2024 Kia EV6, stock head unit.
Edit with some quick notes because I didn’t realize this blew up:
This is NOT yet usable as a replacement to stock. Working:
- Boots! (32 bit only because stock is 32bit, so no AAOS)
- Display
- Touch
- WiFi
- Maybe BT
- Maybe Modem (not gonna test that)
- GPS (uses translation daemon)
- Climate/controls/sensors/some energy stats - as much as MICOM provides anyway (uses translation daemon)
- GPU
- VPU (really need to test more)
Not working yet:
- Audio/amp control
- Power sequencing like when to turn off display, wake/sleep etc
- Any kind of head unit experience (this will come later, I’ll try AGL first, and if I can get 64 bit then I’ll try AAOS)
Use NEMESIS to get root on Android: https://github.com/xwtk/hmg_nemesis
Blog post that has a small section on this: https://w-floyd.com/2026/10/notes-on-llms-part-01/#2024-kia-ev6-head-unit I’ll post more there as I find the time. I am using LLMs for a lot of the heavy lifting as I try things out (never to write my blog). I link to my GitHub repos there, where this work is being actively pushed.
I only bought this car a week ago.
Don’t be an idiot and actually reflash your unit if you try this - I am using kexec to boot from an image from the USB, so this is completely nondestructive (NEMESIS is what actually is installed to the system).
Some more photos!
Absolute fucking legend here.
What would be really cool is if Doom responded to the steering.
Done long ago.
Tesla has a racing game that does exactly that, but most of the vehicles still have mechanical steering linkage, so the actual wheels turn along with the game. It’s not as bad for the tires as you’d think, but it’s still ridiculous.
A legend in what sense? Doom is so optimized (beatifully, in fact) one could port it anywhere.
Seriously, anywhere.
Now, a legend would be someone dresses up as a maintenance tech for self checkout kiosks and installs Doom to kick on when it normally asks for coupons. Oh my god, not advocating in any way, but that would be punk as fuck.
And on that note, I am going to backpedal into the bushes, but peep out: "Doom is very optimized and built on C. You can port that shit to ship ports. You can run Doom on glasses. You can run Doom on a taco, given the system requirements.
Getting it to run on a car? Meh. I got it running on a TI-85 a quarter of a century ago.
So meh.
Ladies and gentlemen, this might actually be the most pretentious poster on Lemmy. I propose a toast to witnessing this great moment. Huzzah.
Yup. You won.
They’re the only user I’ve used user tags for on the site. They should be proud.
It’s not the doom that’s impressive, it’s installing a Linux distro in a car…
Spot on. I would love to do the same to my car but it’s locked down tighter than a duck’s arse.
Yeah… to an extent.
Man, don’t get me wrong: for an early project this is cool. I am not trying to rain on someone’s parade.
It’s cool! Super cool! I am glad they had fun.
But dude, I am a systems engineer. You wouldn’t believe the shit I have recompiled kernels for.
That’s the thing. Super happy for them. Awesome! And I am sure they learned some shit along the way, and that is so great!
I deeply encourage people to learn, experiment and create.
But I am getting a lot of backlash, but lets make this clearer:
I have been working professionally in systems, networking, and programming hands on for 30 years. Cool, and neat, and an interesting thing to try when we have a weekend and a 12 pack.
Curious where they hit the brick walls. No details there. Just pics and some base notes.
Props to OP, and I apologize for I guess being a dick for half-shrugging… while I worked today as a systems engineering manager.
So many responses: do you all go to work or sleep or have social activities? Just read? Man, but I am a troll; not you, just what others have said.
You know, I took an old iphone and made it a webserver. Why? I was high, to be honest.
Why? Because the dude on my couch challenged me. It even ran wordpress (though the db was running off my server). Why? Man, we were fucking stoned.
And it was annoying because he wasn’t helping, just there. Like when playing basketball and someone is trying to block your shot and all you wanted to do was play Horse.
Drunk ramble?
No.
Hope you had on awesome day today as a system engineer! Did a lot of engineering? Man I wish I could engineer like, people don’t give engineers enough credit these days!
Oh no, it sucks, because now I am management. But I do get to design new solutions: that part is pretty dope.
It is just a pain in the ass to get a proper budget.
Lol obvious troll is obvious.
What trolling? Have you looked at the code? It is actually quite beautiful.
You’re so cool, and a 1337 haxor as well.
Because I read the code? It is wonderful code.
I don’t know about this leet shit, but I have been in the field for 25 years and I do stupid ass mods for fun.
Like, I built an MP3 player from hardware scratch, like I actually started with a custom PCB. My coworker’s kid wasn’t allowed to have his phone in class, the father had a 3D printer, so I threw some shit together.
What fucking sub is this in? You can run Doom on toasters because it is just C, which is like a simple step away from assembly.
This is so fucking stupid. Sorry, I just happen to be a systems and network engineer who also does low level programming. My fucking bad. Great conversation.
Oh do go on, tell us about how cool you are. You should get ALL the praise and attention, and all projects must be ridiculed for not being as cool as yours.
Wait, you forgot to list that one project where you got a Linux distro running on a car infotainment unit but ran Crysis on it instead of stupid doom and shared the details with the community. You forgot to bring that up, right?
No, I didn’t. That shit won’t run Crysis.
Stop being a dick. You are projecting your dickness onto me.
You’re so meh.
This isn’t about Doom, ffs… For someone that reads code, you sure are dense.
Not really? So OP compiled the Linux kernel to the chip architecture, which was the real feat, and that is admirable, and then played Doom. Cool!
Cool, man. I am getting heat because I am asking what they would do with it, as running a custom OS on your damn death machine is alone dangerous, but let’s test it out by playing the most opened source and well optimized code on the fucking planet… that is the predessor to the real grandpa of FPS… on your fucking car screen… hold up: what is the make, model, year, bluetooth adapter hardware ID or at least which chipset, the wifi chipset, the video chipset, how were each of these compiled to… hold up, what is the CPU used in this year, make, and model of car?
One of these days, people are going to figure out why I said what I said. Not holding my breath.
Edit: to be VERY clear, the structure of the comment was to literally mock you.
Just didn’t want you to assume that I don’t know how to write. And I am not upset. Just being sardonic.
Getting Nura running on a car head unit isn’t just “compiling the kernel for a different architecture” and if you knew half of what you claim to know, you’d know that. That is, in fact, the easiest part and not “the real feat” by any means.
I know it isn’t. But it is a necessary step. And you should know that as well.
The cool part is that they figured out how to interface with it.
Why is everyone just trying to be the bigger asshole? Are you just begging for it because you think I am the biggest prick?
You can run Doom on a fridge. I am not saying the feat isn’t admirable. I bet it was tough to get Doom to run on a C64. That’s very cool, as is the achievement that this post is about.
I don’t understand the itch in your ass.
No, you don’t. You’re either an LLM prompted to be an asshole or Dunning Krugering all over this thread and that is why people are calling you out. Because what OP did is pretty cool and no one actually likes an asshole who also clearly has no idea what they’re talking about
You seem like the type of person that doesn’t just love the smell of their own farts, but thinks everyone else does too.
spoiler
They don’t.
Ahkay.