Thread: Alternative maps for Garmin 65LM

Garmin has become somewhat more restrictive about running third party maps on their more recent devices. That seems to be as a direct [albeit perhaps not fully intentional] result of beefing up protection against users running 'unlocked' versions of their own maps on device which aren't entitled to them, e.g. Unlocked USA maps on a UK LM device. Your UK-localized 65 runs European NTU mapping data as OEM and sports similar features as your 52 however the 52 has nowhere-near the same level of protection against using pirated/unofficial mapping as in built into the 65 firmware. Look to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] for a full explanation of that. Perhaps applying that patch against your 65's firmware would allow full use of all available map-embedded features in OSM mapping. However, I would have to say that even if you can get such map-embedded features as SLI and LA working for OSM in your 65 it will still lack features such as JCV available in the HERE-based NT(U) mapping data from Garmin. I also like OSM maps however they cannot give the full functionality of Garmin's own propriety maps.

I don't use Linux of late, however when I did I was able to run a VM of Windows and also run WINE (a compatibility layer) and use many Windows programs. If Garmin Express won't run either in a VM or WINE, you could always install Win 10 in a separate partition then dual boot Linux and Windows. Then you can certainly run GE because I have done that too in the past when I flirted with Ubuntu. You could also install a virtual Mac OS using QEMU which is free, just Google it. As far as I'm aware there's no fully developed Mac emulator or compatibility layer for Linux at thus time though. BTW, although Mac is quite similar to Linux it's not "in fact what Mac is", the OSs are not binary compatible. In short, you have many possibilities to use either the Windows or Mac versions of GE despite being a committed Linux user and so take advantage of the Lifetime maps updates from Garmin.

many thanks for your informative reply. I hadn't thought about a virtual Mac OS but I will do some research. I have knowledge really on the map design other than I tried OSM and found it excellent. I did try WINE several years ago and it did not seem that reliable but maybe things have changed.