Installing Scrollwheel OS
Scrollwheel OS is our own firmware for the iPod, written from scratch. It sits beside Apple’s firmware (and Rockbox) and never replaces them.
Before you start: Rockbox’s bootloader
Section titled “Before you start: Rockbox’s bootloader”Scrollwheel OS is started by Rockbox’s bootloader, so install Rockbox first. (There is also our own Scrollwheel bootloader, an experimental option.) Without one, the app says “Install Rockbox first: its bootloader is what starts Scrollwheel OS.”
Install
Section titled “Install”- Connect the iPod and open the Firmware tab.
- In the Experimental: Scrollwheel OS panel, tap Install Scrollwheel OS Preview.
- When it’s done, the app tells you how to start it.
It puts these files on the iPod’s music disk:
/linux.bin: Scrollwheel OS itself (the name Rockbox’s bootloader looks for)/.scrollwheel/state.bin: a small fixed file where Scrollwheel OS keeps its place and settings/.scrollwheel/games/…: its built-in game data
If /linux.bin already belongs to something else (such as iPodLinux), the app leaves it alone
and tells you.
Later, the panel offers Update and Remove. Themes and settings are on the
Firmware › Scrollwheel OS pages, and the app writes them to /.scrollwheel/.
Start it
Section titled “Start it”With Rockbox’s bootloader:
| Held while the iPod turns on | What starts |
|---|---|
| Nothing | Rockbox |
| Play (until the screen changes) | Scrollwheel OS |
| Hold switch on, or Menu | Apple’s firmware |
To leave Scrollwheel OS, hold Menu for two seconds, then let go. The iPod restarts.
Starting Scrollwheel OS by default
Section titled “Starting Scrollwheel OS by default”Tick Start Scrollwheel OS when the iPod turns on and type SWAP to confirm. The roles swap: Scrollwheel OS starts when nothing is held, and Play starts Rockbox.
Remove it
Section titled “Remove it”Firmware › Scrollwheel OS › Remove takes it off. Your music isn’t touched.