A bootloader is the first lines of code that run when starting up a device. By default on an iPod, Apple's own bootloader will launch. This allows the device to load the stock operating system.
But, there are custom made bootloaders that you can put onto an iPod. These custom bootloaders allow the user to switch between different operating systems and have a custom look upon boot.
The following is a list of the bootloaders available:
| Name | Dual Boot Into Stock OS? | Rockbox Support? | Graphical Interface? | Device Compatibility | Extra Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Apple Bootloader | n/a | no | no | All Devices | |
| Rockbox Bootloader | yes | yes | no | iPod 1-7G, Nano 1-2G, Mini 1-2G | |
| iPodLoader | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| iPodLoader 2 | yes | yes | yes | iPod 1G-5.5G, Nano 1G-2G, Mini 1-2G | |
| emCore bootloader | no | yes | yes | iPod Classic 6/7G, Nano 2G, Nano 3G-4G (partial support) |
Resources
emCORE page (FreeMyiPod Project): https://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/Main_Page
iPodLoader2: http://www.ipodlinux.org/Loader_2/
iPodLoader 2 Most Updated Release (unofficial): https://github.com/crozone/ipodloader2/releases/tag/v2.8
Rockbox homepage: https://www.rockbox.org/
iPod Loader (original) code: https://github.com/iPodLinux/ipodloader