While it won't strip out the DRM on protected AAC files, gtkpod otherwise allows Linux users to access and download the contents of their iPods. Version 0.94 was released a few days ago, so if you've been putting off that shiny new purchase (and you know who you are), maybe now is the time to reconsider.

Gtkpod has a very powerful editing system too, useful for fixing ID3 tags, volume, or finding duplicates and modifying playlists. The nifty thing is you can still use your iPod with iTunes 4.9 and the latest iPod firmware (3.1 for now). The graphical front-end for your iPod includes tools for putting your open-source calendars and addresses on there too (Evolution, webcalendar, Thunderbird, kaddressbook). If you swing both ways on the OS front, it's a very handy utility to have. Just as an iPod management tool it is nice, since Apple won't let you manually tinker with the music files on your pod. The only downside: no support for podcasts yet.