I use VMware Player to run Damn Small Linux and would like to know how to access Linux partitions on my iPod. I am not sure if VMware supports USB peripherals and (could be as a result) I am getting confused of DSL. Is there a way to access those partitions within Windows XP if virtual machines don't work or XP is a better choice? I don't want to boot directly from Linux either.

Thanks
Chris

Don't know about VMware Player, but in general VMware can forward USB devices to the guest OS. There should be a place in the UI where you attach and remove the guest's peripherals.

Is there a way to access Linux partitions in Windows XP? Read and Write?

A partition is a partition and PC partitions are supported by all opearting systems that run on PCs. You probably mean accessing Linux filesystems? Yes, you can install ext2/ext3 drivers that let Windows work with those filesystems.

Windows has a serious problem with partitions on removable devivces though. Namely, they are not supported and you would have to do some hacking to make Windows even see more than the first partition on the iPod.

Yes, that's the word! Filesystems! Thanks, so I guess it will be pretty hard to see those filesystems without booting into Linux?

No idea.. Never tried to make Windows work with partitioned USB storage. The filesystem driver installation is a no-brainer - just setup, next, next, next