[BALUG-Talk] iTMS stuff on Linux

[Rick Moen]

Quoting John Mark Walker (johnmark at johnmark.org):

> Having said that, let me add one piece to this discussion that I've been
> playing with - from CPAN, I've noted the existence of Audio::M4P::Atom
> and Audio::M4P::QuickTime, which when used in conjunction with
> LWP::UserAgent::iTMS_Client will supposedly allow one to access the
> iTunes Music Store, download your keys, unlock an M4P, and then strip
> it.

I'm soon going to turn this topic into a real page in my knowledgebase
(run it through my HTMLising Python script).  Meanwhile, thank you for
the addition, which I'm citing as follows:


---<snip>---

CPAN M4P and iTMS_Client modules
Perl's CPAN repository includes William Herrera's Perl package Audio::M4P
(encompassing Perl modules Audio::M4P::Atom, Audio::M4P::Decrypt, and
Audio::M4P::QuickTime), which when used in conjunction with
Herrera's LWP::UserAgent::iTMS_Client allows one to access
iTMS, download your keys, purchase Veridisc FairPlay-encrypted AAC
files (.m4p = encrypted AAC), and then strip them to regular AAC (.m4a) files.
http://search.cpan.org/~billh/LWP-UserAgent-iTMS_Client-0.16/lib/LWP/UserAgent/iTMS_Client.pm
http://search.cpan.org/~billh/Audio-M4P-0.42/ Perl atoms for dealing
with M4P/MP4/M4A QuickTime audio and video files, a library for decryption
of Veridisc FairPlay encryption present on most iTMS AAC files, Perl
M4P/MP4/M4a audio / video tools, and documentation.
http://search.cpan.org/~billh/  (Check this page for newer releases.)

---<snip>---

John Mark (and others), corrections/additions from people who've
actually used this code are always welcome.


> The other bit of nastiness with iPods has to do with inane methods to
> prevent multiple devices from updating one iPod. Since I update our
> iPod with Amarok, iTunes on Windows will happily delete everything I
> added before re-syncing with the master iTunes index. There are ways
> around that, but it's just stupid.

So, I'm also adding an "Are you sure you want to do that?" paragraph to
the bit about running iTunes for Win32 under WINE:

---<snip>---

Note one dire disadvantage of using iTunes (on any OS) to manage
Apple iPods:  It considers each iPod tied to iTunes's (undocumented,
proprietary) "library" (set of downloaded sound files, or iTunesDB,
which gets maintained in both the iTunes application's own files and
on the iPod if any), and therefore will wipe out any sound files
installed into the iPod by other means (absent measures to also add
a record of the sound files into the iTunes library, overcoming Apple's
occasional changes to library file formats such as adding SHA1 hashes
aka checksums in late 2007, and causing iTunes to report that the
iPod has zero tracks if the checksums don't match -- which feature was
reverse-engineered two days later, but that sort of thing can
happen again).  Sticking to iTunes-alternative applications (below)
to manage one's iPods eliminates this entire class of problem.
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/14/new-ipods-reengineer.html


---<snip>---


The topic is complex because of issues introduced by Apple's DRM handcuffs
and iTunesDB lockin, and also the fact that not all iTMS customers have
or care about iPods.

In line with my knowledgebase's, er, grand tradition, my docs don't say
"Don't do this; it's dumb", but _do_ try to warn you what you're getting
into with each alternative.

> Unfortunately, I've had to go this route because my wife bought from
> iTunes before realizing that the most recent versions of encrypted
> M4P's won't play on our iPod's firmware. 

I'm sure the newer iTunes software will happily reflash the iPod's
firmware to update the handcuffs^W^W^W add exciting new features.