Homebrew Patch to fix A-GPS on Verizon webOS devices released 49
After we officially confirmed that 3rd party software cannot access full Assisted GPS on Verizon webOS devices, the race was on to find a fix. That fix in now in, thanks to epic work by Ebag333 with an assist from our very own Darth Pooh. In my testing, Ebag333's patch gives Google Maps and the general ##GPS# phone code a solid GPS lock in under 30 seconds.
Long-time Windows Mobile users may find the technical explanation for what the patch does both interesting and familiar. Apparently on Verizon webOS devices, the standard location request isn't aware of the necessary host and port parameters for A-GPS. All Ebag333's patch does is include those parameters in standard location calls.
Developers of GPS apps shouldn't assume that users will have this patch installed, of course, so Palm's official guidance for your apps is to request the 'low resolution' location fix first.
Standard warnings apply: this patch has only been tested on a very small number of devices, should only be installed on Verizon devices, and is an at-your-own-risk kind of thing. It's not up in Preware just yet, so grab it from this forum thread and install via WebOS Quick Install. Oh, and please do let us know how it works for you!
49 Comments
Again, excuse my ignorance. This is a Homebrew thing right? I am unable to install patches on a stock Pre?
http://www.precentral.net/how-add-homebrew-apps-patches-and-themes
thats all you need in order to get your pre patched
This is a great patch. I used Ebag's patch on treo 800W and later on Sprint Pre. They work. Thank you sir, Ebag333. Before you do it here is my advice, "Be careful follow the instructions." It could brick the phone.
This one shouldn't brick the phone. Worst case scenario, you uninstall it. Even if that didn't work (which it should), you could doctor the device which would reset it back to defaults.
Now you're probably referring to the QPST tweak I posted. That is a great tweak, IMHO, and works well with this patch. That particular tweak can very well brick your phone if you go and do something foolish (like mess with settings you shouldn't touch), but that's quite separate from this particular patch, which should be harmless.
The worst thing I can see this patch doing is being installed on a non-Verizon device, which could result in aGPS no longer functioning.
So long story short, shouldn't be any risk of bricking your phone here! :)
gbp, your comment implies that there's a GPS patch for Sprint Pre users. Would you please direct me to it? I'm a Sprint customer and I have been having the same GPS symptoms as Verizon users report. I've speculated that it may be because the nearby tower is leased from Verizon by Sprint but maybe that's too simplistic of thinking. Some of this seems very odd. There are Verizon users who don't seem to experience the problem and there are many Sprint customers who do. So it's not clear to me that it's a strickly Verizon problem. Thanks!
Here: http://forums.precentral.net/palm-pre-tips-information-resources/206982-...
iven if i dont need it for me is stil great that webos community is so amazing and someone find a cure for oders problem
@Ebag333, @DarthPooh79,
Good sleuthing!
@jabonky,
Your Verizon Pre was specifically built to their specification (perhaps an error on Big V's part), but it's easy to install WebOS Quick install. Once you have that, you can install any patch (or better yet, install PreWare). Your Pre will love you for it!
Can't wait until this goes public. Hope Palm will pick it up--and hire this guy!
I love this device and this community. Next up a patch to help me win the lottery :P
I thougt this was something official and not homebrew.
Yes I can see how that might not have been clear from the headline. Thanks for the reminder there - headline updated. :)
Hahaha good grief I HATE verizon. I just don't understand how they can SUCK so bad and just blatantly RIP OFF their customers and LIE to their customers and yet their customers just DEFEND them and how "great" they are. I mean seriously they are more expensive than Sprint, use shady tactics lilke this, and people just LOVE "The Network". Screw the network. It boggles the mind.
That said, AWESOME work ebag333 and darthpooh79. I knew it was just a matter of time before it was proven to be verizon at fault and before someone fixed what they screwed up.
They've got the superior number of towers, so they can get away with a lot. I switched from Sprint to Verizon because I wanted 3G data, and no amount of roaming on Verizon (with Sprint) was going to provide that. Sprint may be good in some areas of the country, but they're just awful in the northeast outside of the major cities. I wish it were different! Verizon is far more expensive.
Obviously the people who 'DEFEND' verizon wireless have simply never had such experiences. I have been with Verizon since long before they were Verizon (think PacTel Cellular then Airtouch), and I have never had anything to complain about. Customer service has always been very accomodating and polite. I've always had what I felt was a great price plan, though from time to time I've certainly seen published prices that I was relieved I didn't have to pay. I've rarely seen a price offer from anyone else that was any better than what I had.
That said, I do find this intentional crippling of GPS on the Pre+ to be quite worthy of harsh criticism. I know also that it was only in the last couple of years that Verizon would allow phones to have functioning GPS or WiFi at all. However I've never heard ANYTHING so great about any other carrier that made me want to leave even during the many times I was off-contract with Verizon.
I really don't get why anyone here thinks Sprint is so great... lesser pre, lesser network, no mobile hot spot.
+1
Their coverage has always been excellent and customer service replaces my phones when they die (for what they charge me, they should send them gift wrapped). But they have to learn what the world of smartphones expect, and recognize that this is not how the largest US carrier should behave.
Now that we know more than just "Verizon is mean", we have data about what they did and how they did it. Somehow this explanation and work-around needs to be published all over the web to shame them into changing. Frankly, they should stop charging for VZ Navigator to save face on this... Now it's time to publicize this - and enjoy another shining example of the best homebrew community on the planet. Seriously, these guys rock!
Less expensive!
And I don't feel like I'm ripped off at Sprint.
Coverage for has been great!
And guess what, your on a CMDA network, which is what Sprint built out years ago and they all said it could not be done technically.
Sprint was the first with a pure all digital network, a network that Verizon is now using.
Sprint is the first to roll out 4G.
Oh, did I mention that Sprint's GPS works!
And yes we are only a Pre and not blessed with a Plus, be we had WebOS from the beginning and have helped it to become what it is today. Verizon seems to be tearing it down by giving customers a bad experience, and who gets blamed, Palm!
Yep, the little guy gets screwed again!
Rob
haha love it, nice work ebag, you're a hero. eff verizon...
one question: will this work on the pixi+, the red-headed step-child of precentral.net, or is it pre only?
I don't see why it shouldn't work on the Pixi. Give it a shot and PM me or post the results in the forum thread.
I can make a Pixi patch if there are files that are different, I'd just need the original files off the Pixi (which I do not have access to).
thank you for all your hard work. i wish i could give it a try but as i posted below, i am running an older version of the mac OS and apparently the installer program only runs on 10.5+.... My mac in non-intel... so until I buy a new computer I suppose I am SOL... i do appreciate the response though... great work. Damn corporate america and its planned obsolescence1!
All I can say is WOW WOW WOW...
Fantastic work! Where to we send donations???
All those that have been posting about the evil conspiracy at Verizon should feel bad that you didn't have enough faith in the brilliance and dedication of the WebOS homebrew community.
Once again, they have dazzled the greatest of skeptics with a quick and stable solution. My Pre now gets an accurate fix faster than my Garmin GPS (which I will still use, natch).
Seriously. The overclocked kernels miraculous. This gps update is just another twist on the fantastic journey that is WebOS...
Well done!
The attitude that Verizon takes toward its customers has nothing to do with the homebrew community. I think that no one lacked faith in the homebrew community. But I think they still lack faith in Verizon, as Verizon still is locking the GPS without the homebrew patch.
Wait, we have a problem now. What are we going to do with all the redundant threads popping up to whine about Verizon's conspiracy to keep aGPS from us?
Nothing! As Verizon has not made any effort to fix anything. This is temporary patch only created by the community and with recent revelations it has become evident that Verizon was indeed conspiring on crippling GPS on Palm Pres. I'm sick and tired of seeing you pop up in every GPS related thread defending Verizon. Guess they must be paying you REALLY well for all this hard work!
and for the record I have Sprint and GPS works flawless every friggin time!
Dude, you really need to relax. Why don't you focus on yet another triumph of the WebOS homebrew community. IT demonstrates the talent they have, the power available in WebOS, and the fact that we don't have to panic like lemmings when there is a feature missing.
Let's get off "the sky is falling" and enjoy the achievement. We should never doubt that homebrew will save the day.
Dude I'm relaxed. I just don't like people defending Verizon as blindly as you are here. This may be homebrew community's triumph but it sure as hell isn't Verizon's. Needless to say this is a "patch", which by virtue means temporary. Come next WebOS update you will have to remove that patch and try reinstalling it, and in that case it may once again be broken. Instead of putting on pink shades and blindfolds and assuming there is no problem people should demand equal service from Verizon. Android users get all the GPS they want and even Google Maps with navigation while Verizon is pushing Palm Pre users to buy their VZ Navigator service. That's what's unjust.
What are the odds that palm incorporates this patch into a future release of webOS? In other words should I bother doing homebrew on my pre for this is it's just gonna be implemented in 1.4.2?
I'm guessing somewhere between 0% and never.
Verizon intentionally crippled the GPS on their devices. Palm cannot un-cripple it (as much as they'd like to). Verizon would need to approve the change, and I highly doubt they'd do that.
Why would they? A bunch of people who signed up for Verizon Nav since Google Maps didn't work would cancel their subscription.
i sure hope the odds are good because, as I've just found out, if you're a Mac 10.4.x user the WebOS QuickInstall program won't run on your computer.
So unless anyone has any suggestions I sure do hope Palm incorporates this into an official update...
Arrrghh!!!
Find some other computer to use, run WOSQI once and install PreWare (I think there is also a dedicated PreWare installer somewhere, though I'm not sure it's any easier than just using WOSQI). Then you won't need a computer to mess with your phone. This patch will surely be in the patch feed within a day or two.
I'm just waiting for the first post that shows that V goes out of their way to stop this patch.
If they did, they would be Apple. That's the miracle of WebOS. It's designed to make this sort of thing possible. You don't see them fighting to stop the overclocking efforts, why would they stop this?
Same with Android. Google decided to offer a free alternative to VZ Navigator. And they did.
Anyone knows when it will be added in preware?
It's been submitted. Your guess is as good as mine when it'll be accepted.
congrats on the good work Ebag333. I sincerely hope this is something that contractually Palm can fix after a specified amount of time.
Ha,ha,ha! My brother left Sprint to join Verizon for the Preplus. He's so mad that Verizon crippled the Preplus, & untouch Android. Now, i'm having the last laugh with Sprint, & enjoying all my GPS fun. Seem like Verizon doesn't like Palm devices at all. What goes around comes around. With Palm's next future phones, I hope Verizon gets it last, for being so bad towards palm. Lol
The only difference is that you have to open VZnavigator first, then the app you want. GPS still works really well on Verizon, it just takes an extra step. The 512mb of RAM on the Plus is worth it if your brother really wanted a Pre. At this point, if you're wanting a Pre, the Plus version is the ONLY way to go.
It is still a shame that Verizon is limiting the Pre. Not all customers are going to figure out that they can open the navigator app first to get aGPS to work correctly on 3rd party apps or use this patch. Not only that it makes Palm and 3rd party app developers look bad. Probably to the uneducated if they open the navigator app and it "fixes" the problem, they think that the Verizon app if "fixing" the Pre, witch is not the case.
Yeah, I totally agree.
still off by about one mile
It would appear that way!
When I install this - after moments of pause in WebOS Quick Install - the phone reboots. Is this normal behavior for this patch? Haven't had a chance to test performance yet.
Stupid verizon! I seriously cannot stand for anymore of their crap. My wife has been wanting ton change to sprint ever since they charged her for a song she supposedly repeatedly downloaded 6 times in a row. So thirty dollars later and they lost our business. I want to switch over to sprint, but I'd hate to give up my pre plus!
I am seeing mixed results with this patch. Sometimes it is spot on but other times it either can;t find me or I am way off. It does seem a bit more reliable though.
I'm seeing great improvements with the patch and am now getting a fix within 30 seconds, when it took minutes to get something within a mile of my locale no matter where I was at.
Yesterday, I was out and about and Foursquared several places without any hitches, too!
Now, I'm really enjoying the full features of gps as it should be!
Thanks, Ebag!
It was off about a mile until I manually restarted it. It was then within 80 yards or so. I will try again when I am at a different spot.
Thanks for the patch!
Had luck with this once... can't seem to get a fix at all now. [uninstalled]
Same here. It worked great yesterday when I installed it via preware. Today it took about 1/2 hour to get a fix. Is verizon on to this?