Hello,
I am a linux user and own two iPods nano, 1Gb and 4Gb.

After one of the recent updates of the firmware, the 1Gb model experienced
many problems when playing, including

Codec failure
data abort
undefined instruction
hangs...

All these problems dissapeared when I also updated the bootloader.

But on the 4Gb model, all these problems remain depite of all
bootloader/firmware updates, mkfs, etc I made on it.

If I remember well, some time ago the installation process was more
complicated than it is nowadays, now it is easy thanks to ipodpatcher
program. But maybe that old process will birng back my iPod to life, is it
possible? Anyway I'd like to completely partition the flash disk from
scratch, would anybody, please tell me what's the proper way of doing this?

I issue a sync command just before ejecting the unit with the eject command.
I hope this is correct.

Thanks!

-- 
Francisco Vila. Badajoz (Spain)
http://www.paconet.org