08.25.07
Update On iTunes
Just a little FYI, I finally got my iPod sync functioning again after a few hours of tinkering. The root cause of the problem was a set of six or seven locked (aka read-only) files deep within the bowels of my library. In a particularly fitting twist, the tracks whose intransigence were driving me to cut myself were all by Linkin Park. ANYWAY. I only found this out by using a bizarre terminal string, provided to me by Joe Eversole on the Apple support forums. Here’s the terminal command to IDENTIFY the locked files:
ls -loR | grep "uchg" (parameters after the dash are lowercase l as in loud, lowercase o as in odd, uppercase R as in rock)
This command should be run from the root directory of your iTunes library (in my case, since the root is on an external drive, I had to first cd /Volumes/Kalique/iTunes Library/); you should close iTunes before you use it just to be on the safe side. It will output a line with a lot of nonsense, including your username and some attribute lists, but the important thing you’re looking for is the filename on the end. Use Spotlight to find the file, open its info (Apple-i, or “Command-i” if you’re insufficiently old-school) and uncheck the “Locked” checkbox. Close the info box (and optionally, re-run the ls to make sure it’s no longer listed).
This doesn’t alleviate any of the slowness of iTunes, but it does help with the “WHY THE F%#$ WON’T YOU SYNC, YOU W’OZ-LOGGOTH-SPAWNED PIECE OF CUPERTINO CRAP”. With that, folks, I’m off to bed. Catch you in the morning.