Syncing Music Players In Linux?

Daengbo writes "I recently sold my old laptop to a friend, and she asked me to keep Ubuntu on it rather than installing Windows for her. To help her with the transition, I wrote two intro lessons for her, but we've hit a stumbling block. The iRivier Clix (4GB) she's been using syncs with Windows Media Player. My research shows that the model has both an MTP for the sync and a UMS mode which acts as a mass storage device. Rhythmbox's 'Scan Removable Media' doesn't pick up anything from the USB mass storage device, and although Syncropated claims to support these types of devices, it doesn't find any supported devices. Unless you use an iPod, this appears to be a real weak point in the Linux desktop. Do you sync your mass storage devices and music players? What do you use?"

Comments

What do you use?

[Rik Sweeney]

Amarok

I never liked the iRiver

[bssteph]

My experience with iRivers is a bit old (it's before there was a libmtp), but here goes.

libmtp should work, in the normal "well, it's supposed to work" sense, (as listed at http://libmtp.sourceforge.net/index.php?page=compa tibility) but note I've never used that model. The sparse Syncropated page doesn't say if it actually *uses* libmtp, and in fact, I can't see any mention of MTP on their website; it only mentions mass storage.

My iRiver required some incantation when turning on the device to put it into mass storage mode, I would assume this is still the case. I think you had to hold stop while turning it on, but it's been so long and it was so immediately frustrating that I've purged that experience from my brain. It could have been anything.

Since this is an Ask article... I use an iAudio X5 (http://www.cowonglobal.com/product/product_X5_fea ture.php). The mother company is Korean, so the website and docs can be a bit funny with the English at times, but otherwise it's a great product. Rockbox (http://www.rockbox.org/) is a safe firmware replacement, and it also, well, rocks. In either firmware, the device is a simple mass storage device (with no funny business other than an obnoxious adapter necessary for USB), and KDE ([insert dig on Gnome]) picks it up immediately.

For actually syncing, I'm a junkie for simplicity: I use rsync and a directory full of symlinks to the music I want.

AmaroK.

[MoOsEb0y]

I use AmaroK. It works with my 4g iPod and my Blackberry Pearl. It will sync any generic mass storage device also. I'd give it a try.

I haven't tried it but ...

[eldavojohn]

... this doesn't work?

From that project:

Unless otherwise noted, projects support all iRiver iFP devices. Users have reported successfully accessing models iFP-1xx,3xx,5xx,7xx,8xx,9xx and N10. We don't anticipate difficulty supporting future models.

(Note: iRiver offers 'UMS' firmware for some iFP models. Devices running UMS firmware are compatible with generic USB Mass Storage drivers, and do not need any of the drivers mentioned here.)

Personally, (most) MP3 players I've hooked up to Linux through a USB have been recognized as just plain old drives. You put the MP3 in the right folder (sometimes takes testing) and there it is, ready to play.

Re:Please -- Mount Man

[grev]

Mounting won't do it for a lot of players. I have a Samsung YH-925 and although it functions as a UMS, when files are copied to the player they are not indexed, meaning you can't play any music without syncing it through a program like Windows Media Player.

Try looking on...

[Zwack]

Anything but Ipod The forums are very helpful...

Some people in the Sandisk Sansa E200 Linux forum have run MTP Mode on Linux...

Z.

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