Does the iPad Work With Linux?
The iPad, along with all other Apple products, is designed to work with iTunes on either a Windows or a Mac computer. Unfortunately, the iPad is not one of those devices that you can plug in and use without a hassle in Linux, which is not compatible with iTunes. While certain things are possible to use, and even easy to do, on the iPad with Linux, others require specialized software.
Other People Are Reading
-
Virtualization
-
The only way to get the full functionality out of your iPad while running a Linux machine is to create a virtual machine -- a virtual computer that you run within a program designed to run another operating system within Linux. Linux has several options for virtualization software, including VirtualBox and VM Player. In order to use Windows within a virtual machine, you will need a valid installation CD for Windows. Once installed, you can install iTunes within your Windows virtual machine -- your iPad will interact with it and Windows without being inhibited by Linux. This allows you to purchasing music, sync without hassle and update your firmware whenever prompted by iTunes.
Music
-
The iPad is compatible with Banshee, a music player built for Gnome desktop environments that comes pre-installed with Ubuntu 11.10. According to Paul Ferrill of Linux Planet, once the iPad is connected to your computer via USB, Banshee recognizes the hardware. The program can maintain a sync of music and video between the iPad and Banshee. If you use Ubuntu One's music streaming service, Ubuntu One offers an iPod/iPad application.
-
E-books
-
The e-book management program Calibre does have a Linux-friendly solution for adding your e-books to your iPad without need of a virtual machine. Once you've converted your e-book collection to the iPad-compatible ePub format, you can create a server on your home Wi-Fi network to access your book collection. Click the Connect/Share button in Calibre and select "Start Content Server." If you have Stanza on your iPad, you can open it directly and go to "Get Books" > "Shared" to see the "Books in Calibre" option. For iBooks, go to http://192.168.1.1:8080 in Safari, where "192.168.1.1" reflects your computer's IP -- you can check your IP by entering "ifconfig" in a terminal window. The Calibre library will open as a page. Click the epub button next to the book you want to read.
Sharing Files
-
For easy file transfer between your iPad and your Linux computer, you may want to consider a cloud-based service like Dropbox. Dropbox offers an application for both Linux computers and the iPad, making swapping and editing files between devices simple. You can also use a service like Amazom.com's Cloud Drive, which is entirely browser-based.
Possible Alternatives
-
While the iPad is certainly the hottest tablet on the market, it's by no means the only one out there. If you're dedicated to keeping your Linux machine and still want to get full function from a tablet, you may want to consider another brand. Programmer Jonas Kramer wrote a tutorial about connecting a BlackBerry PlayBook to Linux called "Mounting a BlackBerry PlayBook via USB on Linux." While Amazon.com's Kindle Fire tablet isn't released until November 2011, the third generation of the Kindle e-reader is Linux-friendly -- that trend may continue into Amazon.com's tablet, which uses mass storage via USB. With a market saturated in different tablets trying to compete with the iPad, there's no shortage of potential alternatives.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Andreas Gebhard/Getty Images News/Getty Images
