topic Re: TomTom Home for linux in Map installation

TomTom Home for linux

moz1959 — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:56:43 GMT

When I originally purchased my TomTom Rider 2, it was based on two features. Feature 1: Designed for motorcycle use. Feature 2: Based on linux.

Unfortunately, TomTom Home is not so enlightened, and does not support linux!

I choose to use linux exclusively (as I trust Microsoft Windows about as far as I can throw Redmond Washington) and am therefore unable to maintain my TomTom Rider 2 with new maps etc.

Windows is certainly the low hanging fruit for TomTom's target audience, but the linux using community is growing steadily.

It's a bit of a slap in the face for the linux community of develpers that provide the very backbone upon which TomTom are making their money, while receiving no consideration in return by way of native linx support.

Please join me in raising your voices in support of the development for a native linux version of TomTom Home.

Then maybe TomTom management might take notce that the requirement is there, and that Windows (and to some degree Apple OS/X) is not the only operating system they should support.

Regards,

Moz1959

Re: TomTom Home for linux

peterm34uk — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:23:18 GMT

Hear, hear!

I have mainly succeded in ditching Windoze, but unfortunately still need it to run TomTom Home. Home runs under Wine, but can't communicate with my XL, as it has no USB support (yet). So I run WinXP in a Virtual machine under VirtualBox, just so that I can update my TomTom.

So come on, TomTom, let's have a native Linux version of Home.

Peter

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Wossname — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 10:55:16 GMT

Some people claim that the latest version of VirtualBox does support USB devices properly - I've not tried it myself.

You may also be interested in this: http://discussions.tomtom.com/t5/Map-installation/compatibility-with-linux-Desktop/m-p/14649/highlight/true#M1291

Re: TomTom Home for linux

moz1959 — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:32:54 GMT

Wossname wrote:
Some people claim that the latest version of VirtualBox does support USB devices properly - I've not tried it myself.

You may also be interested in this: http://discussions.tomtom.com/t5/Map-installation/compatibility-with-linux-Desktop/m-p/14649/highlight/true#M1291

You will find that I am the most recent poster in that thread too.

VirtualBox is not a solution, it is only a means of running Windows in a virtual machine, and still requires payment of the Microsoft tax. I have absolutely no desire at all to let Windows run on my PC at all. Nor should I need to, as the TomTom actually runs on a linux kernel, so the inability to correctly install maps etc. under linux is purely at TomTom's choice.

They obviously have people with the necessary linux and cross-platform skills to create the necessary tools, they just choose not to do so.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Wossname — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:20:51 GMT

I was referring to the posting, not the thread.

Agree with you re: M$ tax - don't see why I should pay for an OS I'm never going to use otherwise just to update the maps on my device.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

moz1959 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:11:36 GMT

Sorry about that. When I saw my own post after following your link, I made the (wrong) assumption that you were referring to the thread, not pyTomTom.

Unfortunately, pyTomTom still doesn't cover the installation of new maps, for which TomTom Home is the only solution that TomTom choose to offer.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

cheesekiller — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:46:41 GMT

a petition that many of you probably haven't seen even though it has a decent number of signatures

http://www.petitiononline.com/tomlinux/

Re: TomTom Home for linux

moz1959 — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:39:25 GMT

cheesekiller wrote:
a petition that many of you probably haven't seen even though it has a decent number of signatures

http://www.petitiononline.com/tomlinux/

I had already signed it and previously pointed out its existence to TomTom at the time.

Needless to say, there was never any kind of response from TomTom to acknowledge that they in any way cared or were at all interested in taking any action,

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Wossname — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:46:50 GMT

Signed the petition months ago. Got the expected response.

Does anyone from TomTom read this forum?

Re: TomTom Home for linux

MarcoVanBeek — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:31:01 GMT

Just signed the petition. 2886 to date. Surely if they can do a Mac version, why not a Linux version? Even unsupported would be better than nothing. There is an moral issue here. How can they use Linux code in their hardware and not support Linux as a client. If they didn't have the expertise already in house they might have a valid excuse, but come on, if you use GPL code without paying for it, at least help the rest of us use it as well. Otherwise we just end up in the same circular argument of people not being able to use desktop Linux because the software doesn't exist, and the software doesn't exist because people don't use desktop Linux.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't support Linux. No call for it. You've the 3000th peorson I told that to today....."

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Jameskillbery — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:02:44 GMT

meanwhile . since my linux machine convieniently exposes the file structure on my tom tom one, does anyone know whow to do the job manuallly?

Re: TomTom Home for linux

moz1959 — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:20:06 GMT

The problem is not so much in accessing the file structures, but that without the TomTom Home client, you can't download maps from TomTom.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

jrjoew — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:16:46 GMT

I totally agree. I use linux exclusively because I can't stand MS, and I am dismayed that I chose TomTom over Garmin, and now I find I have absolutely NO support for my linux system. This MUST change. How hard can it be to take the source code and recompile it in linux?? When will this happen??????

Re: TomTom Home for linux

flammon — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:25:17 GMT

Agreed. It would be in TomTom's best interest to release the source. It really doesn't look like Home is anything special or has any special capabilities so I can't see the issue here.

All my computers run Linux and they have been for years. I got around this kind of problem with VMWare or Wine in the past but I haven't been able to get it working this time. I'm not sure what's changed and I hope that it wasn't intentional but now I'm left in a position that I need purchase Windows, re-partion my drive, install Windows, install all security patches, maintain two operating systems, dedicate some hd space to Windows and dual boot just to update my f***ing maps! That's outrageous!

Re: TomTom Home for linux

nemesys571 — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:30:52 GMT

I would like to show my support. I got my first TomTom GO in 2007, updated to XL in 2010. Only used TomTom HOME a couple of times at work, but at home I use Lunix exclusively. So disappointing that TomTom can't bring themselves to port a Java (!) application to Linux, while making devices that run exclusively on Linux. Unvelievable. My XL started failing (not holding charge), andI will not go with TomTom again for my next GPS unit unless there is basic Linux support. I'll use my Android phone instead, even though I would prefer a stand-alone unit.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Desmond — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:46:01 GMT

To overcome the inadequately small battery I am now using one of those USB power packs. Very usefuly when using the TomTom as a pedestrian.

However as the TomTom Home will not run on XP SP3 and we have this USB problem, my device simply cannot be updated.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Stefan — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:56:58 GMT

Desmond wrote:
To overcome the inadequately small battery I am now using one of those USB power packs. Very usefuly when using the TomTom as a pedestrian.

However as the TomTom Home will not run on XP SP3 and we have this USB problem, my device simply cannot be updated.

Wonderful idea to use a battery power pack, did not know about this yet. :smileyhappy:

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is normally supported by TomTom Home:

http://www.tomtom.com/services/service.php?id=16&tab=88#faq-277

Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Windows 7 (newest servicepacks required)
Pentium III or higher
256 MB RAM, 512 recommended
Internet connection (Broadband - DSL/cable/LAN) for downloading updates, maps or services
The TomTom HOME software is a 20MB download requiring 50MB of disk space when installed

Have you tried to install the TomTom Home program and connecting the device on a administrator account? Depending on the computer configuration, a regular account can have restrictions set like: not being able to use a usb port, or installing programs,..

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Desmond — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:53:31 GMT

The battery pack, mine contains 5000mA hour lithium battery. It contains inverters to boost to the 5v of USB.

Now I have been told of a VB issue

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3387

Having installed this the TomTom Home installs perfectly.

Does this mean that TomTom have not fully compiled their app?

My experience at getting new install of XP going has been dramatically painful added to the fact that Microsoft will not activate a SP2 installation, instead you have install SP3.

I will be glad to simply put the harddisk back on the shelf and carry on with better things, such as Linux and OpenIndiana

However, in the course of 24 hours I have hit all the snags but at least have work around thanks to several forums.

Plus whereas I just disliked MS now I am beginning to hate it with a vengeance.

Maybe in two years time I might want to update my TomTom again, but hopefully we will have cracked the Wine /USB issue or better have native Linux application.

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Stefan — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:29:07 GMT

Are you able to connect the navigation device?

TomTom have fully compiled the TomTom Home Support Application. The TomTom program is developed in C++, it needs the components of C++ so the computer is able to 'read' the program code. Normally the components are standard installed on the computer.

A program does exist mainly out of unvisible code, this code cannot be seen because its the code behind every button,.. you press in the program. When clicking on a button, the code behind the button is executed and does what the user expects:

Example:

When clicking on 'search for updates', a code is being triggered (connection to TomTom Servers is being made, and TomTom Home search and displays available updates).

A graphical user interface is being added to every program, so all the tasks are easier to perform.

There's a upgraded package available for the components for Windows XP:

Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86) (supports programs made with Visual C++ 2008)

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=29

Update, there's also a 2010 version (supports programs made with Visual C++ 2010)

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5555

Re: TomTom Home for linux

Desmond — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:11:27 GMT

Thanks for this information about the fact that C++ has been used.

I may uninstall the patch I put on and then install the 2010 patch mentioned.

I also recognize that had I installed other patches from Microsoft this problem may not have occurred.

Just to emphasize I am using a newly installed computer. reformatted harddisk and the Dell XP install disk used. As the system (SP2) cannot be activated with Microsoft I have also had to install SP3.

So Clean install XP and SP3.

Firefox installed

AVG free installed

Microsoft activation completed

Microsoft Patch added

Latest 'TomTom Home' from website.

no other programs installed

My TomTom is now connected and fully updated - successful conclusion.

Microsoft Office i.e. Excel has been mentioned.

I would point out that we have OpenOffice/LibreOffice available at zero cost and this is far superior package to the Microsoft offering plus why pay yet more Microsoft Tax?

I will keep this harddisk on the shelf in case I need it again, so will use the computer with a different harddisk for the Linux or OpenIndiana. Hopefully I will not need to use any Microsoft again for some time.

I will now go back to having a go at the USB problem of Wine

But really TomTom should provide source code of 'TomTom Home' and let the community get on and develop native Linux version.