VF Sat Nav

[Skylarking]

Well, I guess the last map update is going to be it

Dear ,

Thank you for inquiring about HERE Technologies.

At this time, the release date of the next update for your 2016 Holden Commodore has not been officially announced and do not have further information on when it will be available.

Not nesseserily.

Problem is Here doesn't release MyLink map updates, GM/Holden does, so they can't pre-empt or even say anything about their customers plans.

Going to https://here.navigation.com/apac/ (asia pacific) and selecting Holden, then hitting the "Go" button will take you to our beloved and useless Holden Sevice page. It's the corporate stance on such things. Sadly emails wont resolve this odd industry thats been under consolidation for some time (Navteq became/bought out by Here in 2012) . New players are coming into the mapping industry every day so it's somewhat dynamic. No doubt us poor customers will be left with orphaned products in the process.

As is, GM/Holden have likely wrapped the map data within some proprietary crap that may also be digitallty signed. So Here couldn't directly release maps if it wanted to... GM/Holden would have to give up some control and i don't see that occuring. GM's prefered solution is to keep all control, stop releasing thing and make the car obsolete so the owners buy a new one...

The future is even more bleak in that GM's goal is to build driverless cars and lease them directly to customers. Their dream is no more private vehicle ownership but a PAYG or monthly income stream. Othes are planing similar. Lets all hope such a dystopian future will fail

 

[Poor old Dad]

Problem is Here doesn't release MyLink map updates, GM/Holden does, so they can't pre-empt or even say anything about their customers plans.

That is true but Holden don't "make" the maps.

Surely Holden puts in an order for a map upgrade, Here (Nokia) does it's thing, fills the order and we have maps.

edit: so if the supplier has nothing in the pipeline then Holden has not ordered and at this stage you would think it unlikely they will, which means no more maps... which was the point of my prev post.

Or don 't I understand how it happens?

 

[stooge]

That is true but Holden don't "make" the maps.

Surely Holden puts in an order for a map upgrade, Here (Nokia) does it's thing, fills the order and we have maps.

edit: so if the supplier has nothing in the pipeline then Holden has not ordered and at this stage you would think it unlikely they will, which means no more maps... which was the point of my prev post.

Or don 't I understand how it happens?

something along those lines but the map update will probably be the same update released to many devices because the map data being processed by the mapping application is the same across many platforms in the same way an "api" works but the difference with the mylink is to sell the map updates gm will encrypt and package the update in a way that restricts the update to only a single vin and that is how they make the money from each customer.

you will "probably" find that there will never be another update released and without people sharing the previous update files around it will be hard for people to attempt to reverse engineer the update file in an attempt to package an updated map file inside the update file/format the mylink will accept.

without access to the map update files and firmware update files the whole thing is pretty much left to people having to attempt a hack at the hardware level and no one is really doing that and that is why the middle man boxes are used like the IW03GF or IU10S.

 

[Poor old Dad]

without access to the map update files and firmware update files the whole thing is pretty much left to people having to attempt a hack at the hardware level and no one is really doing that and that is why the middle man boxes are used like the IW03GF or IU10S.

Reminds me of updating my GO50 via Austech and a couple of other forums. Navcore/maps/POIs... good fun.

Can you explain those boxes you linked to?

Are they of use to us?

I'd stump up for one if we can actually achieve something without disabling other features.

 

[stooge]

Can you explain those boxes you linked to?

Are they of use to us?

basically the mylink is in two parts with one part being the screen and the other part being the base unit, there is a third part which is the buttons but that is not important here.
the screen and base unit are connected by a video cable that uses "gvif" so it is in laymens terms like connecting a vcr/dvd player to a tv and those boxes i linked basically convert a hdmi signal to a gvif signal and they sit between the mylink screen and base unit.
the boxes also intercept the touch functions from the mylink screen and output that to an additional box that would have android on it so you get android on your mylink and the mylink touch screen operates it.
the boxes also read canbus data to switch the screen from the original mylink to the android box which is normally triggered by holding the call hang up button down for a few seconds.

all of it basically adds navigation and android auto/car play to your mylink and allows you to switch between the original mylink to the android when ever you like.

have a look here and you will see how it is all setup https://www.envyouscustoms.com/audi...ink-apple-carplay-and-android-auto-interface/

there is an installation guide where you can see all of the components required from envyouscustoms here
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jkd0r5iit...y Android Auto Installation Guide V3.pdf?dl=0

 

[Skylarking]

That is true but Holden don't "make" the maps.

Surely Holden puts in an order for a map upgrade, Here (Nokia) does it's thing, fills the order and we have maps.

edit: so if the supplier has nothing in the pipeline then Holden has not ordered and at this stage you would think it unlikely they will, which means no more maps... which was the point of my prev post.

Or don 't I understand how it happens?

Holden package the map data files into an updatable format for MyLink.

How they gain access to the updated map data files is likely contracted and part of that contract is usually their supplier (here) keep their mouths closed and don’t blabber about any release schedules of their customers (GM).

Being that the map data files are likely common on other devices, where updates are easy to get, it may be possible to fiddle with them and insert them into the Holden update files on the USB stick that Holden service uses to update our MyLink maps. Problem is that if these files contained on the USB stick are signed by a GM secret key, the ability to repackage is zero... but as of now, nobody has confirmed one way or another whether the files are signed. All we know for certain is that a USB stick is produced for each vehicle with the VIN specified within a file or files contained on the SB update stick itself.

As stooge said, without sharing a bunch of files, hacking the system to make map updates easier for us owners is impossible.

 

[stooge]

to attempt to get the key one would "start" with a map update file with a known vin and a mylink to test with.
flash that vin to the mylinks eeprom so the mylink accepts the update package and then find the uart output on the mylinks mainboard and hope that the uart is active and the key is visible while the update is being unpacked if not it would take even more digging into the system and maybe a dump of the nand which one could only hope is not encrypted.

being a automotive infotainment unit it probably wont have the same type of security as something like a ps4/xbox because there is no real need for drm protection or proprietary software protection.

 

[KING46Calais V]

So does anyone actually have the USB stick that was used to update the vehicle?
If so, would it be possible to copy that onto another stick?
I know somebody that is very familiar with how these programs and scripts are written that could have a look and see if it can be modified.

 

[Forg]

^ It’s prolly the binary map data, wrapped in start & end HTML tags called “map”.

 

[RoganJosh]

I have been told by my local dealer after making enquiries and him emailing Holden HO that there is an update in the works and will be released in the next 6 months i.e before the end of the year. I have no idea why an owner would be contacting "HERE Technologies" as they only rely on what Holden tells them to do.
Go direct to Holden in future.

BTW my local dealer is Heartland Holden in Blacktown NSW and I deal with their Service Manager at Glendenning service branch.