Zigbee rewrite- petition

And you can also switch off auto update, so you can update whenever you like

Totally agree!

Good news, so the zigbee rewrite is just a few weeks ahead!

This is not a matter of will it work or not. This has nothing to do with testing for experimental. This is just a matter of the devices WILL stop working if the Community Developers (which are doin this in their free spare time with no payments at all) are not able to finish the rewrite of their apps in time. If u are not using Homey anymore due to HA or summit then it’s no problem. If u have Zigbee apps/devices running (like more then 10K peeps have!) then it’s a disaster when ur devices stop reacting “suddenly “ !

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I’m betting Athom tried to keep both codes (old / new) work together so Zigbee decices have a transition time to get integrated into the new code. But I think this isn’t possible to have both running side by side. Hopefully the awesome devs that make the community apps can find some time to adept to the new code. It’s a pity if they need to rush, hopefully they can get some support from Athom. People are asking for the rewrite for months (years), so I’m also getting Athoms point of view, once they need to do it…

So if I understand correctly, nothing happens if I have not turned on the experimental test. But there is a chance that when the Zigbee update is rolled out in a few weeks and, for example, the Icasa remote control app has not yet been updated that it will stop?
Is that right?

It’s always something isn’t it :slight_smile:. We have been complaining for a zigbee update for years. Now that it finally approaches we start complaining HOW it should have been released. Can we for once just be happy that this is finally happening? Pretty please, with sugar on top

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If I enable the experimental updates, and update to 5.0, but want to go back… I can do a factory reset to go back to the stable release and then restore the last (4.x) backup, right?

Everything (literally everything) should be the as it was b4 the update?

Tia,
/Cactus

If you deactivate the experimental updates, nothing will happen. But that doesn’t help anyone, because the beta has to be tested and improved by the users. I have almost all of my Zigbee network on the Conbee Stick. So in my case, installing the beta is risk-free. I will integrate the devices back into Homey step by step. So I can test whether and how it works and switch back to Conbee if necessary.

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U are totally missing the point. Read this post and see what am talking about

You lost your bet.

The message that Athom sent out states (emphasis mine):
“Homey Apps that add support for Zigbee devices need to be updated to SDK version 3 before they can be used on Homey v5.0.0. The Zigbee devices on Homey will be marked unavailable with a message indicating the respective Homey App needs to be updated to SDK version 3”

So unless an app is updated to SDKv3, all of its devices will stop working on firmware v5.

This is exactly what I wrote, read a bit further than the quote :slight_smile:

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Oops, apologies :woozy_face:

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I understand you. I don’t want developers to have to sacrifice their free time or vacation.
For me personally, it doesn’t matter whether and when the apps are compatible with Homey 5.0. As soon as an app works and I have the appropriate devices, I will test how Homey can do Zigbee. Until then, Conbee and Hue Bridge are doing a very good job. But I think guys like me should take the risk to post their experiences. In the event of malfunctions, there is always the option of returning to Hue or Conbee. So again the clear message from me: Every developer can take all the time to adapt his apps. If it’s only ready for Christmas, then that’s the way it is. I really appreciate what private developers do in their free time. Thank you !

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How does it feel? You’re whole ‘pro Homey response’ and then the sent e-mail by Athom yesterday?!

They stated that they’re apps are ready and that the other developers, which should be you for example (according to your response), have been working hard to update they’re apps as well.

Looking at this topic, no one of the community developers knew that this update was upcoming. This is exactly what I meant with my post above. You guys, the Homey community developers, are the ones that are making this product great. Now, Athom is giving you a big $ÂŁ#}&@ in the face by saying that you probably can not keep up with updating your apps.

I’m flabbergasted. And by the way Caseda, you should be to. As a great moderator, developer and Pro Homey person you should have known this information.

It just depends on how you see it, Athom sees the experimental channel really as experimental, and is actually just meant for developers, so that they can prepare their apps for the stable channel, which the release to experimental is still a few weeks away.
That is also why they state in the mail to disable your experimental updates so it will keep working for you.

Even though I’m not a zigbee developer, yet, I do know what it feels like as the same happened with z-wave, twice, after the z-wave rewrite, and when we went over to SDKv2, this won’t be a 3th time, as most work has already been done as it is only a stability update over SDKv2, but there are necesarry changes to be able to move over to SDKv3, as I do see it happen that Athom will eventually fase out SDKv2 not allowing app updates etc, like they have been doing with SDKv1.

This is the best thing Athom has done up until now, I have seen so many breaking changes the day (or few days) before, that it is now multiple weeks before is kinda weird, it is even more time then going to Homey v2, as that was only 2 weeks.
The only thing I don’t really understand is why they didn’t make the update only happen after you click the button, like Homey v2, so no automatic update.

But feel free to help along, there are currently only 2 big zigbee developers active, that need to do everything by themselves, and definitely need more community developers that can work with zigbee.

You can not blame Athom for all of this since they do not earn any money out of it. Me, for example, bought the Homey to experiment on Marktplaats (ebay). As for now, Athom only earned about 4 euros out of me for the backup service they offer, but besides that I did not pay anything for the useage of the product. Paying a few developers a full salary is not going to work this way and that’s why rewrites take 2 years and pushing updates is going with a big fk you to all the other developers.

Lower the price of the product and ask more money for the SaaS (software as a service) principle. Support developers that are making Homey and Athom great and rich. If I had to pay a few euros to a app developer to download they’re app, then that’s fine. That should also bring more Zigbee developers to the table.

It’s a great product, there’s a great product designer at the office there, it’s great that they develop and manufacter locally and soo on… But it’s a office full of creative people that should be leaded by a good entrepreneur. This will eventually kill Athom.

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Well you still can, it is called donating, just donate to every developer that you use their app of, this is the same as pre-paying.
But you probably won’t do/have done that for every app you use either did you?

But like I said also, most people just don’t want to pay for anything, the €1 per month (or €10 per year) for Homey+ was already too much for a lot of people, let alone if they need to start paying for each app they’d want to use, that will cost more users, then bring in (new) developers.

Athom’s decisions aren’t the only thing though, it is also some users of apps.
For example giving a 1 or 2 star rating even though the app worked for years, until it doesn’t for a minute, and it not even being the app’s fault, nor Homey/Athom.

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Why should you bother updating your app, right? Or learn Zigbee? Users are whining on your apps reviews, they do not donate any money and Athom is displaying ‘we support almost every smart device!’ on the box, which actually means you because you are the developer. And they do not care about you… They do not read forums, they blame you for a BLE malfuncture (which is there fault) and they lie about developers being aware of a large update that may disable your apps.

You’re right, I guess you are a proud Homey developer :).

‘Oogkleppen’ … For the none Dutch users, Google translate that :wink:

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Because I will, yes, both of them, in the very near feature even, or rather, 1 of the 2 in the past already, will you though? :wink: