Some time ago I was looking for a small MP3 player to use with my Pandora (a machine which always seemed like it was right around the corner... oh those poor kittens!). I envisioned myself storing a collection of music on the SD cards and simply whacking an album on the smaller device for better portability. I wanted something I could slot right in the back with no fussy cables, something that was USB 2.0 and had an internal battery with legs.
Well now! I bought this rather attractive specimin from Ebay for little over £10. I highly recommend one to anybody - especially for the price.
The added bonus is that it works on the Pandora without any additional libraries:
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Step 1 - Download 'rebuild_db'
Rebuild_db is a neat little Python script that can rebuild the music database on an Ipod Shuffle based on music you drag and drop onto the machine. It keeps the original filename and structures intact, unlike Itunes. The author claims it works on other models of Ipod Shuffle, but I've only used it on my first generation model.
Get the files from http://sourceforge.net/projects/shuffle-db/files/
Open the archive and put the file 'rebuild_db.py' onto the root (first folder) of your Ipod Shuffle. It should be noted that the script only works from this location.
Step 2 - Drop some music on there
Copy some music onto your Ipod Shuffle. They can be in subdirectories, or infact anywhere on the Ipod disk. I found transferring was pretty slow using an actual Pandora, but your mileage may vary.
Step 3 - Run the script!
You can do this straight from Thunar. Just right-click on 'rebuild_db.py' and select 'Open with other application'. In the next window choose the option 'Use a custom command' (it's underneath the list) and in the box there type 'python'.
Hit okay.
To run the script, right click and select 'open with' and choose 'open with python'. A file called 'rebuild_db.log.txt' will be generated - feel free read it and find out what the script did, what files it found, and if the database was successfully rebuilt.
Step 4 - Profit!
Your music will now play on your Ipod Shuffle. Congrats! You can freely change the files and hit the script again to 'sync'. You may also wish to remove the Itunes music folder (the one with all the music with numbers for names, silly Apple!) assuming you don't care about it anymore.
If anyone reading this would like a desktop icon, menu entry or keyboard shortcut to 'sync' their Shuffle and not have to fiddle about right-clicking the script... just leave a comment below. I'll write that up if requested. Cheers B)
Well now! I bought this rather attractive specimin from Ebay for little over £10. I highly recommend one to anybody - especially for the price.
The added bonus is that it works on the Pandora without any additional libraries:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step 1 - Download 'rebuild_db'
Rebuild_db is a neat little Python script that can rebuild the music database on an Ipod Shuffle based on music you drag and drop onto the machine. It keeps the original filename and structures intact, unlike Itunes. The author claims it works on other models of Ipod Shuffle, but I've only used it on my first generation model.
Get the files from http://sourceforge.net/projects/shuffle-db/files/
Open the archive and put the file 'rebuild_db.py' onto the root (first folder) of your Ipod Shuffle. It should be noted that the script only works from this location.
Step 2 - Drop some music on there
Copy some music onto your Ipod Shuffle. They can be in subdirectories, or infact anywhere on the Ipod disk. I found transferring was pretty slow using an actual Pandora, but your mileage may vary.
Step 3 - Run the script!
You can do this straight from Thunar. Just right-click on 'rebuild_db.py' and select 'Open with other application'. In the next window choose the option 'Use a custom command' (it's underneath the list) and in the box there type 'python'.
Hit okay.
To run the script, right click and select 'open with' and choose 'open with python'. A file called 'rebuild_db.log.txt' will be generated - feel free read it and find out what the script did, what files it found, and if the database was successfully rebuilt.
Step 4 - Profit!
Your music will now play on your Ipod Shuffle. Congrats! You can freely change the files and hit the script again to 'sync'. You may also wish to remove the Itunes music folder (the one with all the music with numbers for names, silly Apple!) assuming you don't care about it anymore.
If anyone reading this would like a desktop icon, menu entry or keyboard shortcut to 'sync' their Shuffle and not have to fiddle about right-clicking the script... just leave a comment below. I'll write that up if requested. Cheers B)
