Btconsole

What is it?

Btconsole allows you to login to your Tomtom via a serial port and a terminal emulation via bluetooth connections.

• The advantage is that you don't have to patch your hardware, just a chunk of software is required.
• The disadvantage compared to a hardware solution is that you get access to a fully booted Tomtom but cannot see the boot process itself. After all, you connect via the network.

How to do it?

I've had some difficulty with the provided documentation, so I give some hints here.

Tasks on Tomtom

• Install btconsole on your Tomtom Go. (homepage is http://btconsole.renevoegeli.de/ )
• Start btconsole on Tomtom.
• If you are having problems loading or connecting to btconsole, it may be preferable to replace the ttn script with the following. This script first calls the Bluetooth RC script to initialize Bluetooth and then directly executes btconsole. This does not write anything to the screen, so whatever was on the screen at start-up will remain (e.g. Tomtom splash screen). Note that this script does not load the navigation software.

#! /bin/sh
/etc/rc.bluetooth
/mnt/sdcard/btconsole/btconsole

Tasks on Windows

• Download a Bluetooth-stack that supports the needed protocol, like Bluesoleil
• Establish a serial connection to your TomTom
• Use a serial terminal like HyperTerminal to gain access to the console

You can even up-/download stuff using lsz/lrz and HyperTerminal.

Works fine on Windows 7 with Belkin USB Bluetooth and using Putty as the terminal software

Also works with Pocket PC (Loox 720) Windows Mobile 2003 and Putty as the terminal software

Tasks on Linux

One of the following:

1. Boot your favorite Linux distribution.
2. If you are unsure, just download Knoppix, a Linux distribution that can fully operate from CD without installation and that contains the necessary tools.

• Login as root
• Make sure you have /dev/rfcomm0. If not, create it like this:

mknod /dev/rfcomm0 c 216 0
chmod 666 /dev/rfcomm0
depmod -a

• Scan for your Tomtom device to find out the bluetooth address.

hcitool scan

• Connect your serial port to Tomtom

rfcomm bind /dev/rfcomm0 00:13:44:7b:39:65

• Start minicom to access Tomtom.

minicom

• You will have to tell minicom which serial port to access.

Press Ctrl-A O
Select Serial Port Setup and press Enter
Press A (Serial Device)
Enter '/dev/rfcomm0' and press Enter (to assign the value)
Press Enter (to leave the menu)
Select Exit and press Enter (to leave the menu)

• Press some keys until you see the tomtom lofgin prompt
• Login as root (no passwd required)

Tasks on Mac OS X

• Pair with the Bluetooth device
  • Launch Bluetooth Setup Assistant, from
    • the Bluetooth menu (Set up BlueTooth device...) or
    • System Preferences / Bluetooth / Devices (Set Up New Device...)
  • Select Any device as the device type, and click Continue
  • After a while, TomTom will appear in the devices box, identified as a Computer
  • Click Passkey Options..., and select Do not use a passkey with this device, and click OK.
  • Select the TomTom and click Continue
  • Click Continue again once the gathering additional information is complete.
  • Click Quit.
• Add the device to favourites if not already there
  • Launch System Preferences / Bluetooth / Devices (if not launched already)
  • If TomTom does not appear in the Devices box, try to Browse it (from BlueTooth menu), and add it to Favourites from Bluetooth File Exchange
  • The TomTom should now appear in the Bluetooth Devices box in the Bluetooth preferences
• Add a serial port
  • Select TomTom from the Bluetooth Devices box
  • Click Edit Serial Ports...
  • After a short while, the port appears in the dialogue box. Click Apply.
• Connect
  • Launch terminal
  • Make sure the device is there:

$ ls -l /dev/tty.TomTom-SerialPort-1
crw-rw-rw-   1 root  wheel   10,  22 Feb 22 15:55 /dev/tty.TomTom-SerialPort-1

• • Install kermit if not installed already:

sudo port install kermit

• • Launch Bluetooth console on TomTom
  • Use kermit to connect:

$ kermit -l /dev/tty.TomTom-SerialPort-1 -b  9600 -c

• • Type a few returns; you should get the prompt:

TomTom login: 

• • Enter "root", no password is required.
  • Welcome to TomTom root shell:

BusyBox v1.00 (2006.01.17-14:38+0000) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# 

• • To return back to the Terminal, enter "exit":

# exit

Communications disconnect (Back at Mymac.local)
----------------------------------------------------
$

Using full screen applications

Note that when using some full screen applications, such as pico, the error below is shown:

'tty1': unknown terminal type.

This is solved by typing the following command in the Btconsole window:

# export TERM=vt100

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See also: TomTom Console