Install SSH with a Take 2 Patchstick (Easier)

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Posted March 13, 2008 at 12:45am by iClarified

These are detailed instructions on how to create a Take 2 Patchstick to install SSH onto your AppleTV.

In order to perform this tutorial you need a usb stick that has been freshly formated in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.

[Update 2008-04-06] I have software updated my AppleTV to 2.0.1 then followed this tutorial again exactly. The Patchstick worked perfectly and now I have SSH installed on my 2.0.1 AppleTV. If you are having a problem following this tutorial it is most likely that your Tiger CD is incompatible. I used a 512MB Lexar usb stick.

Step One
Connect your USB Stick to the computer.

Step Two
Insert your OSX Tiger Install CD into the computer.

Install SSH with a Take 2 Patchstick (Easier)

Step Three
Download the Patchstick 2.0 prep files from here:
Small USB Stick (

Step Four
Extract the folder Patchstick from Patchstick2.0.zip onto the Desktop

Step Five
Download the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Updater from here

Once downloaded mount the updater by double clicking the downloaded dmg

Step Six
Download the AppleTV 1.1 Updater from here

Once downloaded mount the updater by double clicking the downloaded dmg

Step Seven
Open a new Terminal window by launching it from Applications:Utilities.

Step Eight
Execute the following commands into the Terminal window:

cd ~/Desktop/Patchstick/Files

sudo sh script.sh If prompted for a password enter your Administrator password.

cd ~/Desktop/Patchstick

sudo ./createPatchstick. If prompted for a password enter your Administrator password.

Notice the last command listed the different disks present. You must figure out which disk is for your usb stick. Mine was /dev/disk2. Now enter sudo ./createPatchstick /dev/disk2. (Make sure to remember to replace /dev/disk2 with your usb stick location).

You will now be prompted to confirm the partitioning of your usb stick. Type yes then hit enter.

The script will partition your usb stick and copy over the necessary files. This will take about five minutes. When done you will be told that your disk is now unmounted and ready to patch your AppleTV!!!!

HOW TO USE IT:
Insert the USB Stick into the back of the AppleTV. Press and hold the - and Menu buttons on your remote until the AppleTV reboots.

This is what you will see:

Once done, unplug your AppleTV, remove the USB Stick, and plug the AppleTV back in.

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Richard - September 11, 2008 at 5:44am

I have just tried to hack my AppleTV to run an external USB HD. Everything went fine, I enabled SSH and can even view the external HD when it is connected to the AppleTV. However I can not see the AppleTV within iTunes. I am running 2.1 on my Apple TV and I used the 2.1 OS Boot file. Is there a 2.1 file for the Patchstick file? Thanks in advance.

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michaelnau - September 10, 2008 at 6:13pm

I have received the same error messages, beginning below this line: ln: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/bin/sbin: File exists Copying System Extentions... cp: Files/System/Library/Extensions/IOACPIFamily.kext: No such file or directory cp: Files/System/Library/Extensions/AudioIPCDriver.kext: No such file or directory cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/Current with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/Current cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Resources with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Resources Copying System files... Adding Kerberos... cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/Current with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/Current cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Resources with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Resources Is there anything on this issue? Much appreciated! michaelnau

Dan - August 12, 2008 at 7:55pm

I have a 1.1 aTV which I have updated to the latest take two software. In step 6 above, should I d/l the 1.1 update anyway? If so, does anyone know where to get it? The link is no longer valid.

Cedric Diggory - August 9, 2008 at 3:52am

Was this made on a Leopard machine with just the Tiger install CD? Or does the machine also have to be running Tiger?

allefralle - August 6, 2008 at 3:55pm

Hello Im getting this message when doing the last step in greating an patchstick. Copying System Extentions... cp: Files/System/Library/Extensions/IOACPIFamily.kext: No such file or directory cp: Files/System/Library/Extensions/AudioIPCDriver.kext: No such file or directory Anyone having the ide what could be wrong?? Thanks for any help...

onlyjay - July 31, 2008 at 3:58am

last post sorry :p (and maybe this one too ;) )

onlyjay - July 31, 2008 at 3:54am

Could someone maybe remove this last past ? :p TanKH, you've already installed atvfiles, nitotv,... ? if you don't, you won't see nothing.

TanKH - July 30, 2008 at 2:34pm

Help! I really need this going as my desktop hard-disk failed and I need to get my files out of the appleTV (it's my only hope - like Luke (but hmmm, Yoda also says there is another, I suppose that would be physical disassembly of the appleTV which I'm trying to avoid). Anyway, I followed all the instructions and it worked fine. Booting up into the patchstick also seemed to work (appleTV 2.1) and the terminal/messages shown is identical to the screenshot in this post. But rebooting appleTV I don't get any new menu items. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

M - July 29, 2008 at 2:52am

RMK, I had the same problem... I fixed after searching the awkwardtv forums (using google I searched for... File exists mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/stuff). There is a post there that suggests the following... unmount the stick then sudo rm -r /Volumes/Patchstick-root/ That fixed it for me.

Tony - July 27, 2008 at 8:34pm

This still works for ATV OS 2.1 for those wondering.

RMK - July 27, 2008 at 4:56pm

I have created patchstick before using above instruction. But, now after 2.1 update I tried creating patchstick and its not working. I am getting some error in last stage when I am copying files to USB stick. It says stick created successfully, but appleTV does not see it. I have tried erasing and formating USB stick and running .createpatchstick script again but I get same thing. Here is the last step output. what am I doing wrong ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /dev/disk1 #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: GUID_partition_scheme *989.5 Mi disk1 1: Apple_HFS Patchstick-root 80.0 Mi disk1s1 2: Apple_HFS Patchstick 909.5 Mi disk1s2 Patitions done. Creating System folders... mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/sbin: File exists mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/etc: File exists mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/dev: File exists mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/OSBoot: File exists mkdir: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/stuff: File exists ln: /Volumes/Patchstick-root/bin/sbin: File exists Copying System Extentions... cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/Current with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Versions/Current cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Resources with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/IOKit.framework/Resources Copying System files... Adding Kerberos... cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/Current with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/Current cp: cannot overwrite directory /Volumes/Patchstick-root/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Resources with non-directory Files/System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Resources Copying Patchstick files... Changing Patchstick-root to Apple TV Mode... Unmount of all volumes on disk1 was successful /dev/disk1s1 removed Unmount of all volumes on disk1 was successful /dev/disk1s1 added Unmount of all volumes on disk1 was successful ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonas - July 27, 2008 at 3:55pm

Just an interesting note I've discovered: I tried a 4GB Lexar USB stick, and it rebooted and did absolutely nothing. I'm now using a 2GB Toshiba, and it works fine. Hope that helps folks like Risky and myself who ran into this.

Scott - July 25, 2008 at 12:10pm

I setup NFS by putting a mount statement in /etc/rc.local. Lately that has stopped working though, so it's somewhat of a manual process. I recently upgraded my ATV to 2.1 (to use the iphone remote) but haven't re-patched it, and I'm on vacation for the next month. When I get back I'll post the necessary commands. That said, I would say go with samba rather than nfs (samba was my first choice but wasn't working as well back then). http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Enable_SAMBA_server

Bruno - July 25, 2008 at 6:07am

@Dustin: I have had same problem. you must delete the root directory manually before creating it again. this must be done in terminal. i found this solution in a forum. patchstick was then created without error message. i did not try yet but it should work now. cu

filtrator - July 24, 2008 at 4:36pm

hey scott -- how do you set-up NFS? -- and can you use it to mount the iTV through the finder?...

Bruno - July 24, 2008 at 4:02pm

Hi, i did everything like told, but nothing happened after reboot. only language selection. during last part of patchstick creatin the terminal says "cannot copy, file exists" but the script tells a success. what is wrong? apple tv 2.1 intel mac leopard. thankx bruno

Scott - July 21, 2008 at 7:26pm

AFAIK AFP does not work with ATV2. Samba or NFS do though, so look at setting those up instead.

filtrator - July 21, 2008 at 6:36pm

anyone get AFP to work successfully?...

ajw - July 21, 2008 at 6:33pm

I did a factory restore. then updated to 2.0.1. then applied the patchstick again. and it worked just fine. I built my patchstick on a PPC using an intel version of tiger install disk mounted.

ajw - July 21, 2008 at 6:02pm

hmmm. I tried this on a PPC with all the correct intel versions. creating patchstick worked ok. booting the appletv worked ok. but on the appletv I now get a login screen (??). after a couple of minutes it reboots and I get the language setup. and then the whole process starts again. I'm just about to try factory restore. and then taking the disk out and going back to the old fashioned way. so the question I have (I didn't see it answered above): can this only be dne on an intel-based mac? as long as the factory restore works, I'm happy to try it again. thanks in advance