I currently have two, very stable, Vera Lites running UI5 (firmware 1.5.622). I have been holding off for a long time upgrading to UI7 because of all of the challenges I’ve read about on this forum (and it seems there are still issues with the latest update). It’s been out now for some time, so I’m trying to determine if it’s time to bite the bullet, just so I’m on the latest supported firmware. I have heard of some specific challenges that would affect my network…
Thermostat/plug-in compatibility. I’m currently using the Ecobee plugin for Ecobee3 thermostats in both of my homes. I don’t know if that plugin will continue to work in UI7.
Compatibility with the Schlage combination lever locks. I’ve got one on a gate, and while I don’t do too much with it from a zwave/Vera perspective (I occasionally add/remove codes for houseguests), I obviously still would like it to be work in my network.
Conditional scene code. Right now, I have a virtual switch I use to designate if the house is currently occupied, and that condition determines whether or not certain night-time lighting scenes run (I have a security scene when I’m not there, and a regular evening scene when I am). I am not using the Progam Logic Generator plug-in. I may be dense, but the couple of times I tried to use it, it just seemed far more complicated than sticking with the 5 lines of Luup code I have that check the state of the virtual switch. Do I lose this ability with UI7, or does UI7 come with conditional logic capability in scenes that would not require custom Luup code?
Upgrading from 1.5.622. Do I risk bricking my system? Will I need to upgrade in multiple steps/through multiple firmware versions to get to the current one? Will I need to rebuild my network from scratch? Would the safest/cleanest upgrade be to factory reset and upgrade my system and rebuild my network from scratch (that thought makes me cringe)?
I have spent, literally, years tinkering to get my two systems stable, and I’ve become very reliant upon them. They run basically flawlessly right now (with some minor weirdness with the Ecobee plug-in). I don’t want another science project, but I also don’t want to continue running an old version of firmware that’s no longer supported. I don’t have huge networks with hundreds of devices - in fact, relative to most of you, both of mine are small.
I finally forced myself to make the same upgrade about 1-2 months ago with success. It was required for compatibility with a Linear garage door opener.
Of the 4 items you outlined, I can comment on 2 and 4.
No problems with our two Schlage locks during or after the upgrade.
Bricking is always a risk for any firmware, but in my case, it was smooth. I just used the latest official vera instructions for the upgrade, made a backup, and flashed. I did not have to redo any settings. It was a clean in-place update which was nice and unexpected.
Everyone’s environment is different, so of course it’s hard to say what will and will not work. I’d suggest reading up on how to downgrade as a failsafe. At the very least, I’m happy to report our upgrade was smooth. Good luck!
Do you need to upgrade? Is there anything your system needs that it does not have? Is your system stable and does it just sit in the background doing what you want without tampering?
If the answer to all the above is yes, then leave it alone. If you get problems in the future and want a supported system, upgrade then. However easy it is to upgrade you will still have some problems so if you don’t need it don’t do it.
I am normally fed up of people bashing UI7 and saying how much better UI5 is but you are not doing that. I have a simple philosophy for this.
I remain on UI5 because everything works well and there’s nothing (that I know of) that my system is lacking. I have nothing to say, good or bad about UI7 because I haven’t tried it.
I think where I’ve landed is to wait and get a VeraPlus and just upgrade everything all at once. I’ve had my VeraLites for years now, so getting both current hardware & software sounds like a good idea.
I also think I’ve answered my own question about my conditional scenes. It would seem the Home/Away/Vacation modes in UI7 solve that issue for me. I should be able to use those Modes, instead of my virtual switch, to flag whether the house is vacant or not, and setup the lighting scenes to only run in those modes, completely eliminating the bit of custom Luup code I currently use to evaluate virtual switch flags, which is a simplification that appeals to me. I’m a tinkerer, but I don’t like customizing (with code).
So I’ll put in an order for a VeraPlus and then start my new science project. :-\
Here’s why I think you’ll be more successful (if that’s ever what a vera update/upgrade is ever called) in the way you are going about it with the hardware and software at the same time.
When you get the new hardware it will only run ui7 and you can not downgrade to ui5. The end. LOL
Joking aside ui7 is very different from ui5. I find alot of people that upgrade right off the bat cant find where things are (since they have been used to something in one place for so long and now it’s moved) that many end up down grading back to ui5 after 1-2 days of trying to upgrade. I feel if they would have given it a bit more time things would have became more natural and they would have been able to get used to it.
With the new hardware and being forced into the new UI7 you’ll be a bit more stuck, have money out for the new vera hardware and feel the need to stick with the change a bit longer to successfully get threw the initial growing pains/changes.
I accomplish all of this on UI5 with PLEG and a Multiswitch. I have the same modes… I had them way back before people starting complaining about UI7. PLEG uses my Multiswitch modes status to do or not do things. Status is set by alarm state, mostly.
I’m also going to take the same approach. The one thing that KILLS me is that I have 8 tablets on ImperiHome all with custom UIs that will have to completely be redone for UI7… there is no way to upgrade the files over to UI7.
Ditto, I’m looking to experience UI7 via Vera Plus as it will be mandatory to use certain new features. And as the new product manages more and. Ore I may well see how bridging works so I run certain things under UI5 on my Vera 3 while I look to live/breath the new Z-Wave plus/Zigbee/BT on the new device.
Huh, I havent even given it a thought. So far my VeraLite UI5 hasnt held me back in any way. I intend to leave it as is until I decide for some reason I want a new controller and then deal with whatever that comes with. By that time though Ill have waited until all the bugs are worked out.
well…after remaining on UI5 for over a year now being afraid of ui7, i finally took the punch right in the face and upgraded my somewhat 20 - 30 module config to ui7.
i had to upgrade sooner or later because of the qubino devices i ordered which are not very well supported by ui5.
unfortunately the only message i get from ui7 is that the Luup engine is taking longer to reload. i’d really like to experience ui7 finally after all those years, but was hoping for a more seemingless upgrade than this one.
guess i am up to reading google hits now for some days before finally having a UI7 config.
[quote=“fabstar81, post:13, topic:190909”]well…after remaining on UI5 for over a year now being afraid of ui7, i finally took the punch right in the face and upgraded my somewhat 20 - 30 module config to ui7.
i had to upgrade sooner or later because of the qubino devices i ordered which are not very well supported by ui5.
unfortunately the only message i get from ui7 is that the Luup engine is taking longer to reload. i’d really like to experience ui7 finally after all those years, but was hoping for a more seemingless upgrade than this one.
guess i am up to reading google hits now for some days before finally having a UI7 config.[/quote]
That’s a standard window when you don;t wait long enough. The vera during it’s update shuts down and the UI is not accessible for some time. Most people watch that window for 5 min. which seems like an hour to them. After 30min I would pull the plug on the unit and reboot it back up then login.
[quote=“fabstar81, post:13, topic:190909”]well…after remaining on UI5 for over a year now being afraid of ui7, i finally took the punch right in the face and upgraded my somewhat 20 - 30 module config to ui7.
i had to upgrade sooner or later because of the qubino devices i ordered which are not very well supported by ui5.
unfortunately the only message i get from ui7 is that the Luup engine is taking longer to reload. i’d really like to experience ui7 finally after all those years, but was hoping for a more seemingless upgrade than this one.
guess i am up to reading google hits now for some days before finally having a UI7 config.[/quote]
Biggest problem I had with upgrading was incompatible 3rd party plugins. When a plugin has a problem it can cause the problem you’re seeing. Verify that all plugins are up to date, and then perhaps start removing them until the problem goes away. If you have a lot of plugins then you might be better to look at the log for clues.
[quote=“integlikewhoa, post:14, topic:190909”][quote=“fabstar81, post:13, topic:190909”]well…after remaining on UI5 for over a year now being afraid of ui7, i finally took the punch right in the face and upgraded my somewhat 20 - 30 module config to ui7.
i had to upgrade sooner or later because of the qubino devices i ordered which are not very well supported by ui5.
unfortunately the only message i get from ui7 is that the Luup engine is taking longer to reload. i’d really like to experience ui7 finally after all those years, but was hoping for a more seemingless upgrade than this one.
guess i am up to reading google hits now for some days before finally having a UI7 config.[/quote]
That’s a standard window when you don;t wait long enough. The vera during it’s update shuts down and the UI is not accessible for some time. Most people watch that window for 5 min. which seems like an hour to them. After 30min I would pull the plug on the unit and reboot it back up then login.[/quote]
I waited long enough I suppose. Slept through the night, pulled the plug, waited, but still same message about the Luup engine is taking longer than expected.
About removing plugins etcetera, I cannot access the unit, so how would I do this?
Ok lets go back to the basics, you do know that ui7 uses a different account and login right? Have you created one?
Do you know what the new local IP address is of the vera via maybe your router or other means.
Are you trying to login threw local IP in a browser or threw servers?
Which servers are you using and if you haven’t created a ui7 account maybe do a search for that. Many have upgraded and had login issue not knowing the servers and login are different.
