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!




Glorious Gnome as all things should be.
Lol - it runs Doom! I love it
Very cool! I’ll be paying attention to the development efforts!
Absolute fucking legend here.
What would be really cool is if Doom responded to the steering.
This is amazing. If you keep working on this I would follow it with great interest!
2027 year of the Linux car
gonna be the year of Linux everyhing before it ever becomes year of the linux desktop.
I doubt many modern head units exist that don’t rely on the Linux kernel
Honda factory head units run just straight up android. On my friends 2017 civic he could poke a few buttons and get to the normal android ui.
Android depends on the Linux kernel
it depends
I’m well aware.
I have a 2013 Nissan Leaf that runs WindowsCE, I gotta try that next lol
I’m pretty sure a good portion of them actually run QNX which is a UNIX-like owned by blackberry
Oof you’re right completely forgot.
I have an older fancy aftermarket unit that runs Windows CE. I wonder if I could trick it into using something else…
This is awesome! I desperately want to replace the stock firmware, an open source alternative would be fantastic. Have you poked around the stock firmware to see how the telemetry is delivered via the modem, out of curiosity? For me that’s the number one thing to stop while building out an open alternative in the meantime.
Love a big Donate button on my car dashboard. BMW needs to get on this
I look forward to seeing you in a future dashcam video
This might be a good application for KDEs Big-screen do you lose access to carplay when you do this?
KDE gotta make a vehicle infotainment UI now
Plasma Auto
I need more information!
Can you write up (or link to) any resources for doing this?
Yo thats awesome. Guess somebody needs to port android auto/ Apple car play to Linux now lmao
Is there any Linux program that are for the other half?
The only reverse engineered Android Auto solution I’m aware of that runs on the phone side is Flywheel, but that’s Android only.
https://github.com/Benjamin-Wiegand/Flywheel
For Google-certified head units, it requires extracting keys every 3 months from a rooted Android phone with Google apps installed (with an up-to-date installation of the official Android Auto). Alternatively, it may also be possible to roll the clock back on the head unit.
Is this replacing the head unit software? In my Mazda all of the car’s settings are accessed through that screen rather than the one for the speedometer. I would be afraid this would brick my car, or at least make it so I couldn’t change any of the settings like when it wants to automatically turn on the brights.
What about USB OTG?
Tbd, still figuring that out







