[Maverick] Rhythmbox/gtkpod can't write to iPad music database

[Delan Azabani]

Rhythmbox and gtkpod are currently able to fully read and write the iPod databases. However, though the iPad uses a very similar database, and is claimed to be supported by these applications (you can choose the xC497 model in the database setup), there are some problems stopping the writing to the library.

Upon any database interaction (loading the iPad, adding music or videos, deleting items) a warning appears: "Unsupported checksum type". The iPad says that it is syncing, but no changes take effect. I have noticed though, that the files are correctly manipulated in the filesystem: deleting an item makes it unplayable (as there is no file) but still listed in the database. Adding an item copies the file, but fails to add to the database.

After doing a bit of googling and code searching, I came across this thread:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1481799

>Will the iPad (using OS 3.2) work with libimobiledevice?
>Yes it will. We tested access and all tools work as expected. Changes are in GIT
>and support arrives in the next releases.
>
>So everything works?
>Not everything. The iPad uses a “DBVersion 5″ for it’s music database and apparently
>a new hash algorithm. However, we’re already looking into it and hope to have
>everything working before iPhone OS 4.0 arrives to keep people syncing fine.

This thread was a little while ago, but no further achievement has been made concerning the writing to the database.

[Julien Lavergne (gilir)]

Thank you for your bug report.
About writing to the database, it's a problem with libgpod. Support for iPad in libimobiledevice should already be available, but the support sync music database it's still missing in libgpod.

[John Watson (bcch)]

Just wanted to say that I am experiencing this same bug. Thanks to all who are / were working on this.

[Stephan Krinetzki (therealkings)]

Same here with the latest libimobeldevice from the PPA.

[Todd Carey (todd421)]

Same issue here, using libimobiledevice ppa:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pmcenery/ppa/ubuntu maverick main

ipad 64 xB294

[Martin Bartlett (martin-j-bartlett)]

AND Same HERE - BUT with an iPod 4G iOS 421 xC540 (and all the latest libimobiledevice packages installed)

And THUS this is no longer a wishlist item, IMHO, but an bonfide bug.

[DChill (dchill42)]

Also waiting on this fix. iPod Touch 4G iOS 4.2.1 (8C148) hooked up to Maverick with all the libs recommended in the pmcenery solution. Rhythmbox happily displays the iPod and transfers songs to it, which do indeed end up on the device. However, the debug output reports the following about the database write:

** (rhythmbox:18415): CRITICAL **: itdb_splr_validate: assertion `at != ITDB_SPLAT_UNKNOWN' failed
libitdbprep: itdb_iphone_stop_sync called
itdb_iphone_stop_sync: posted syncDidFinish

(rhythmbox:18415): Rhythmbox-WARNING **: Could not write database to iPod: Unsupported checksum type

I thought I finally had a workable combination of iPod and Linux after many years of frustration, but alas - a checksum still stands in the way.

[Brandon Rhodes (brandon-rhodes)]

My iPod, with OS version 4.1, shows this same symptom, which seems to prevent me from using Rhythmbox or gtkpod or either remove songs or add songs to the device.

[Andrey (iloveeclipse)]

Same with ipod nano touch (6G), Ubuntu 11.10. Can see and delete files, but database is not updated due the checksum error.

less /media/IPOD/iPod_Control/Device/SysInfo
ModelNumStr: xC525
FirewireGuid: 000A270022A61EFE

uname -a
Linux pinguin 3.0.0-14-generic #23-Ubuntu SMP Mon Nov 21 20:28:43 UTC 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

On startup of gtkpod I see the error dialog with the title "Import Repository Errors" and content: "Extended info will not be used". After creating a playlist or adding/deliting music and clicking "Save all changes" I also see "Unsupported checksum type" error dialog.

Additionally I can see this errors in the log file (on ipod connecting to the PC):
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47941.993490] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] Spinning up disk....ready
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.798581] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] 1926080 4096-byte logical blocks: (7.88 GB/7.34 GiB)
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.799302] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.799308] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 68 00 00 08
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.800053] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] Write cache: disabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.801418] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] 1926080 4096-byte logical blocks: (7.88 GB/7.34 GiB)
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.804157] sdb: sdb1
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.806147] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] 1926080 4096-byte logical blocks: (7.88 GB/7.34 GiB)
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin kernel [47943.807433] sd 14:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
01/07/12 08:06:28 PM pinguin udevd[7896] error opening ATTR{/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.6/2-1.6:1.0/host14/target14:0:0/14:0:0:0/block/sdb/idVendor} for writing: No such file or directory

[Sub (blackbox)]

ipad 2 (v5.0) and iphone 4 (5.1)
"(rhythmbox:23007): Rhythmbox-WARNING **: Could not write database to iPod: Unsupported checksum type"

[Mario Frasca (mfrasca)]

on ubuntu 14.04.
iPad "1", Version 5.1.1(9B206), Model MB292NF
Songs 0, VIdeos 0

attaching log