Reader Ashraf writes: “I was using for some time now all the information that is stored on the iPod’s sysinfo file (under: /volumes/ipodname/ipod-control/device/sysinfo). For one reason or another which I can figure out, Apple has set this file to length 0 with the new firmware and devices released last September. And thus I can not retrieve the iPod Summary info from that file any more. Of course there is another way that calls the device directly and retrieves the iPod info directly (like the Way ITunes does). I hope you can guide me through any helpful hints/tips/methods you know of that can help me identify the connected ipod (without itunes) in terms of its serial number, device name, model family.”
Okay readers. Do you have any helpful tips to send Ashraf’s way? Please leave a comment or send me an e-mail and I’ll forward it on. Thanks!
Go to about this Mac, Click more info...
Select the FireWire section in the System Profile that pops up and you will see, the details of your connected ipod
I just notice that the S/number does not come up in the S.P.
this Apple Script should get the info, its very Basic as I am rushing out. but should work.
set ipod to "No ipod Connected"
set the_pod to ipod
try
set ipod to do shell script "system_profiler SPFireWireDataType ¬
|grep -iA1 Volumes:|grep -iv disk|grep -iv Volumes:"
end try
set datezY to year of (current date) as string
set datezM to month of (current date) as number
set datezD to day of (current date) as number
set connection_date to datezY & "-" & datezM & "-" & datezD
if ipod is not "No ipod Connected" then
set the_pod to ipod & (do shell script "defaults read com.apple.ipod |grep -A4¬
" & connection_date & "| grep -i \"Serial Number\" ¬
|awk -F= '{print \"Serial Number\",$2 }'")
end if
display dialog the_pod
You might take a peek at libipoddevice, which had to do some footwork last month to work around that file being removed (http://banshee-project.org/Subprojects/Libipoddevice)