by John B. Carnett: Photo by John B. Carnett

Out of the box, the iPod is basically a one-trick pony. The games and applications found under the â€Extras†menu get old faster than Britney. But thanks to four years of work by a crafty group of programmers, you can now use your iPod´s processing power and scroll-wheel interface to play dozens of games, record voice memos, or browse Wikipedia, all without messing up the existing software or your music.

The secret is iPodLinux, an alternative operating system you can install free alongside the existing one on any iPod model. Once geeks-only turf, the Linux option can now be added simply by downloading and double-clicking a new automated installer. Find a few of our favorite new ´Pod
programs below, and see popsci.com/ ipodlinux for detailed instructions and links to the latest apps.

Linux On Your iPod

Cost: Free
Time: 10 Minutes
Easy | | | | |
Hard

1. Download the installer for your computer´s platform (Windows, Linux or Mac) and your iPod model from ipodlinux.org.
2. Connect your iPod in â€disk†mode, and run the installer. Choose which OS you want your iPod to load
   by default.
3. 3. Reset your iPod (on most models, hold down â€menu†and â€selectâ€). Press the â€<<†key during reboot to launch the non-default system.

More Pod Apps

1. Encyclopodia
   (encyclopodia.sourceforge.net)
   
   
   Load all of Wikipedia- searchable and with working links between articles -into less than a gigabyte of space. Note: If you have Encyclopodia, it´s the only Linux app you can run.
2. iDoom
   (idoom.hyarion.com)
   
   
   Play the popular first-
   person shooter Doom with crisp graphics (especially
   on color screens) and an easy-to-use interface. Just download and copy the â€iDoom†folder to your iPod.
3. iBoy (sourceforge.net/projects/iboy)
   
   
   Play nearly all the original Nintendo Game Boy´s classics on your iPod-just search for the ROM files online. The controls can be awkward, but having Zelda on your iPod is worth it.

For more iPodLinux games and tricks, including how to run Encyclopodia with other applications, click on to the next page.