Using iPad with linux host?

[Eliot Blennerhassett]

Greetings,

does anybody have any experience with iPad + linux?

Through no fault of my own, I may be acquiring an iPad, and wonder if
I'm going to be able to transfer files to and fro, play my collection
of vorbis encoded audio etc, etc?

The irony is that it would be worth^H^H^H^H^H cost more than 3 times
what I paid for my (new) laptop a couple of years ago.

Note: I can google for "ipad linux" as well as anybody, so am looking
for either direct experience, or obscure references.

One reason I bother to ask is that right now I still have the option
of getting something similar, but more open eg. a linux-based tablet
of some sort...

Maybe something from
http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/products/smartbook.htm or
http://www.notionink.in/ (if the vapourware condenses into something
real), or...

or should I not look the gift horse in the mouth, and get the iThing,
and treat it like the closed appliance that it is...

thanks

Eliot

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[Jim Cheetham]

On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 5:54 PM, Eliot Blennerhassett

Post by Eliot Blennerhassett
does anybody have any experience with iPad + linux?

Not directly; but I do know that an iPhone without Windows or OS X is
basically media-less. The device needs iTunes to negotiate with the
App Store from time-to-time; if you don't have iTunes, you can't do
that -- and therefore the device starts to 'lose features' (in
practice that means 'gain anti-features').

IIRC, Apple do not support Vorbis of any sort on the small devices.
They do decoding in hardware only, and refuse to use CPU in case it
"impacts battery life". It's possible that the iPad is more of a
computer than an iPhone, but I doubt it. The old saying goes "an OSX
10.5 cannot changes its spots" ...

Post by Eliot Blennerhassett
One reason I bother to ask is that right now I still have the option
of getting something similar, but more open eg. a linux-based tablet
of some sort...

Mmm ... I doubt that the alternatives can do as much as the iPad ...
but then again, they will not ask you do sacrifice as much on the way.

Personally I think it's a good experiment to live with an Apple device
for a couple of years, so you can see what the fuss is about, and then
realise that it's like junk food -- nice every now and again under the
right circumstances, but on the whole you're far better off without
it.

-jim

PS if anyone wants to make a serious offer for my old jailbroken
iPhone v2 with iOS 2.2.1 on it, let me know ...

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[Simon Green]

Post by Jim Cheetham
Not directly; but I do know that an iPhone without Windows or OS X is
basically media-less. The device needs iTunes to negotiate with the
App Store from time-to-time; if you don't have iTunes, you can't do
that -- and therefore the device starts to 'lose features' (in
practice that means 'gain anti-features').

My iPhone (3GS runing v 4.0.1 OS) is iTunes less[1], and is full of
media goodness. Fedora 13 and Ubuntu 10.04 LTS both support syncing
music from your Linux PC out of the box. I use gtkpod, but all the usual
apps (Amarok, Rhythm Box, etc) should work too. You can use the App
Store and the iTunes applications[2] to purchase applications and music
respectively[3]. No need for a Windows or Mac application to make full
use of an iPhone.

If you have jailbroken your iPhone, you can use ifuse in Linux to access
the iPhone's hard drive directly.

Post by Jim Cheetham
IIRC, Apple do not support Vorbis of any sort on the small devices.
They do decoding in hardware only, and refuse to use CPU in case it
"impacts battery life". It's possible that the iPad is more of a
computer than an iPhone, but I doubt it. The old saying goes "an OSX
10.5 cannot changes its spots" ...

Unfortunately it only support aac and mp3 music files.

-- simon

[1] I did use the Windows application to activate my iPhone and upgrade
to v4.0.1 of the operating system.
[2] iTunes application on the iPhone, not the software on the PC
[3] Although I tend to still my physical media and rip it.

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[Jim Cheetham]

You can use the App Store and the iTunes
applications[2] to purchase applications and music respectively

My iOS 2 phone was able to use its own iTunes application for a long
time, but one day it refused to do anything, even purchase free
applications/music, until I ran a PC copy of iTunes, which I do not
have (and can't be bothered to source). I assume it was related to the
credit card expiring or something ...

I've seen Ubuntu promise to talk to iPhones normally; I suspect a
newer iOS would help.

-jim

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