There are several steps to this guide.
1. Get all the software
2. Install it in the correct order
3. Make sure it is working at each stage before installing the next item
Firstly the software:
Mint 7 http://www.linuxmint.com/
VMware Player (for Linux) http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
iTunes 9 (for Windows) http://www.apple.com/itunes/
QuickTime 7 (for Windows) http://www.apple.com/downloads/
Windows XP SP2 Virtual machine image -
You may be able to acquire this through one of the torrent, usenet, rapidshare or similar sites. There used to be a site http://www.easyvmx.com which would make a skeleton Virtual machine that XP could be installed into but as of a little while ago (from Oct. 2009) that site was unavailable. VMware wil give a 30 day trial of VMware Workstation which is capable of creating Windows XP Virtual Machines (provided you have a Windows XP CD & serial number).
Now installing the software - Mint:
Install Mint 7 onto your computer, make sure it's working well. Install the graphics drivers if you need to, check the internet connection etc...
Install VMware Player onto your Mint 7 system http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=25542
Run VMware Player {Menu; All Applications; Administration; VMware Player; Open an existing Virtual Machine} and tell it to open your "WinXP-ProSP2.vmx" (or whatever it's called) file.
Be sure that the latest version of VMtools is installed/running. (I think you'll need 'Workstation to do this if it has not been installed into your Virtual Machine.) You should see a VMtools icon in the Bottom Right corner of your Windows window (inside the VMware window).
Here's a copy of (part of) my "WinXP-ProSP2.vmx" file. Yours WILL be different.
(You should edit your ".vmx" file when the Virtual Machine IS NOT running.)
((You can 'comment out' lines in your .vmx file by inserting a * at the start of the line.))
Code: Select all
.encoding = "UTF-8"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "7"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
memsize = "640"
. . . .
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "true"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.virtualDev = "es1371"
sound.fileName = "-1"
sound.autodetect = "TRUE"
. . . .
usb.generic.autoconnect = "FALSE"
usb.autoConnect.device1 = ""
scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16"
usb.pciSlotNumber = "17"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "18"
sound.pciSlotNumber = "19"
ehci.pciSlotNumber = "20"
usb:0.present = "TRUE"
usb:1.present = "TRUE"
usb:1.deviceType = "hub"
usb:0.deviceType = "mouse"
usb.autoConnect.device0 = ""Make the memsize about half your RAM and/or between 512 & 1024
The usb.present = "TRUE" and the ehci.present = "true" are important.
Set these: usb.generic.autoconnect = "FALSE" and usb.autoConnect.device1 = "" but (I think) the VMware Player sets the 'SlotNumber' items.
Your (Windows XP) VM needs to be able to find your Nano as a USB device before you can expect iTunes to recognise it.
Your Apple iPod Nano 5G:
Plug your Nano into a USB2 port in your computer.
My Mint automatically finds the Nano and mounts it and then Rythmbox (and something else) offers to open the Nano. You DO NOT want any of your Linux apps to connect to your Nano, so cancel theses windows. On your Desktop you will see a "Nano" icon. Right click on it and 'Unmount Volume'.
Now, the VMware window:
In the Bottom Right corner of the VMware window you will see several icons. If you hover your cursor over the icons they will say things like: Floppy; CD/DVD IDE; etc... Some may/will have a red X. These are not connected. If you click on the you are able to Connect them.
Connect the Apple iPod.
You may be invited (I was) to install new software for the device. I told it to automatically do this from the internet, so I am not sure quite what happened or what was installed in this step but something was downloaded & installed.
Check that your WinXP VM is able to see your Nano (R-click on 'Start'; Explorer; My Computer should show the Nano under 'Removable Devices').
Install the software in the VM:
Copy the QuickTime and iTunes installer files to your VM. If you are NOT able to drag-n-drop then you DO NOT have VMtools installed & configured correctly.
Run the installer for QuickTime 7 & accept the various defaults. (As a general rule I DO NOT tell these things to update themselves!) I am not positive that this is necessary but I did get an error, when I was trying to get it all to work, to the effect that iTunes needed QuickTime.
Run the installer for iTunes.
Run iTunes
Check that it will find some MP3s etc... on your VM & play them (to check your sound in the VM).
Do a diagnostic check: Help; Diagnostics
Restart the VM. (VMware Player now gives you the option to Play the VM you were using before.)
do not know exactly what was installed.
In Itunes (in XP on the VM) you are able to run the Diagnostic checks again. It STILL would not find my (daughter's) Nano 5G but the help offered by Apple fixed this. You have to stop the iPod service and re-start it.
In Win XP do: Start; Settings; Control Panel; Administrative Tools; Services Find the iPod service. Stop it. Restart it.
Start iTunes and it should see your iPod.
Enjoy.
PS. The above is 'from memory' over several days & lots of reading. Quite frankly, I couldn't be bothered to do it all again to get the above exactly right, so there may be bits I have left out and/or placed in the wrong order. I DO know that there are easier ways to do bits of the above but this is what worked/works for me.
If you find this useful then that's great. The best way that this favour can be returned is to post your ideas/enhancements/suggestions below and to make your own tutorials & How To posts. That wat we are all enriched.