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So you want to explore Linux, or create a LAMP environment for web development without having to re-partition your internal drive or try some flakey Boot Camp hack to triple-boot your Mac? Can it be done? I decided to find out...

Limited for time? Read Installing Ubuntu step 10 first.

The ingredients

• 1 x good-for-nothing first generation 5 GB iPod with a dud battery;
• 1 x Ubuntu 5.10 for PC install CD-ROM;
• 1 x Intel Mac mini with Tiger 10.4.6 and Windows XP (via Boot Camp) installed;
• 1 x Firewire cable.

Preparing the iPod

1. Connect the iPod via Firewire.
2. Enter Disk Mode: hold down the Menu and Play keys and, when the Apple icon has appeared, immediately hold down the Rewind and Forward buttons.
3. Open Disk Utility, select the iPod and choose Partition.
4. Choose 1 Partition as the Volume Scheme; name the volume; choose UNIX File System and then Partition.

   

Installing Ubuntu

1. Insert the Ubuntu install CD into the Mac.
2. Restart the Mac, holding down the letter "C" to boot from the CD.
3. At the boot prompt press Return for a default installation.
4. Work through the standard Ubuntu installation screens.
5. When you get to the "Partition Disks" screen, make sure your iPod is selected and press Return.

   

6. At the warning hit the left arrow key then Return.
7. Sit back and enjoy the creeping progress bar, then work through user configuration. A few more progress bars later the Mac will spit out the CD.
8. Hit Return to "Continue" and hold down the Option (Alt) key as your Mac restarts.
9. You should see a Firewire disk icon, oddly labelled "Windows". Select it with the arrow key and press Return.

   

10. Bugger! You'll boot into XP. Weird.

So close, yet so far: we have an installation onto the iPod, but can't boot from it. Does anyone know exactly why this doesn't work? I know there probably needs to be some kind of Mac partition on the iPod (or other external Firewire disk, for that matter). Someone must know how to make it work...

Meanwhile, in a Parallel universe...

There is an alternative—Parallels Desktop (free trial key available) will let you load Ubuntu onto its virtual machine. In use it seems no different to the Ubuntu installation running on my aging Dell laptop. Getting this working is a snap:

1. First, restore your iPod to factory settings using Apple's iPod Software Updater.
2. Install the Intel-only app on the iPod then open it.
3. Create a new virtual machine.
4. Choose Guest OS Type; Linux and Guest OS Version: Debian Linux, then Next.

   

5. Point the Configuration file to your iPod (e.g. /Volumes/LinuxPod/debian.pvs).

   

6. If you have a 5 GB iPod, you'll see a warning advising you that the specified size of the virtual hard disk exceeds free space available on the target host disk. You can either go back and create a custom VM (e.g. 4 GB in size), or just click Yes.
7. Click the "Play" button (well, that's what it looks like) and after the message about no boot device, load the Ubuntu CD then hit Return for a default installation

   

8. Work through the standard Ubuntu installation.

It may not boot your Mac, but you should end up with a working installation of Ubuntu that you can carry around with you and run just by plugging into a receptive Intel Mac. And that old iPod now has a purpose in life.

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