IDEmu runs the original head-unit software of BMW iDrive systems (HMI, window system and services) inside QEMU virtual machines, with its own web interface, a virtual iDrive controller, virtual CAN bus and GPS, and a coding editor. It is a research and learning tool: you bring your own firmware packages, IDEmu builds the disk images locally.
Português: README.pt-BR.md · License: PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 · See NOTICE for what is not in this repo.
| System | Hardware / OS emulated | Level* | What works | What does not (yet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iDrive 6 (NBT Evo, 2016–2020) | OMAP5 board, QNX 6.5, ARM | 75% High | Real HMI, touch, rotor and buttons, virtual CAN and GPS, cluster and HUD, connected phone, SSH, coding editor (1,333 parameters), V850 emulation, fast boot (~1 s) | Radio/media/audio, USB stick, some vehicle menu items |
| iDrive 5 (NBT / NBT Evo) | Same as iDrive 6 (same packages, HMI_ID_VERSION=id5) |
54% Medium | Real HMI, touch, rotor, CAN, cluster and HUD, SSH, phone, coding editor | Maps, media, USB; the HMI crashes now and then in navigation menus; slow reaction to input |
| iDrive 8 (MGU22, BMW i7 G70) | Qualcomm SA8155 class, Linux 5.15, ARM64 (QEMU virt + HVF) |
58% Medium | Real HMI at 2880×960, touch, rotor and buttons, phone screens, clock and temperature, coding editor (1,264 parameters), SSH (root shell), virtual cluster/HUD (simulated CAN/GPS, not fed by the HMI), boot in ~25 s | CAN to the HMI, maps/GPS, media, USB stick |
| iDrive 7 (MGU, Linux x86-64) | Intel Apollo Lake class, Linux 4.14, x86-64 (QEMU TCG) | 42% Low | Center screen (HU) and rear-seat entertainment screen (RSE), touch, rotor and buttons, SSH (root shell), virtual cluster/HUD (simulated CAN/GPS, not fed by the HMI), coding editor (1,288 parameters), first boot ~2 min then ~1 s from a snapshot | CAN to the HMI, GPS/maps, media, USB stick; many vehicle services are not faked yet |
| CIC (High, "BMW L6") | SH7785 (SH-4A) board, QNX 6.3 | 29% Low | Real HMI (Hauptmenü), rotor, push, tilt, MENU/BACK/OPTION/MEDIA/MAP keys, SSH (QNX shell), virtual cluster/HUD (simulated CAN/GPS, not fed by the HMI) | Touch (the CIC has none), CAN to the HMI, maps (the virtual GPS receiver is detected and feeds the driver, but nothing shows without maps), coding editor, fast boot; NAV and COM keys do nothing; boot ~1 min |
* Functionality level as shown in the "New environment" assistant (average over 12 features). Maps and route guidance are not available on any system: the firmware packages do not carry map data and the navigation engine does not run.
- A Mac with Apple Silicon (iDrive 8 uses the Hypervisor framework) and macOS 14 or later. Python 3 (the system one is enough).
- Your own firmware packages (PSdZData / SWFL files). The assistant tells you which exact files each iDrive version needs and can scan a folder for them. Nothing is modified; images are built in the project folder.
- A QEMU build: the project uses custom QEMU 11.1.2 builds (OMAP5, SH7785 and
idemu-shmdevices). Source and recipe: src/qemu and tools/qemu/build.sh. Homebrewqemuprovidesqemu-img(needed for the iDrive 7 snapshot) andqemu-system-aarch64(iDrive 8). - Renderer helpers (
glhost,glhost7,mguhost) are built from src with clang. iDrive 8 also needs ANGLE (libEGL.dylibandlibGLESv2.dylib), found in any installed Chromium-based app, or setIDEMU_ANGLE.
./IDEmu.command # opens IDEmu in an Electron window (cd electron && npm install once); without Electron it opens your browser
python3 -m idemu gui # the same, web interface at http://127.0.0.1:8765New environment → iDrive version → car model → required files → parameters → create → build (~20 s for iDrive 5/6) → start. Command line:
python3 -m idemu list | build <id> | run <id>.
- Real software: the original HMI binaries run unmodified; hardware that is missing in the VM is replaced by small shims (graphics, window system, coding, vehicle services) kept outside the system images.
- Virtual controller: rotor, push, tilt and buttons on screen and on the keyboard; mouse as touch screen.
- Virtual car: CAN signals, scenarios, record/replay and a TCP server; GPS with NMEA/UBX output and GPX routes; cluster and HUD views (iDrive 5/6).
- Your own car from its VIN: the type key (VIN characters 4–7) is decoded with the KIS database of your PSdZData into chassis, body, engine, model year, market and iDrive generation, and the new environment is set up to match. iDrive 5/6 head units can be Navigation Professional, Business or EntryNav.
- System files, unpacked: one click extracts the SWFL/HAR packages (or the built image) into normal files you can browse in the app or open in Finder.
- Coding editor: parameters with their factory values from the firmware, backups, import/export, flash and verified restart.
- Fast boot: the booted state is saved and restored in about a second (iDrive 5, 6 and 7).
- Tools: SSH into the head unit, phone link over Wi-Fi, V850 firmware viewer, live statistics (CPU, RAM, GPU, FPS).
| Path | Content |
|---|---|
idemu/ |
Python package: build, runtime, web server and interface (idemu/web) |
src/ |
C sources: QEMU patches and boards, GL renderers, guest shims, V850 emulation |
tools/ |
Image builders, analysers and test helpers (tools/mgu, tools/cic, tools/qemu) |
electron/ |
Desktop wrapper |
docs/ |
Technical notes: architecture, API, other generations, CIC, touch, V850, cluster and HUD (in Portuguese) |
tests/ |
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests |
IDEmu is licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0: you may use, study, change and share it for noncommercial purposes
(personal use, research, education, hobby). Commercial use needs a separate license from the licensor. Files in src/qemu are derived from QEMU and
stay under GPL-2.0-or-later (see NOTICE).
IDEmu is not affiliated with or endorsed by BMW AG or any supplier. This repository contains no BMW software, firmware or map data; use only files you are entitled to use, and respect the licenses that come with them.