Here's my rather long description of what happens when I try to copy podcasts to my iPod using Banshee.

Short version:

Podcasts show up under Music instead of Podcasts and but files are missing.

# Intro

This is all with a reset iPod 5.5G (black iPod Video Classic 30GB). Fat32
formatted. Not connected to any other program before the following tests.  The device created the usual folders like iPod_control, etc.

Ubuntu 10.04, banshee
1.8.0-1ubuntu1~hyper1+lucid
libgpod - 0.7.95-1~hyper1+lucid

# before iPod is even plugged in, extension activated:

[3 Warn  23:44:45.648] Caught an exception - System.InvalidOperationException: Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object (in `Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice')
at Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceSource.DeviceInitialize (IDevice device) [0x00000]
at Banshee.Dap.DapService.FindDeviceSource (IDevice device) [0x00000]

# iPod mounted, extension activated:

[4 Debug 23:46:44.487] Found DAP support (Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceSource) for device iPod and Uuid /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.7/usb1/1-4/1-4:1.0/host14/target14:0:0/14:0:0:0/block/sdb/sdb2
[5 Warn  23:46:44.506] iPod database could be loaded, creating a new one - GLib.GException: Couldn't find an iPod database on /media/iPod. (in `libgpod-sharp')
  at GPod.ITDB.itdb_parse_wrapped (System.String mountpoint) [0x00000]
  at GPod.ITDB..ctor (System.String mountpoint) [0x00000]
  at Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceSource.LoadFromDevice (Boolean refresh) [0x00000]
[4 Info  23:46:44.511] AppleDeviceSource is ignoring unmounted volume System-reserviert
[4 Warn  23:46:44.512] Caught an exception - System.InvalidOperationException: Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object (in `Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice')
  at Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceSource.DeviceInitialize (IDevice device) [0x00000]
  at Banshee.Dap.DapService.FindDeviceSource (IDevice device) [0x00000]

** (Banshee:5763): CRITICAL **: itdb_playlist_is_audiobooks: assertion `pl->members' failed
[1 Debug 23:46:45.189] Finished - Startup Job
[1 Debug 23:46:52.222] Starting - Saving Metadata to File
[6 Debug 23:46:52.238] Finished - Saving Metadata to File
[1 Debug 23:47:17.541] Hello called on Banshee.Collection.Indexer.CollectionIndexerService
[1 Debug 23:47:17.544] Registering remote object /org/bansheeproject/Banshee/CollectionIndexerService/CollectionIndexer_0 (Banshee.Collection.Indexer.CollectionIndexer) on org.bansheeproject.CollectionIndexer

# dragged podcast file to iPod:

[1 Debug 23:49:26.971] Creating Pango.Layout, configuring Cairo.Context
[1 Debug 23:49:26.976] Creating Pango.Layout, configuring Cairo.Context
[1 Debug 23:49:26.980] Creating Pango.Layout, configuring Cairo.Context
[1 Debug 23:49:26.989] Creating new surface cache for 48px images, capped at 0.99 MiB (113 items)
[1 Debug 23:49:26.998] Creating Pango.Layout, configuring Cairo.Context
[7 Debug 23:49:31.028] Starting
[7 Debug 23:49:31.103] Initialized MediaProfileManager: 0.067745
[7 Debug 23:49:31.128] GStreamer pipeline does not run: audioconvert ! novellaacenc bitrate=128000 profile=2 outputformat=0 ! novellqtmux
[7 Debug 23:49:31.140] GStreamer pipeline does not run: audioconvert ! xingenc bitrate=128 ! id3v2mux
[7 Debug 23:49:31.150] GStreamer pipeline does not run: audioconvert ! fluwmaenc bitrate=64000 vbr=false ! fluasfmux
[7 Debug 23:49:31.156] Finished - Adding 1 of 1 to iPod
[8 Debug 23:49:31.309] Starting AppleDevice sync thread cycle
[8 Debug 23:49:31.309] Starting - Syncing iPod
[8 Warn  23:49:31.315] Cannot save track to iPod - System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object (in `Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice')
  at Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceTrackInfo.CommitToIpod (GPod.ITDB database) [0x00000]
  at Banshee.Dap.AppleDevice.AppleDeviceSource.PerformSyncThreadCycle () [0x00000]
[8 Info  23:49:37.673] Wrote iPod database
[8 Debug 23:49:37.673] Finished - Syncing iPod
[8 Debug 23:49:37.674] Ending AppleDevice sync thread cycle

# copied one song:

[1 Debug 23:51:17.930] Hello called on Banshee.Collection.Indexer.CollectionIndexerService
[1 Debug 23:51:17.932] Registering remote object /org/bansheeproject/Banshee/CollectionIndexerService/CollectionIndexer_1 (Banshee.Collection.Indexer.CollectionIndexer) on org.bansheeproject.CollectionIndexer
[1 Warn  23:51:49.504] Forcefully breaking out of RCS loop b/c change in total_width less than 1.0
[9 Debug 23:51:54.592] Starting
[9 Debug 23:51:54.602] Finished - Adding 1 of 1 to iPod
[8 Debug 23:51:54.752] Starting AppleDevice sync thread cycle
[8 Debug 23:51:54.752] Starting - Syncing iPod
[8 Info  23:51:58.815] Wrote iPod database
[8 Debug 23:51:58.815] Finished - Syncing iPod
[8 Debug 23:51:58.816] Ending AppleDevice sync thread cycle
# disconnect from Banshee
[8 Debug 23:52:55.029] Starting AppleDevice sync thread cycle
[8 Debug 23:52:55.030] Starting - Syncing iPod
[8 Info  23:52:57.902] Wrote iPod database
[8 Debug 23:52:57.902] Finished - Syncing iPod
[8 Debug 23:52:57.903] Ending AppleDevice sync thread cycle
[1 Debug 23:52:58.491] Unmapping DAP source (/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.7/usb1/1-4/1-4:1.0/host14/target14:0:0/14:0:0:0/block/sdb/sdb2)

# Result
Song is on the iPod (with cover art), shows up under Music and plays
Podcast shows up under Music, doesn't play
Podcast doesn't show up under Podcasts

# find /media/iPod

/media/iPod/
/media/iPod/iPod_Control
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device/SysInfo
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device/Accessories
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device/Preferences
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device/clock
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Device/SysInfoExtended
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F00
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F01
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F02
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F03
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F04
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F05
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F06
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F07
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F08
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F09
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F10
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F11
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F12
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F13
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F14
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F15
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F16
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F17
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F18
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F19
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F20
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F21
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F22
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F23
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F24
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F25
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F26
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F27
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F28
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F29
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F30
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F31
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F32
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F33
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F34
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F35
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F36
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F37
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F38
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F39
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F40
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F41
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F42
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F43
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F44
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F45
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F46
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F47
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F48
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F48/libgpod171462.mp3 <-- the music file
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Music/F49
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/iTunes
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/iTunes/iTunesDB
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/iTunes/iTunesSD
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Artwork
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Artwork/F1029_1.ithmb
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Artwork/ArtworkDB
/media/iPod/iPod_Control/Artwork/F1028_1.ithmb
/media/iPod/Contacts
/media/iPod/Contacts/ipod_created_instructions.vcf
/media/iPod/Contacts/ipod_created_sample.vcf
/media/iPod/Calendars
/media/iPod/Notes
/media/iPod/Notes/Instructions
/media/iPod/Photos
/media/iPod/Photos/Thumbs