Release Notes for JMRI 4.7.7 release

Date: July 4, 2017

From: Bob Jacobsen

Subject: Test Release 4.7.7 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 seventh in a series of test releases. We expect this series to end in the next JMRI production release around the middle of 2017. (See the tentative release schedule) This test release is close to the final feature set for that production release. We'd appreciate you testing and using it.

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.

JMRI is now only available under the GNU General Public License. For more information, please see our copyright and licensing page.

Required Migration StepSince JMRI 4.7.4

JMRI was updated in JMRI 4.7.4 to use a new serial library. Depending on your exact circumstances, you may need to do some migrations:

• If you are using JMRI on Linux or macOS and are updating from an older JMRI version, you must open the JMRI preferences and make sure that the selections are correct for your serial device(s). Be sure to save the changes.

  In general, previous versions used serial device names like "/dev/cu.usbserial-ABC123FG". This version will generally omit the prefix, and use serial device names like "cu.usbserial-ABC123FG". (If given the choice if a name starting with "tty" and one starting with "cu", pick the "cu" one). See the before and after images to the right.

• If you are using Linux and have previously used the "JMRI_SERIAL_PORTS" option to make sure your serial device is visible to JMRI, you'll have to change that to use the "purejavacomm.portnamepattern" option instead. See the JMRI Linux install page for more information.
• If you have your own JMRI scripts to access a serial device, you'll have to update their library references:
  • Any import gnu.io statements will have to be replaced by import purejavacomm statements.
  • More generally, any reference to gnu.io, e.g. a reference to a class like gnu.io.SerialPort, statements will have to be replaced by a reference to the corresponding purejavacomm class.

Known problems with this release

• None

New warnings for this release:

Older warnings

See the JMRI 4.6 release note for warnings predating the 4.6 development series. These may be relevant to you if you're updating from an earlier version.

Since JMRI 4.7.5 This version of JMRI (and all later) writes a slightly streamlined version of panel file contents. Older files should still be readable by this version of JMRI, but files written by this version may not be readable by versions before JMRI 4.2 depending on their contents.

Since JMRI 4.7.5 The LocoNetOverTCP server has changes that may break scripts that reference it. Scripts refering to the class jmri.jmrix.loconet.loconetovertcp.Server need to refer instead to jmri.jmrix.loconet.loconetovertcp.LnTcpServer.

Since JMRI 4.7.3 This release will not start cleanly if installed over earlier versions of JMRI (the Windows installer ensures this is not an issue). Remove the JAR files jackson-annotations-2.0.6.jar, jackson-core-2.0.6.jar, and jackson-databind-2.0.6.jar from the lib directory within the previous installation directory to resolve this.

Since JMRI 4.7.1 JMRI no longer supports the portable paths resource: or file: that were deprecated in JMRI 2.13. When loading a panel, an error message will be displayed if the panel contains a path that starts with resource: and the panel will not load until changed using an external editor. Paths starting with file: cannot be automatically flagged because JMRI allows file: URLs.

Since JMRI 4.7.1 The LocoNet Server (the LocoNetRMI service; not the LocoNetOverTcp service) in this version of JMRI doesn't properly interoperate with JMRI 4.7.1 through JMRI 4.7.4. It does work fine with JMRI version 4.6 or before. If you encounter a problem with version compatibility, you'll see an error message that includes "local class incompatible". The workaround is to update both client and server JMRI machines to the same JMRI version.

Since JMRI 4.7.1 JMRI applications will not load a panel file that fails XML validation; an error will be shown that should explains the error, allowing it to be fixed using an editor. (The explanations remain a work in progress.)

Since JMRI 4.5.6 As part of fixing the TMCC throttle issue, the handling of TMCC preferences was changed. If you have a TMCC connection configured, please go to the "Defaults" pane in the Preferences window and make sure that the TMCC connection is selected for the appropriate device types.

Since JMRI 4.5.2 This and future releases of JMRI may not function on OS X if the Java SE 6 provided by Apple is installed. OS X operating system updates routinely remove this version of Java SE 6. Please raise any issues concerning this on the user's group. To remove Java SE 6 from OS X, follow these steps (these steps assume JMRI is installed in the folder /Applications/JMRI, if not, adjust the following paths as needed):

1. Open Terminal.app.

   El Capitan only: Reboot into Recovery Mode by restarting your Mac and pressing Cmd-R until the Apple logo appears. Once in Recovery Mode, select Terminal from the Utilities menu.

2. Run the command /Applications/JMRI/PanelPro.app/Contents/Resources/uninstall-java6.sh It can take up to a half hour to complete. Wait for the message Removed Apple Java SE6.

   El Capitan only: Run the command bash /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Applications/JMRI/PanelPro.app/Contents/Resources/uninstall-java6.sh /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD It can take up to a half hour to complete. Wait for the message Removed Apple Java SE6.

3. El Capitan only: Restart your Mac.

Since JMRI 4.5.2 Support for directly executing AppleScript within JMRI has been removed due to changes in macOS and Java outside our control. If you require the ability to use AppleScript, you may be able to add this capability on your own by visiting JMRI AppleScript Support, but please be aware that this may not work on upcoming releases of macOS or Java.

Since JMRI 4.5.1 Internal turnouts and sensors need to have complete, individual system names. The names "IT" and "IS" (without any suffix) are no longer permitted: "IT12" is fine, but just "IT" is not. Most panel files that contain these should automatically migrate them to new names when saved, but in some cases you might need to manually update them.

Since JMRI 4.3.3 You can now set the order of your startup items: If you're opening panel files, running scripts, etc as the program starts up, there's a preferences pane that lets you easily set the order in which those happen. If you've set the order manually (e.g. by editing configuration files) in the past, please check this preference to make sure it's set the way you want.

Since JMRI 4.1.2 Jython has been upgraded to version 2.7.0 with the following potentially breaking changes:

• The decodeJmriFilename() function is no longer available by default. Use the FileUtil.getExternalFilename() method instead.
• The simple propertyListener object is no longer available by default. Create your own, following the examples provided in the jython folder in the JMRI distribution.
• jmri_defaults.py included in the JMRI distribution is no longer executed by default, but will be executed before any other Jython scipts if included in your User Files location.
• The default behavior of python.cachedir.skip is now true. If using a custom python.properties file, include "python.cachedir.skip=false" in that file.
• Certain Python scripts are too large to be evaluated in Jython. If a script fails with the java.io.IOException: Mark invalid error, set "jython.exec=true" in a custom python.properties file or rewrite the script to be less than 100,000 characters per file. Note that when using "jython.exec=true" it may be desirable to run the included script jmri_bindings.py as a startup action to emulate the evaluation environment used when jython.exec=false.

Since JMRI 4.1.1 Decoder definitions that use the "ivariable" form are now deprecated. Definitions included with this release have been converted to the new form. If you have decoder definitions with the older "ivariable" form, they will no longer validate, but can still be used for the first couple of test releases in this series. Please ask on the JMRI users Groups.io group for help converting them, or just drop them and use the current definitions.

Download links:

Please note that the download links in this and future JMRI releases link to Github servers. If that doesn't work for you, the files up to 4.11.x are also still available from the SourceForge.net servers. Please let us know of any problems.

Changes since test release 4.7.6:

The list of included commits is available from our GitHub code repository.

DecoderPro

• The Single CV Programmer now also supports:
  • Ops Mode Accessory Programming (Program Accessory Decoder on the Main)
  • Ops Mode Extended Accessory Programming (Program Signal Decoder on the Main)
  (Dave Heap & Alex Shepherd)

Hardware Support

• Turnouts now have a DELAYED feedback mode. In this mode, when you command a turnout to move, it first goes to INCONSISTENT state for a few seconds (to give the points time to move), before finishing up in the commanded state. This is intended for cases where you don't have any hardware to specifically read back point position from the layout.

DCC++

• Fixed a problem loading and storing Sensors to panel files.

Roco z21/Z21

• Paul Bender fixed an addressing problem with Roco Handheld throttles.
• Paul Bender improved the Z21 support.

New / Updated decoder definitions

• Programming of both Accessory & Signal (Extended Accessory) Decoders on the Main (Accessory Decoder Ops Mode) is now possible, if supported by the decoder. You will need to configure your definition to enable this, as per this link. (Dave Heap)

ESU

• Added Drive Hold (Logical Function) for LokPilot. (Dave Heap)
• Added/updated some models and Product IDs. (Dave Heap)

Layout Editor

• George Warner improved the rendering of rotated text.

Operations

• Some improvements to the UK locale. Fixed several references to "cars" rather than "wagons".
• Fixed some train manifest "time" reference bugs where the option to use 12 hour format was ignored. Also fixed a couple "time" bugs in the CSV file generation. Thanks to Dan Foltz for bring these to our attention.
• Some improvements to the route windows, now if a route is assigned to a train, and a train is built, you won't be able to modify the route until the train is either reset or terminated.

Panel Editors

• George Warner improved the rendering of rotated text.

Scripting

• Add two new script-based tools CombineTurnouts and CombineSensors for mapping a single Turnout or Sensor onto multiple pieces of hardware. Includes test routines which can serve as further examples.

Signals

• There are new SignalFollower.py (for SignalHeads) and SignalMastFollower.py (for SignalMasts) that lets you have one mast or head follow another's state. This can be useful, for example, if you have a repeated signal on the fascia.

USS CTC Logic

• Added a new package of tools for implementing US&S CTC panels.

Internationalization

• Egbert Broerse improved the German and Dutch translations.

Miscellaneous

• Improved the speed of loading panel files with lots of Sensors, Turnouts or Lights.
• Fixed some links in the help pages

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