Is it just me or has been forever since the last release? or that updates have slowed.
With all that's going on in the world right now its not all that important anyways. But hey maybe a bigger and better update then normal is coming
Unfortunately, I had to give up on Hubitat, forced to return my HE due to the Alexa not working correctly with the color bulbs issue. Since our household is mostly based on Echos for voice control I'm back to limping along with Wink/Sengled hubs for now. I'm also not really feeling the idea of a SmartThings purchase haha.
Could you expand on this? I was not aware of anything here.
2.1.9 came out pretty recently, and they've publicly stated a few changes/fixes that are slated for the next release, so we know they're working on something. It's definitely a bit slower than the times they were releasing a new point version of firmware every couple weeks, though, for sure!
I for one am pretty happy with the "slowed" releases, in the earlier days of HE major changes to RM and other built-in apps necessitated more frequent updates, but often it seemed they were being released a bit too rapidly (frequent post-release hot fixes) that resulted in some pretty widespread bugs sneaking past beta testers.
As one who loves new stuff I too love updates, but I also love stable operation. As HE grows in popularity a smaller percentage of the user base will be made up of "bleeding edge" junkies which in turn mandates stability as a priority feature.
Patience is a virtue! At least we are enjoying a product that is minimally hindered by the current "social distancing/work from home" issues that exist these days.
So... I am curious... If you are no longer using Hubitat, how does the lack of new firmware releases impact you? Or, are you hoping that an upcoming release will fix the "Alexa not working correctly with the color bulbs issue" so you can buy a new HE hub?
I am not being critical of your post...just a little confused by it. That's all.
By the way, I am also curious what exactly the "Alexa not working correctly with the color bulbs issue" is? I can control my color bulbs via Alexa without any issues, using the Alexa Hubitat Skill.
Update: I found your old post regarding the Alexa integration issue...
I'd much rather have a longer period between stable releases (particularly if a release includes stability/performance fixes in favor of adding devices) than a succession of rapid releases that appear to be incompletely tested and require additional bug-fix releases almost immediately.
yeah that's its. in that post of mine. I basically confirmed it with others and reported it. Its something that impacts me greater then the majority of users since I use both Alexa and RGBW devices heavily.
I actually wound having to make a rash decision one day being that I had a week left on my 30 day return policy, and we were going into quarantine. It was quickly shipped off. Kind of regret returning now that I have all this time on my hand, as I could have been playing with the hubs other features lol.
I am running the latest and greatest version of Hubitat firmware and I just verified that the issue still exists. I can change from CT to Color via Alexa with no problem, and Alexa's status is updated correctly. Going from Color to CT results in the Bulb changing color correctly, however Alexa still shows the bulb in Color Mode.
I agree, it would be nice if they had an option to be reminded for Stable or Beta releases so users can choose per hub if they are willing to take the risk and get to see the changes sooner or if they want to only see stable releases. I know we already have the option to wait to install updates I've done that many times however many new users may not know to wait a few days to a week for any bugs to shake out before updating on major releases.
The beta program is a closed group, you can request access by contacting support, normal users will not receive notices of beta releases on their hubs. Unfortunately, even after beta testing some users may find bugs that the beta team did not especially those running a lot of "user" apps/devices. The beta program is "per hub" so you can specify if you want one included. Just keep in mind, during the beta releases things break, sometimes minor stuff sometimes major BACKUPS are your friend!
Sounds a bit similar to the issue we have with dashboards still showing a lamp's colour in RGB mode when it's just been set to a temperature using the slider. I think the bulb on the dashboard should update to show the colour temperature as set instead of the previous colour.
I have noticed (not just with HE), but when the release cycle timeframe widens.. It’s usually a sign of big things coming.. And bigger changes take a bit more time to bake..
But like they say .. Good things come to those who wait..
It is also impacted by the complexity of the integration and the test, fix, regression test cycle needed to create a stable release that increases with the complexity.
It's definitely a bit slower than the times they were releasing a new point version of firmware every couple weeks, though, for sure!
