Release Notes for JMRI 5.3.8 release
Date: June 23, 2023
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test Release 5.3.8 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 5.3.* 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 5.4 production release in June 2023.
(See the tentative release schedule)
We are getting close to the next production release, so we would particularly
appreciate your testing of this release to make sure it works for you. That way,
if you find new problems, we can try to fix them before the production release.
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 5.3.2
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 5.1.7
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.
- Since JMRI 5.3.3
The code for Loconet programming operations was significantly changed.
If you encounter any (new) troubles programming via Loconet, please get in touch on the
JMRIusers list.
- 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.
Download links:
The
list of included changes is available from our
GitHub code repository.
Hardware Support
- Fixed a bug that was sometimes preventing the consumer node name info
from displaying in the Event Table.
- Fix some minor bugs in DecoderPro's exporting of roster entries
to the CS-105 command station and to backup files.
- Improved instructions for DecoderPro's import from and
export to TCS CS-105 command stations.
- Fix a problem that could cause an upload via the Memory Tool to fail.
New / Updated decoder definitions
ZIMO
- Added some more german translation for MX-, MS- and MN-Decoders
- Some small corrections
Layout Editor
- Fixed a problem that was causing Memory and Block contents to be slow to update.
LogixNG
- For the action For each, Variable is renamed to
Local variable to make it consistent with the naming of
the rest of LogixNG.
