iTunes on (Arch) Linux: installation guide

itunes-on-arch-linux-guide.md

Prerequisites

1. Enable the multilib repository by editing /etc/pacman.conf
2. Install WineHQ and some other optional dependencies:

   $ pacman -Syu wine
   $ pacman -S --asdeps lib32-mpg123 lib32-gnutls {lib32-,}gst-plugins-base-libs \
                        lib32-alsa-plugins lib32-libpulse lib32-openal
   $ yay -S lib32-unixodbc # or your favourite AUR helper

3. We'll install a 64-bit version of iTunes, so no need to set WINEARCH

What iTunes version

Version 12.8 seems to work fine. I had troubles making more recent >=12.9 versions work (see here). Same for older versions (e.g. 12.5), I could not log in to the Apple Store. So find yourself the (64-bit) iTunes64Setup12.8.exe installer somewhere on the internet.

Install and Run

Just

$ wine /path/to/iTunes64Setup12.8.exe

And go through the procedure. Start iTunes with

$ wine .wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/iTunes/iTunes.exe

Issues

1. No playback: solved with

   Preferences > Playback > Play Audio Using > Direct Sound
   

2. CD-ROM detection: to make Wine aware of your CD-ROM unit:

   $ mkdir /mnt/cdrom
   $ ln -s /mnt/cdrom ~/.wine/dosdevices/z:
   $ echo '/dev/sr0 /mnt/cdrom iso9660 defaults,user,noauto 0 0' > /etc/fstab
   $ systemctl reboot

   Check if the /dev/sr0 device really represents your CD-ROM unit. The CD pops up in iTunes only if the CD is inserted before starting the program.

Thanks for sharing this!

I just want to add a few notes from my installation experience:

• If you're running 64 bit, you must download the 64bit installer, and use wine64 instead of wine command
• Download older versions of iTunes from here: https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/ITunes
• For all my efforts, I couldn't get iTunes to see my old iPod, but it was worth a shot

Thanks for the notes, @dlford. I've never been able to make it detect my old iPod classic too, sadly. By the way, did you manage to make it detect CD-ROMs? I don't know what happened by I cannot make it work anymore since a while...

@gipert I don't even have a CD-ROM drive, so unfortunately I can't test that, sorry!

when i open the window the whole window is black with barely visible text, how do you fix this

@dlford What's the latest version you were able to get running?

when i open the window the whole window is black with barely visible text, how do you fix this

According to this wine bug report it looks like when iTunes can't find a theme it defaults to a (very bad) dark mode.

I couldn't detect my both my iPad and iPhone when I did this, tried both yes and no for the Autorun option when running through the setup, did the IOS pairing guide on Arch wiki, still not working. I think I'll just reside to using iTunes on Windows

Here is a link to a version of iTunes which does not have the completely black screen.
https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/itunes12/091-45357-20180123-72201840-FFEA-11E7-92F9-85B67CCC33A9/iTunes64Setup.exe

Here is a link to a version of iTunes which does not have the completely black screen. https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/itunes12/091-45357-20180123-72201840-FFEA-11E7-92F9-85B67CCC33A9/iTunes64Setup.exe

Hi, i got "iTune Library.itl cannot be read" error, fixed it by renaming ~/.wine/drive_c/users/cleff/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Library.itl to iTunes\ Library.old

After booting iTunes up, logged in to my apple ID, started usbmuxd

Unfortunately, my iPhone still doesn't show up in the iTunes :c

This version worked form me. All good on my steam deck. Couldn't install yay. Had to install https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/lib32-glibc/ and then clone, compile and install lib32-unixodbc myself.
This version of Itunes worked for me with store and all: https://www.filehorse.com/es/descargar-itunes-64/35820/descargar/

This version worked form me. All good on my steam deck. Couldn't install yay. Had to install https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/lib32-glibc/ and then clone, compile and install lib32-unixodbc myself. This version of Itunes worked for me with store and all: https://www.filehorse.com/es/descargar-itunes-64/35820/descargar/

I'm on the steamdeck too. Managed to install it, but it can't detect my iphone. Does/did it work for you?

This version worked form me. All good on my steam deck. Couldn't install yay. Had to install https://archlinux.org/packages/core/x86_64/lib32-glibc/ and then clone, compile and install lib32-unixodbc myself. This version of Itunes worked for me with store and all: https://www.filehorse.com/es/descargar-itunes-64/35820/descargar/

I'm on the steamdeck too. Managed to install it, but it can't detect my iphone. Does/did it work for you?

Nope. No phone detection and I think it will be extremely hard for it to work. I can't fathom a bridge between wine with a proprietary communication standard and the device itself.

I have been trying quite desperately for the last couple days to get something to work for getting my own mp3s onto my gen five nano, and this has been the closest (I think), but, while running the installer, it gave me an initial error of MESA-INTEL: warning: Ivy Bridge Vulkan support is incomplete, then, as the installer ran, it scrolled through a painfully long list of errors and fixmes. by the time the setup program finished, it told me that critical itunes files were missing and to reinstall. I'm using EndeavourOS, which is a KDE plasma version of Arch, what do I do?

EDIT: nevermind, I was able to fix it by re-running the installer and repairing the file. granted, I have my console in the background and it's screeching through errors and fixmes still, but, it's still working. thanks for the guide!
second issue, however;
iTunes is refusing to recognise my iPod as a device. I know it has access to it, but I think it's viewing it as an external drive. I have no idea how to get past this roadblock as of right now, will update if I do.