TomTom Home - Linux Support - no chance!

[The Liquidator]

A couple of weeks back I emailed tomtom to enquire whether there was any prospect of a linux version of tomtom home, as that appeared to be the only way that I could buy maps from them.

Me


"Hi there. Every couple of months or so you send me e-mails offering me new maps. Whilst I would dearly love to buy them you don't support my operating system (linux) despite apparently running the tomtom device itself on it and even being members of the Open Source Initiative.

Is a Linux version of TomTom home on the horizon please?"

Reply

"Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately HOME is not supported by Linux and unfortunately we do not have any plans as yet to release a compatible version.

Would it be possible for you to borrow a friends PC for the map updates?!

If you do have any more queries, please don't hesitate to contact me or one of my colleagues and we will be more than happy to help. "

I stopped short of asking whether I could borrow the respondents PC, but sent a reply saying the suggestion wasn't workable and asking whether they would mind reverting to my being able to buy maps and then download them by normal means to the device. The silence has been deafening.

And they have the cheek to run for cover to the OSI when M$ sabre rattles?

[GreyGeek]

Re: TomTom Home - Linux Support - no chance!

I own a Garmin Navi 350. They will sell me the latest map chip, but it requires that I use Windows to upgrade the Garmin. I am fortunate that I have CD of XP Pro SP2, which I have installed as a guest OS.

Before I purchased the Garmin I had a copy of Delorame Street Atlas 5.0 with their EarthMate USB GPS receiver. It runs well under the XP on my guest OS. BUT, I discovered a couple months ago that I can use that USB GPS receiver, along with the gpsd daemon, xgps and Navit. Here is my script to start the Navit street atlas:

#!/bin/bash
# make sure Earthmate LT-20 is plugged into USB port closest to front of laptop
#gpsd -b /dev/serial/by-path/pci-0000\:00\:1d.0-usb-0\:1\:1.0-port0
sudo gpsd -b /dev/ttyUSB0
xgps &
#gpsdrive -X /dev/ttyUSB0
navit

I found Navit to be MUCH better than gpsdrive, which is why that line is commented out.

When I go on a trip my laptop, plugged into the lighter, sets on the seat (or my wife's laptop). Either the computer voice gives directors, or my wife, or a quick glance to the screen. When I stop somewhere I can connect to any public AP. Map updates come from http://www.openstreetmap.org/, which cover the entire world. (At least the Free part). Life is sweet.