What about something similar to HPM for the built in apps? Rather than the apps be part of the full system updates the app could be broken out into something similar to HPM. That way they could be updated separately from the system?
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We've considered this in the past, but have no plans to do this at this time. It's a bit more complicated than what HPM is doing.
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Not necessarily picking on Hubitat's way of doing things but I tend to not use built in apps of many platforms that only offer a take it all or leave it approach. It's enough to deal with when a firmware update is applied, but to have the added complexity of all the built in packages being subject to updates at the same time can be a chore when things break. For me all I need are core updates and any new or updated drivers. Again, not knocking Hubitat on this, but every time there is a major update, most of the bugs/problems are with the built in apps. As a user of the platform I must follow all these issues and update accordingly even though the updates are primarily dealing with an app I don't even have installed. It's not a big deal but its just more busy work on the user's end especially when there is a rash of patches that follow. This is why I wait several days to flush out all the problems.
IMO, It would be a nice improvement to the platform updates separated out firmware for core operations and drivers from the pre-canned apps.
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That was what got me to thinking along those lines. If there was a way to separate out the app updates/upgrades from the core system updates.
Thanks for the response! I figured that had to have crossed someone's mind at some point.
But from a support perspective, can you imagine thousands of users being on different firmwares as well as apps?
Like did the 2.2.5 update cause Rule Machine to fail, or is it because you are attempting to use RM4.1 with very old firmware 2.0.8?
I can't imagine the possible combinations of apps and firmware... And how would they test that? Bugs get through now with testing, now they would have to test every app with every firmware?
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Isn't that what we do now with the non built in apps? Also if you controlled the app manager...you could easily force upgrade an app after a system update. Kind of like Android does. Upgrades OS then upgrades the apps that need to be updated.
Put another way... No different than how Microsoft/Apple does updates. They don't update all your applications when you do an OS update.
Of course this is all moot....but was just a suggestion.
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Yea, but that is your problem if it doesn't work, not Hubitat support.
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lol, reminds me of something most of us use everyday from a company that start with a M and ends with icrosoft with there OS. When they have updates that break there own apps, they push the app updates at the same time without you knowing about it. Then all independent developers have to rush and get updates out.
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Actually, when they do OS updates and know that a built in app gets broken from the update, they update the app at the same time without you knowing about it.
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This topic was prompted by issues we've had with Thermostat Controller. Due to my personal mistake, Thermostat Controller missed the beta cycle. If you're impacted by this, I apologize.
The great majority of bugs in new app releases are found and fixed during beta. Of course, if no one in the beta group tests something new, then bugs will get through. Also, we see things show up after beta from different devices or use cases that people have that haven't been tested.
Comparing how we deal with releases to Microsoft is pretty funny, considering that they have about 6 orders of magnitude on us resource wise.
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