Release Notes for JMRI 5.5.8 release
Date: December 8, 2023
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test Release 5.5.8 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.
Notes:
This is a test release. Please
post a note
if you encounter any new or old bugs!
And please back up your JMRI files before installing this, in case you want to go
back to an earlier version.
This is the next in a series of 5.5.* test releases.
It requires Java 11 to work.
(See our page on downloading Java 11)
We expect this series to end in the next JMRI 5.6 production release in December 2023.
(See the tentative release schedule)
Some of the changes involved are quite extensive.
They may require a certain amount of experience before they are working well.
Therefore, this test release should be considered experimental.
We would appreciate your feedback on it.
JMRI is now only available under the
GNU General Public License. For more information, please
see our
copyright and licensing page.
Update From Older JMRI Versions
If you are currently using a version older than JMRI 5.0, please follow these instructions carefully:
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.12?
If so, then update to JMRI 4.12 first, and ensure everything works correctly: check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
Then continue with step 2.
If you are currently using JMRI 4.7.3 or earlier on Linux or macOS (Windows doesn't need this),
then it's very important
that you update to JMRI 4.12 and
carrying out the migration process described in the JMRI 4.12 release note
before updating to any later release.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.20?
Then update to JMRI 4.20 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name, use those from now on, and go on to step 3.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.24?
Then update to JMRI 4.24 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 5.0?
Then update to JMRI 5.0 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
- You can then install this release.
Following this multi-step order of updating via stable major releases safeguards you against possible migration issues
that can arise from skipping these versions.
New problems with this release
New warnings for this release:
Older warnings
See the
JMRI 5.4 release note for more warnings predating the 5.5 development series,
including pointers to various migration issues.
These may be relevant to you if you're updating from an earlier version;
we strongly recommend you update to at least
JMRI 5.0
before installing this test release.
See
instructions above.
- Since JMRI 4.99.1
This test release, and all subsequent ones, require the use of
Java 11 or later. Java 8 is explicitly not supported.
There's more information on this migration on the
JMRI Tech Road Map and
JVM Capabilities pages.
- This release, and all previous ones, have an incompatibility between
MacOS 13.6 or later and the SPROG support. The fix for this will be
in
JMRI 5.7.1.
when it's available.
Note that this issue only impacts the
combination of SPROG and certain MacOS versions. If you're not using a Mac or
not using an SPROG, this will not effect you.
- Since JMRI 5.5.5
MQTT Connection - Version 5.5.5 used the incorrect default MQTT topics for
Throttle Direction and Function - they had the same topic instead of individual ones.
The documentation was correct but the code wasn't. This was fixed in JMRI 5.5.7.
- Since JMRI 5.3.2
Some images in the resources/icons folder have been renamed.
Spaces have been changed to underscore. It's images in the
resources/icons/ItalianSignals/ACEI,
resources/icons/ItalianSignals/Prototypical,
resources/icons/smallschematics/aspects/NW-1981,
resources/icons/smallschematics/aspects/NYC-1956,
xml/signals/FS-1987, xml/signals/NW-1981,
xml/signals/NYC-1956 and resources/icons/SNCF/Small
folders that have been renamed. If you are using these images directly, you will need to update the reference.
- Since JMRI 5.3.7
The definition of "Last Seen" for Id Tags has been
clarified to mean "Location where the tag was last seen to be present".
Previously, a report that a tag was absent could be remembered as the
last seen report. The relevant code changes are specific to LocoNet
Reporters. This might affect your scripts and LogixNG if you were assuming
the prior behavior.
- Since JMRI 5.3.7
Some Reporters, particularly LocoNet, would improperly clear an "enter" report
when an "exits" report for the same tag was seen elsewhere. This was an
error that has been fixed, but if you have scripts or LogixNG that depend on
this behavior you might have to update them.
- Since JMRI 5.5.3
LocoNet Server and LocoNet Client have been removed.
If you are using these, you need to change the connection to
LocoNet over TCP instead.
- Since JMRI 5.5.3
Scripts that output Logging statements with log4jv1.x ( org.apache.log4j ) imports will stop working
from JMRI 5.5.4 and should be updated to use SLF4J logging.
See here for some examples on how to do this.
- Since JMRI 5.5.4
Custom default.lcf Logging Control Files will cease to take effect from JMRI 5.5.4
To create a custom default_lcf.xml in the new Logging Configuration format, see
JMRI Debugging and Logging
- Since JMRI 5.5.5
XML files with table contents and panels have been changed in JMRI 5.5.5. It's therefore not
possible to load an xml file with tables and panels that has been created with JMRI 5.5.5 or
later with a JMRI version pre 5.5.5.
- Since JMRI 5.5.5
MQTT Connection - Throttle loco address and function placeholders in MQTT topics have changed from
$address and $function to {0} and {1} for consistency with other objects.
Download links:
These files are located in the
JMRI 5.5.8 GitHub release.
The
list of included changes is available from our
GitHub code repository.
New / Updated decoder definitions
BLI
- Fix a problem where the Paragon 2's horn selection wasn't showing.
