Terminal Tips: The iPod's File Structure

Updated Fri, Oct 21, 2005, 12:00 PM·4 min read

I decided to launch the Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/) to take a look at the file structure of the new iPod. I was curious to see if there were any changes from the previous iPods and to see if the video files were stored in a separate directory. The answer to both proved to be no. I had hoped that perhaps I would be able to find a way to have the shows I grabbed off of my Replay TV actually show up under TV Shows, rather than under Movies. Unfortunately, I had no luck with that bit of categorization, which must be hard-coded into the iTMS-purchased TV shows. The video files are all mixed in with the music placed in the F** folders inside the Music folder located inside the iPod_Control directory. The video files are also renamed in the annoying four character file names that the music files have been since Apple started having iTunes scramble the names to make it even more difficult for us to grab our music off of our iPods. The movie file I open with open EPQZ.m4v at the end of the list of commands was an episode of Lost.

Check after the jump to see the full output from my browsing around via the Terminal. Here's a short explanation of the list of commands I used: cd changes the directory, ls lists the files in the current directory, and open opens the file named.

Last login: Fri Oct 21 10:38:19 on ttyp1 Welcome to Darwin! Kurosawa:~ cksampleiii$ cd /Volumes/CKiPod/ Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod cksampleiii$ ls Calendars Contacts Notes Photos iPod_Control Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod cksampleiii$ cd iPod_Control Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ ls Artwork Device Music iPodPrefs iTunes Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd Music Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music cksampleiii$ ls F00 F05 F10 F15 F20 F25 F30 F35 F40 F45 F01 F06 F11 F16 F21 F26 F31 F36 F41 F46 F02 F07 F12 F17 F22 F27 F32 F37 F42 F47 F03 F08 F13 F18 F23 F28 F33 F38 F43 F48 F04 F09 F14 F19 F24 F29 F34 F39 F44 F49 Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music cksampleiii$ cd /Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/ Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ ls Artwork Device Music iPodPrefs iTunes Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd Device Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Device cksampleiii$ ls Preferences SysInfo clock Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Device cksampleiii$ cd /Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/ Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd iPodPrefs -bash: cd: iPodPrefs: Not a directory Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd Photos -bash: cd: Photos: No such file or directory Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd Artwork Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Artwork cksampleiii$ ls ArtworkDB F1028_1.ithmb F1029_1.ithmb Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Artwork cksampleiii$ cd /Volumes/CKiPod/ Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod cksampleiii$ ls Calendars Contacts Notes Photos iPod_Control Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod cksampleiii$ cd Photos Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/Photos cksampleiii$ ls Photo Database Thumbs Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/Photos cksampleiii$ cd /Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/ Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ ls Artwork Device Music iPodPrefs iTunes Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control cksampleiii$ cd Music Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music cksampleiii$ ls F00 F05 F10 F15 F20 F25 F30 F35 F40 F45 F01 F06 F11 F16 F21 F26 F31 F36 F41 F46 F02 F07 F12 F17 F22 F27 F32 F37 F42 F47 F03 F08 F13 F18 F23 F28 F33 F38 F43 F48 F04 F09 F14 F19 F24 F29 F34 F39 F44 F49 Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music cksampleiii$ cd F49 Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music/F49 cksampleiii$ ls AMOB.mp3 FCIU.mp3 JUYZ.m4a PQRX.mp3 VDEG.m4a ANCH.mp3 FOFU.mp3 KAAT.mp3 PXTR.mp3 VFVQ.m4p AOEE.mp3 GJHH.m4a KDNG.mp3 PZXG.m4p VWTC.mp3 BJUI.m4v GKKM.m4a KOPZ.mp3 QESX.mp3 WHQD.mp3 BNHR.mp3 GPGX.m4p LCZG.mp3 QGNC.m4p WQER.m4a CBZT.mp3 GQLI.mp3 LDKE.m4a QUWG.m4a WXHP.mp3 CCOC.mp3 GVEG.mp3 LDMZ.m4p RHVO.mp3 WZTB.mp3 CCRI.m4a GWWG.m4a LDOE.mp3 RWPX.m4p XBGP.m4a COKL.m4a HHHX.m4p MFXH.mp3 SEEU.mp3 XJDW.m4a DFYX.m4p HIQS.m4p MIFL.mp3 SKJH.m4a XQRP.m4a DGJQ.mp3 HOHT.m4p MJGM.mp3 SORV.m4a XQVO.m4a DHRY.mp3 HSBN.mp3 MNJV.mp3 TNMZ.m4a XSUN.m4a DSRL.mp3 IGPR.m4p MUSK.m4p TPIV.m4a XUVO.m4p DVIX.mp3 ILQB.mp3 MYPA.m4p TZHJ.mp3 XYPS.m4p DVOG.mp3 IPIB.m4a NHSL.m4p UBTF.m4a YNNA.mp3 DVWB.m4a IQEN.m4p NPLF.mp3 UHXZ.m4a YWLK.mp3 EACR.m4a IREM.m4a NQVT.mp3 UNDQ.mp3 YXXC.mp3 EHRS.m4a JHDM.m4p NWPB.m4a UPOA.mp3 ZBFH.m4p EPAI.mp3 JIHC.mp3 OEJP.m4a UTFB.mp3 ZDPW.mov EPQZ.m4v JKKB.m4p OHSM.m4a UZJR.mp3 ZEEM.m4a EVPM.mp3 JOTW.m4a PCJV.m4v VBVC.m4a Kurosawa:/Volumes/CKiPod/iPod_Control/Music/F49 cksampleiii$ open EPQZ.m4v

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Terminal Tips: The iPod's File Structure

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