open source iTunes?

Songbird, is an opensource itteration of itunes-ish...well not really , really but kinda.

its a desktop media player that looks to work with apples proprietary music store files amongst the usual others...but I can't say that legally. From what I can gather, it's based a bit on Firefox.

From what I've read so far, it looks to work better with genereic mp3 players - but what I'm after is something I can use my pod as hardware for, with open source media library/jukebox for the desktop and open source OS to put on my pod.

The pod itself was freecycled, so it kinda fits that I should try and shrug off other closed source bits hanging off it, and use openness. ( ipod G3 15Gb = £0. replacement battery and postage = £35. Desktop charger/cradle thingie = £20 plus or minus, can't remember. Charger = £15 probably. Not too bad eh.

Now - I could put iPod Linux on my pod - and boot into either the linux or the apple OS. That I like - having a choice. The linux one even allows for simple monochrome pictures and also sound recording!

I may as well hack about with it now - I rebuilt my pc so I've got a pod that loaded with tuneage, a partition that has the original tunes on it ( untouched by the rebuild) and no itunes on the pc. I'd really like to keep it so as I find itunes sucks up all free resources. In fact I curse iTunes - having to provide corporate support in a design agency - I can assure you that each and every staff member demands the right to have itunes. Which is fair go - creative types and all that.
But hell - I gotta say I sometimes take a small amount of malicious glee in telling people their desktop has siezed coz of itunes and I dont have to support it or fix their problems as it is not company related software. ( I do help em, but barely, and only coz I'm nice.)

So, lets see what I can come up with.