Prop. WindowsOS exclusive apps [GPS] on Linux

[triple_agent]

I am having this quirky GPS thing that I need to update from time to time, albeit the problem is, Linux is understandably unsupported by the provider, because why. HERE is a video showing a product of another company to the one that I am an unfortunate customer of the moment given, regarding how to update their stuff on Linux. I am fortunate enough though that possibly am I able to get a Windows10 system recovery USB, basing on the initial configuration of my machine, therefore I may be able to set up a VirtualBox in a way allowing me to repeat the trick presented in the video, albeit the double hardship is that this time we deal with the TomTom.

Does it have a chance to work through the V-Box?

[JimDeadlock]

Would this be more useful?

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/USB_Garmin_on_GNU/Linux

[Zaphod]

Interesting question. I have never tried this, but I've got a serial connection via USB working the other way: Windows host and KDE Neon as a VM Ware client. As far as I can remember I never installed any device drivers on host or client, hence you might be in luck.

[Marlock]

There are ways to link usb devices to a VM, so in theory it is possible.

Apparently you can also run it with WINE since at least ubuntu 11.04, but I'm not sure if device updating via usb will work this way:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ozwwoYLXvyw

Keep in mind that if you purchased Tom-Tom dataset to use in the gps device, you can probably use it with MapFactor Navigator on any Android devices too:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapfactor.navigator

Also, if that is acceptable risk to you, there seems to exist some alternative firmware for tomtom gps devices:
https://en.discussions.tomtom.com/map-installation-43/tomtom-home-linux-version-92435/index2.html
"I suggest you to use ttmaps. It's an other gps tools that can be easily installed on tomtom device from a linux PC.
The hard stuff is to use openstreetmap data on tomtom device because osm format must be converted using a not-so-easy tools chain. "

[triple_agent]

Originally posted by JimDeadlock:

Would this be more useful?

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/USB_Garmin_on_GNU/Linux

Yup, AFAIK, Garmin is known to be the only "Linux-friendly" GPS provider and look what a nice red carpet route do the Linux users have to get their things working right, if at all eventually. For the price of a new Garmin device, I could have a high quality external SSD drive.

VirtualBox is a proprietary software, is it not? The Extension Pack install asks for some EULA.

I do not want to get it like THIS[drive.google.com] or THAT[drive.google.com], but are most games, even the deep indie titles, not proprietary in the end? I mean, how far can one go to be FUSS?

EDIT:

TomTom Home for Linux? The thread is over six years old and the project is still widely unknown, rather forgotten. I would hesitate to trust it as a consumer and a driver.

For the WINE, when I saw it, I thought OMG no.

I guess the separate drive with WindowsOS on it is unavoidable. Unless that V-Box.

[Marlock]

I pointed to the thread because it had comments about the alternate firmware, not because of the then already defunct idea of tomtom home for linux

unfortunately, it is indeed common that official software for gadgets is not provided on linux... same with smartphones

each gadget dev launches their software for windows, most with no support for linux at all and closed source solutions... then linux devs reverse engineer some support for them, mostly with little to no help from gadget devs

[Aoi Blue]

Many USB Tools work fine under wine these days. Wine has complete access to USB devices.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by Aoi Blue:

Many USB Tools work fine under wine these days. Wine has complete access to USB devices.

By default now? Good to know!

@Triple you should give that a try then, with a fresh version of WINE you probably have your best chance to avoid maintaining a full OS just for such a sporadic use case

[JimDeadlock]

Not by default, you have tin install the Extension Pack but it's very easy.

[triple_agent]

Well, so you say that I should best WINE about it? Will give it a try, shall see if this solves the deal. MyDriveConnect though is one stubborn piece of software, it may be quirky.

[triple_agent]

I was thinking about it and thought the VirtualBox solution is overdone, while for the WINE, I just kind of dislike it, would rather avoid delving into this entire emulator deal, especially that there are indeed other ways around. The solutions left are either an external drive with Windows10 specifically meant for this one purpose of updating the GPS device, which is an overinvestment but at least it is versatile and eventually I could perhaps find use of this in further purposes, alternatively buying a Garmin device and digging this quirky Linux manual update. Between the Windows10 external drive and a new Garmin device, I would need to first e-mail the Garmin and ask for stability of the Linux way, whether it could simply tap out one day or whatever, as that would be jinx, taking I already have a GPS device making a ton of problems, so.

[Marlock]

why do you dislike WINE for a potential solution to this issue?

if it works it is an unintrusive and easy to run as can be without you incurring any new hardware costs...

maybe you'll have to configure wine a bit to make it run properly, at worse it doesn't run, but at least you tried?

[triple_agent]

@Marlock, you are right, at least do I need to try the WINE first directly testing the target software, but why do I dislike it, because it looks like a mess at first glance.

[Marlock]

Its configs do look messy, but you only come across them while trying to make new software work...

after a bit of pain from that initial setup you just click the software icon on the start menu and it opens like if it was any other linux software

[triple_agent]

What I was thinking is that perhaps a USB or a memory card formatted to NTSF with Windows10 on it could do for a sporadic use? Would it do? Would it suffice performancewise?

[triple_agent]

Yes, I know about the V-box thing, but said I think it overdone. Having done some small searching for options, I know there is an utility called "WinToUSB", which allows to boot Windows10 from a USB. The initial program itself is WindowsOS only compatible, but that is a minor gripe now. I have a disposable 16GB 3.0 thumbdrive, it may actually even work, will see.