Date: January 15, 2009
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test version 2.5.1 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.
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 first in a new series of test versions. It contains many new features, including:
Some of the changes involved are quite extensive. They may require a certain amount of experience before they are working well. Therefore, this test version should be considered experimental.
JMRI is now only available under the GNU General Public License. For more information, please see our copyright and licensing page.
JMRI now requires Java 1.5 or later. If you are using an older version of Java, please upgrade your Java installation. To see JMRI's future plans for this and other compatibility issues, please see the JMRI technology roadmap.
The way you drag things in the Layout Editor has changed if you are using a Linux computer.
Problems have been experienced when running on 64 bit versions of Windows when more than 2GB of RAM is installed. An updated version of the LaunchJMRI.exe file can be downloaded from the JMRI Source Code repository. This should then replace the version installed in "C:\Program Files (x86)\JMRI".
Problems have been experienced when running on Windows 98 and Windows ME, causing problems when trying to shutdown the computer. An updated version of the LaunchJMRI.exe file can be downloaded from the JMRI Source Code repository. This should then replace the version installed in "C:\Program Files\JMRI".
Please use these links for downloading, including the "?download" at the end. That adds to SourceForge's advertising statistics, which makes them happy to host our stuff.
Reformatted the DecoderPro speed table to fit better on narrow screens.
Update Throttle "Edit Throttle Frame" so user is less likely to enter a new frame title and not have it appear.
Several technical updates were made. These shouldn't affect users, but things don't always go perfectly...
Dan Boudreau added several new features to the operations code:
A duplicate definition for the Hornby 8215 was removed.
Much internal work on handling multiple types of programmers. The first indication of this at the user level is in the "Single CV programmer", which now will let you pick a programmer if more than one is present.
Ken Cameron updated his DebounceSensor.py sample scripts to make it more reliable.
Simon Ginsburg updated some of the German translation.
Fixed a problem when importing a decoder definition for the first time.
Updated the port-selection in the preferences to only show serial ports. This will mostly affect Windows machines, where the "LPT1:" choice would occasionally be shown whether or not it would work.
The RXTX communication libraries are now packaged with the Mac OS X version so a separate installer is no longer needed.
Paul Bender arranged for the Lenz support to automatically retransmit turnout messages when certain errors are received.
Fixed a crash when loading panel files that contained certain types of SignalHeads with comments.
Matt Harris updated the Windows application launcher so that the "DOS" log window is minimized (not shown full size).
David Duchamp changed the Layout Editor drag gesture on Linux.
Michael Mosher updated the ESU LokSound 3.5 definitions.
Robert Coleman updated the CTI Acela connection to have blink and pulse support, activate the "invert" option in the Turnout table, adjusted the timeout settings to shorter waits, and updated format of the configuration file.
Fixed a problem in the TCS BEMF decoder definition that prevented showing the "BEMF Enable" option.
Fixed a bug that was preventing the tooltips on DecoderPro radiobuttons from showing on some platforms.
Nigel Cliffe added more details to the "uncoupling" features within CT DCX series decoders, mostly to the panel which displays the options for uncoupling movement controls. He also extended the version number range to 66 (he recently bought a DCX74 with v66 software). CT's use of version numbering remains a problem with JMRI, the version numbers in different types of DCC chips will overlap.
Michael Mosher updated the SoundTraxx Tsunami definition for the EMD 645 decoder.
Bill Chown and others added a decoder definition for the MRC Brilliance 1819 G scale decoder and updated the Sound Brilliance definition. He also updated the TCS BEMF decoders definition to complete BEMF and Decoder Lock support.
Bob Coleman fixed a bug in the CTI Acela support that sometimes resulted in reversed turnout operation.