Garmin updates corrupt?

[+kissguy&frannyfru]

Here are a few posts off a local fb group. Anyone heard anything about this?

 

If you have a Garmin gps, do not update any software on it. I repeat do NOT update. Speculations of "foul play" are about.

Like · · Unfollow Post · Share · 8 hours ago via mobile

Seen by 37

 

Thanks for telling us this. I was ab out to update mine as well

8 hours ago · Like

 

I was just about to update mine. What's up with the updates??

8 hours ago via mobile · Like

 

Odds are not many of you know much of the Garmin/Groundspeak controversy;but there are reports of issues importing gpx files that are not obtained through Garmin's Opencaching site following the latest update . These issues include loss of maps,unit not responding to input,loss of power. Right now its unconfirmed but i posted this as a precaution .

7 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2

 

Some who have already encountered these issues say that deleting the "corrupt" database back off the unit itself clears the issues up.

7 hours ago via mobile · Like

 

i think i'll hold off on the update. Thanks for posting. Sounds like politics raising it's head. I know of the controversy but didn't think it would stoop to this,if it's true.

7 hours ago · Like

 

Sheesh! As if there were lots of money to be made by this move. Yes, GPS units have seen a decline as the number of smart phones, etc. able to replace standalone GPS units, but alienating folks by encouraging the boycott of Groundspeak is crazy. Doe...See More

23 minutes ago via mobile · Like

Edited May 18, 2013 by mskissguy&frannyfru

[+gpsblake]

You are almost always better off updating your unit with the latest firmware. Some users do get their units bricked when doing updates and in those cases, Garmin and/or this support board are very good at getting that problem taken care.

 

However, if your unit is working perfectly, and the release notes for the firmware upgrade are minor (example: Albanian language support updated), then don't bother.

[+GeoTrekker26]

It sounds like someone is trying to spread a malicious rumor.

 

1) If there were major issues with Garmin firmware updates, the problems would be discussed here long before a "local fb group" whatever that is.

 

2) Garmin never updates the firmware for all their models at once. Isn't it strange that so many users have the same model and all were about to update at the same time?

 

3) What Garmin GS controversy?

 

4) One doesn't download databases from Garmin.

 

5) Garmin is a reputable company that would not risk alienating customers and lawsuits by such childish actions.

 

Interesting that there were no attributions in the original "quotes" and that all but one were allegedly made within an hour. I guess all those people who all going to upgrade the same model GPS at the same time were all waiting to post to the "local fb group" at the same time. Really strange coincidences.

 

Something smells really bad with this thread.

[+kissguy&frannyfru]

It sounds like someone is trying to spread a malicious rumor.

 

1) If there were major issues with Garmin firmware updates, the problems would be discussed here long before a "local fb group" whatever that is.

 

2) Garmin never updates the firmware for all their models at once. Isn't it strange that so many users have the same model and all were about to update at the same time?

 

3) What Garmin GS controversy?

 

4) One doesn't download databases from Garmin.

 

5) Garmin is a reputable company that would not risk alienating customers and lawsuits by such childish actions.

 

Interesting that there were no attributions in the original "quotes" and that all but one were allegedly made within an hour. I guess all those people who all going to upgrade the same model GPS at the same time were all waiting to post to the "local fb group" at the same time. Really strange coincidences.

 

Something smells really bad with this thread.

 

You seem to think i am making this up. It is posted on the Mississippi Geocachers Facebook page. Was just wondering if anyone else had heard about it. Why the hell would i make this up??? And yes this group usually makes pretty fast responses to posts. Geesshh

Btw,the "controversy has been brewing for a while. Have you noticed there are no Garmins in the Groundspeak store anymore?

http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/12/05/opencaching-com-one-year-on

Edited May 18, 2013 by mskissguy&frannyfru

[insig]

There's no deliberate attempt to sabotage certain GPX files. Granted, sometimes something gets written into a GPX file that can cause a device to choke up. I'm guessing these reports of foul play are in response to a poorly-worded response that one person got from a product support individual who was put on the spot during a telephone call. What I believe the response was supposed to convey is that it's always easier to ensure that GPX issues don't happen when someone controls both the generation and the parsing of the GPX file. Garmin does have control over GPX files generated from websites that it runs, so in theory, they can better ensure that the GPX file won't make their devices exhibit undesired behavior. Given how Garmin, Magellan, DeLorme, etc. have no direct control over what is put into a GPX file from a third party (Groundspeak, GSAK, etc.), it makes it a bit tougher to correctly handle GPX files that might have something funky in them. Obviously, it's the ultimate goal of any piece of software that accepts user-generated input to handle all possible cases (including 'funky' input). In practice, it's a goal that is very hard to achieve.

 

I remember the first few projects I did in CompSci 1 at college -- when my program asked for a number, you could type in a letter to make it crash. Later on, I was taught how to protect against that, and started printing out messages like "That's not a number, try again" to the user when they did that. When the user input becomes automated (like reading from a GPX file), you don't have the ability to pop up a message and say "Hey, you gave me something weird... what did you really mean to give me here?" You end up having to try gracefully handling it by (for example) skipping over the bad input and hoping the rest is okay. You could alo try guessing what the user meant to input (spell check is a great example of this). You might even have to just quit reading the input and give up. In the worst cases, you might not realize you've read in something weird until it's too late and there is no way to gracefully exit. Even trying to do that might not be enough, and everything could get all messed up and force your program to crash. That reminds me of what someone once said about programming in C, "You don't know that you've shot yourself in the foot until you pass out from blood loss!"

[+Walts Hunting]

]

 

You seem to think i am making this up. It is posted on the Mississippi Geocachers Facebook page. Was just wondering if anyone else had heard about it. Why the hell would i make this up??? And yes this group usually makes pretty fast responses to posts. Geesshh

Btw,the "controversy has been brewing for a while. Have you noticed there are no Garmins in the Groundspeak store anymore?

http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/12/05/opencaching-com-one-year-on

 

Possible cause. Mississippians on Facebook.

[tr_s]

I find it hard to believe that this is done deliberately, at least.

 

Some android apps generate GPX files that are incorrectly parsed in mapsource for instance, or just fail to open.

I looked for a bit at them and realised that they simply do not follow the standard, with improper termination etc.

 

Garmin probably meant to say that, we can't guarantee that any site other than ours properly creates Geocaching files.

 

Applications can be more or less fluent in dealing with corrupt data. My opinion is that they don't have to be at all.

If possible the corrupt block should be ignored and parsing continue where it looks reasonable again.

But ignoring the file completely is also okay.

 

Now, the fact that a corrupt GPX can actually prevent some Garmin devices from even booting until corrupt file is removed by mass storage.. THAT's terrible design.

[+splashy]

On this moment there are NO bad Garmin updates.

 

If there was a bad update they would take it of the net at the moment they know and launch a new in a few day, also we would know in a few hours.

 

The only controversy on the moment is the new 600 geocaches GGz filesystem.

 

Even if it is on a local geocaching board doesn't prove it is true. Internet is is a hear and speak medium without filters.

[+kissguy&frannyfru]

]

 

You seem to think i am making this up. It is posted on the Mississippi Geocachers Facebook page. Was just wondering if anyone else had heard about it. Why the hell would i make this up??? And yes this group usually makes pretty fast responses to posts. Geesshh

Btw,the "controversy has been brewing for a while. Have you noticed there are no Garmins in the Groundspeak store anymore?

http://www.notaboutthenumbers.com/2011/12/05/opencaching-com-one-year-on

 

Possible cause. Mississippians on Facebook.

So this is how people get treated when they ask a simple question on here? I was going to say something about that remark,but then i saw where you were from. So i just shook me head cause i know you can't help but act like that.

[+cerberus1]

Our Nuvis where due to be updated and we heard similar back in March.

First thing I did was go to these forums. The socks here may not have cache finds, but they know GPS.

No threads on the subject showed everything was fine and so are we.

[+Colonial Cats]

Get a DeLorme.