Sometimes it can be difficult to manage your iPod in Linux without hacking iTunes on your Ubuntu machine. Today we take a look at using the popular music player Amarok to mange your iPod on Ubuntu.

This article shows how you can use an iPod on a Linux desktop with Amarok. It covers how you can upload MP3 files from your desktop to your iPod, download MP3 files from your iPod to your desktop, and how you can delete files on the iPod. Normally, Apple's iTunes software is needed to manage an iPod, but iTunes is not available for Linux.

Since there is no Linux version of iTunes, Linux users have to fall back on gtkpod, Amarok, Rhythmbox or Banshee to sync their iPOD. However, in the later version of iPOD, which include iPOD Classic and iPOD nano 3rd gen, there is a change in the firmware that resulted in conflict between iPOD and the syncing software. While it is possible to transfer songs from Amarok (and other software) to the iPOD, the iPOD just don’t register any songs in it.

Amarok is a popular audio player under Linux. It can manage external storage devices, transfer music to your iPod, display lyrics, and play various formats. Although Amarok supports scripts to extend its functionality, not many users know about the powerful features that these simple plugins can provide.

The article I am writing is about PCLinuxOS, but probably is not very different for other Linux distributions. A few weeks ago I installed PCLinuxOS for the first time and was impressed by the ease of stabilizing my internet connection and the speed of installation. Since that first day PCLinuxOS managed to surprise me several other times.

“I am pleased to announce the younger sibling site, PCLinuxOS CN catering for Chinese users of PCLinuxOS. It’s main purpose is to provide Chinese users of PCLinuxOS a place they can be comfortable with in posting questions and problems with PCLinuxOS, a home for PCLinuxOS Chinese experts to help out, and a launchpad to any Chinese-related PCLinuxOS projects.

Amarok gained its huge popularity due to a vast number of features and very good functionality, like a complex collection management, support for iPod and several other MP3/OGG players, integration with Wikipedia, lyrics fetching, and another great number of features.

Amarok was my favorite for a long time. But when the new Amarok 2.0 series started coming in, I was left with no option but to leave my beloved music player in Ubuntu. Amarok 1.4 was by far the best music player I ever had in Linux. After a long time I gave a try at the latest Amarok 2.3.1 in Ubuntu, and I have to say, this is impressive work.

In version 2.4.1, they've fixed many bugs and corner-case crashes, so your Amarok will be more rock-steady than ever. Lyrics iPod handling both got some love, along with remote collections. Also, you can now better preview your changes in the Organize Collection feature.