is not an iPod advocacy site, although this gadget inspires fanatical levels of adulation from its fans about every detail of its design, as a quick Google or Amazon search will prove. I will say, though, that much of this is well-deserved. Even the cardboard box it comes in is a work of art.

This page assumes that you have reasonable Linux competence. Parts of the information presented here are available elsewhere on the web; I just gathered together what I needed to get up and running. Links to related sites are presented at the bottom. [Read the rest]