Hack An iPod.

Are you dissatisfied with your iPod's standard capabilities? Why not install one of the two major alternative operating systems: iPodLinux or Rockbox. Both are open source and free, though they have some quirks and aren't for the faint of heart. But don't worry, it's unlikely that you'll damage your iPod by mucking with the firmware. Rockbox, in particular, can help you get access to lots of sound-enhancement and customization features.

iPodLinux is based on a variant of Linux called uClinux; Podzilla is the most popular GUI (graphical user interface) for it. The project's goal is to let you run Linux (and compatible apps) on a portable storage device—simply because you can. There are music player programs for iPodLinux, but these format-specific apps tend to be glitchy. Rockbox, on the other hand, was created from scratch and lets you customize your MP3 player as much as possible. Rockbox is also a bit rough around the edges, but the developers' main focus is the music player, and a growing list of plug-ins gives you access to games and other fun apps.

iPodLinux works with all Windows- and Mac-formatted iPods except the shuffle, though the fifth-generation iPod and the nano are currently unsupported by the iPodLinux team, so things may not work quite right on those models. Rockbox supports only Windows-formatted iPods with the click wheel (fourth generation and newer, as well as the mini and nano), but the installer runs on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows XP.

The good news: iPodLinux and Rockbox can coexist (along with the original Apple firmware) on a single iPod. In fact, having iPodLinux installed makes it infinitely simpler to install Rockbox. Since Rockbox requires a Windows-formatted iPod, we're going to start by formatting your iPod with the FAT32 file system, so you'll need access to a Windows PC. Then we'll install iPodLinux, and then Rockbox on top of that.

Development on these systems seem to be creepy-crawly-paced, and have received little updates over the past few years. Even so, I tried it on my nano and it truly shows how much computing power Apple stuffs into their little devices. The number of add-ons and truly astounding as well and let's just say you'll start spending hours on your iPod... all over again!