All Windows Downloads are now code signed

Since Yesterday all Winodws (.exe) downloads are now code signed. Lately Windows has increased their security measures for Internet Explorer and Edge quite a lot (Smartscreen) and it became difficult to open/run any of the maps if downloaded by Edge or IE. Similar to Nortons Reputation system (which is even worse rubbish) Windows only trusts downloads which are downloaded  very very often. (like 10.000 times in a month)  - this resulted in basically only the mtbgermany and velogermany map to be saved without security warnings. Now such a mechanism is not smart at all. The only way to overcome this is to buy a code signing certificate (not that easy actually with the background checks) and sign all downloads. This makes primarily sense if downloads can be done from several servers - and that way you can check the downloads content has not been changed (if you would open up e.g. Firefox download and check if the certificate is from Mozilla - because smartscreen could still be easily fooled by just changing the download and putting a different security certificate). Additional advantage is that if the download is incomplete/corrupt you would also get a warning (could be simply done by checking the MD5 hash too).

While in principal it would be good that Windows request signed downloads - the problem is that they only allow very few certificate vendors (Symantec, Comodo, Digicert/Globalsign and partly StartSSL) - and well not unsurprisingly all of these companies but Comodo and StartSSL are partly owned by Microsoft and the certificates far too expensive for the effort it costs to grant/publish them. There are no certivicates like Cacert or letsencrypt from open initiatives which are accepted. That's the main reason why I did not code sign the downloads already earlier. But well - pressure got too big so now all .exe downloads are code signed with a comodo cert. Oh - BTW the Mac OSx downloads are not code signed - because it's impossible to code sign .7z files.

Also I removed gmt.exe from the installer - in order to pass better with virus scannners. It will now be downloaded automatically if needed for the batch (.bat) files.

 

Besides some other improvements I found a bug in my styles that caused some islands to be flooded. This is now also solved. There will be more noticeable changes in the next few months. I'm working hard on a new hiking layout (maybe this is gonna be a completely new map besides the OpenMTBMap and Velomap - maybe only a layout. I'm still testing a lot). Also I'm thinking about changing the domain from openmtbmap.org to mtbmap.com. mtbmap.com would for sure be easier to remember for people not so much knowing about openstreetmap.org - but I'm wary of changing the domain and name so long established. The hiking maps - if separately available would move to outdoormaps.com (which I originally thought of as new name - before luckily getting mtbmap.com for very cheap). Of course if the hiking map will be separately available - it will be a free download for all premium members on velomap and mtbmap.com/openmtbmap.org.

 

Wishing you all lots of fun with the maps - Felix

August 4th, 2016 | 33 comments

Compatibility with new Garmin devices and Unicode Maps

Last week I changed all maps of countries which do not use Latin as main script to Unicode. Before this was not the case for the Europe, Asia and Africa continent map. On the other hand all unicode maps - are now also available the respective main script of the country. This even seems to work quite well for countries like China which has no alphabet at all. All modern devices - should be quite fine displaying them. Mapsource sometimes shows garbled text however - as will very very old GPS devices - which unluckily also don't support unicode. So I'm sorry - but Garmin devices that are pre ~2006 will only work with maps from countries with Latin script now (e.g. Vista C, or GPS Maps 60C, I'm not certain about Vista Cx or GPS Maps 60Cx - I think they support unicode maps). I don't think there are many people using them still anyhow. 

I will still put more effort in reworking the naming depending on language in the next couple of weeks. All non Unicode maps are available to download via the Non Unicode tab on the respective download pages. Only a couple of countries (Sri-Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Cambodia) have no proper non unicode script support - and will be therefore either Unicode or a latin - which is not too useful.

 

You will need to download the Non Unicode Version if you have one of the following devices:

  • Edge 520,820,1000
  • GPS Maps 64 series
  • Etrex 20x / 30x (not "etrex 30")
  • Etrex Touch series
  • Some recent Nuvi devices - as well as some super old devices that do not support Unicode. (E.g. Garmin Vista C, GPS Maps 60 C)
  • Any device first sold 2016 or later - e.g.
  • Oregon 700/750
  • Epix
  • Some recent Zumo

If you have other modern or semi-modern devices like any Oregon, any Dakota, etrex Vista/Legend HCx or etrex 20, etrex 30, or GPS Maps 62, any edge but edge 1000, then of course you do not need non unicode maps. Stick to the normal Unicode (or for latin countries - latin maps).

 

This is due to a firmware bug that Garmin introduced as part of their efforts to cut down on people "pirating" their maps. However by doing that they also cut down on Unicode maps produced by mkgmap or even some of their old (legitimate) maps which are not running anymore on these devices. You will know that you need to use the Non Unicode map if on boot your GPS device tells you to "unlock maps". Why is the Europe Map in Unicode? Well for example in Greece and some Eastern Europe countries the script is Cyrillic not latin - and only Unicode maps can contain both scripts in one map. So the non unicode map will not correctly show labels in such countries. Use the country non unicode map instead. They are always in the predominant script of the country.

 

Note1: if you install the non Unicode version of a map - you will overwrite the Unicode map. You can only have either or installed.

Note2: The contourlines are identical for openmtbmap/velomap and unicode or non unicode. You only need to download them once. On updates it's enough to re-download and reinstall the map installer.

 

Besides I've added again quite a few new countries - especially in Asia - so that you do not need to get the continent map for these countries anymore.

 

June 27th, 2016 | 4 comments
« Newer Entries  
  Older Entries »