Release Notes for JMRI 5.3.1 release
Date: December 23, 2022
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test Release 5.3.1 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 5.3.* 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 5.2 production release in June 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.
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 5.2 release note for more warnings predating the 5.3 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 5.1.7
The way defaults for some LocoNet connections are handled has changed.
Existing LocoNet connections might give a "The Defaults preferences are invalid"
warning when saving preferences. In that case, click "yes" and then go set
all the default radio buttons on the "Defaults" pane to the LocoNet connection. (You can also
click "no", but you'll get the message next time you store too)
- 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.
Download links:
The
list of included changes is available from our
GitHub code repository.
Hardware Support
LocoNet
- New LocoNetSlotsReadCSV.py script which scans all LocoNet slots and
creates report about slot status and slots used for the consists
including the details of the consist. It also flags all non-zero slots.
- Add Consist number column.
New / Updated decoder definitions
Soundtraxx
- Michael Mosher added Blunami decoders
Tam Valley Depot
- QuadLN_S - support for new Semaphore Aspect and Servo Refresh in version 3.2 firmware
Uhlenbrock
- Bug fixes and extension of extended function mapping of the IntelliDrive 2 decoder
Layout Editor
- Fixes a bug in the actions Icon/Label on panel and
Turnout on LayoutPanel which caused that the actions
wasn't loaded correctly.
- Add support for LogixNG Global Variable icons. These work like memory icons.
LogixNG
- The action Turnout on LayoutPanel has been added.
It lets LogixNG enable/disable a turnout on a layout panel.
- The action RunOnce has been added. It runs an action
only one time. It's useful when something needs to be initialized
once.
- Fixes a bug when importing a Logix with Copy memory to
LogixNG. The source memory and the destination memory was reversed.
Panel Editor
- Add support for LogixNG Global Variable icons. These work like memory icons.
Control Panel Editor
- Add support for LogixNG Global Variable icons. These work like memory icons.
Signals
Signal Systems
- The BNSF-1996 and CCOR-1967 signal systems have had some corrections
made to their speed settings to make them more consistent with
the underlying indications.
- The XML Schema for signal systems has been updated to require
there be one and only one speed and speed2 setting.
Web Server
- Update minimatch.js library from 3.0..4 to 3.0.8
Miscellaneous
- Update commons-net library from 3.6 to 3.9.0
