Install pimatic failing

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I had more succes getting the 0.9.4.2 0.9.42 version working, just don’t update!

@stokstaart said in Install pimatic failing:

0.9.4.2

how do i install 0.9.4.2 0.9.42???

@temp said in Install pimatic failing:

how do i install 0.9.4.2???

It is version 0.9.42 you’re trying to install, btw.

cd /home/pi
mkdir pimatic-app
npm install pimatic@0.9.42 --prefix pimatic-app --production

Pimatic 0.9.42 ist working

Ähmmm, when there a so many users which has problems with the latest version 0.9.43. Isn’t it better to revoke it? Or is the a road map for a version 0.9.44?

@ortin Published version cannot be revoked easily. A new version is is not so easy to accomplish as the pimatic build thing does not contain dependency lock-down as far as I can see. One can probably republish from a tar-ball.

https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/unpublish

yes I guess one could download 0.9.42 and publish it as 0.9.44

I just figured out this would not help. the problem is that i18n module uses the module debug with version * which means “latest” and the latest version of debug dropped node 4 support with version 4.0.1

So following solutions are possible (order of effort)

• manually patch ~/pimatic-app/node-modules/i18n/package.json to refer to debug 3.x instead of *
  • and remove the node-modules folder there
  • and npm install again there
• get the “patch” applied to the i18n dependancie as it is bad practice to reference *
• get rid of i18n, replace it with something else which still works with node 4
• get pimatic to run on latest stable node (huge effort, I sadly suspect that this is never going to happen)

@thex Thanks for sorting this out. I’ll look into this asap.

Having packages using “latest” or “*” in the subordinate dependencies is a big pain!

fyi I have created a test versions for pimatic@test and pimatic-mobile-frontend@test

@thex said in Install pimatic failing:

• get pimatic to run on latest stable node (huge effort, I sadly suspect that this is never going to happen)

Does this mean that Pimatic is actually “End of life”?
Unable to run on the latest Node and looking at the troubles users experienced with the latest release i wonder what updates would look like in the future… ( i do not know enough about Node to answer these questions myselve…)

@stokstaart said in Install pimatic failing:

Does this mean that Pimatic is actually “End of life”?

As long as there are still volunteers contributing to pimatic it is not end of life. However, migrating to the latest Node version is major effort and currently we’re lacking developers who have the time to contribute. Hopefully, this will improve a little bit in the winter months. Clearly, the migration to the latest Node version is key as otherwise it will get very hard or even impossible to maintain pimatic in the future.

I am planning to talk to @sweetpi and @leader21 about the current situation.

From my point of view the main problem is that pimatic is mostly unknown.
Wasn’t there plans to announce pimatic in a Raspberry journal, I thing to do so could help.

I really understand that the main devs will not work for less in there free time (beside some donates) to keep the system up to date, but what will happen when nobody can support you in future. As I learned pimatic cannot stay on node 4. @michbeck100 creates a node 8 pimatic already. Couldn’t be that a base to go forward?

WhatsApp ist the Outcome of the internal discussion??? @mwittig

Dea pimatics, here is my two cents:

I do not understand the “Node” discussion at all but it would really be a pitty if this great platform would fade away…

It is true that pimatic seems largely unknown. I myself stumbled over it upon searching for a solution to start/stop my Sonos with a Dashbutton. I remember having searched for some time till pimatic came up on the radar quite late.

There are already really cool things here with existing Plugins and the possibilities are infinite if more developers would be on board.

However after having used pimatic for some time I have to say that in my opinion pimatic will never make a real breakthru and generate a broad user platform due to one simple fact:

The initial installation process is very well documented for an enduser like myself who knows nothing about Linux, however the Plugins unfortunately are not. Much knowledge is taken for granted and other things are not mentioned at all. “Just change the config file” or “Just install the API” pose an almost unsolvable quest to people like me. "Where is this config file, how do I access it, what is the command…"
Values that have to be entered in the plugin config are also not documented at all or to a point that a newbie understands it “What is an “API key” and where do I get it from??”. Bits of information are scattered in the forum and elsewhere and have to be found and put together like little puzzle pieces.

The Developers / Pros here are very helpful and will answer all these questions one by one but I doubt many people have the patience to go thru this process and with a good documentation this would not be necessary. Most will turn away frustrated and leave this platform to the little community of Pros.

I would like to encourage the Plugin Developers to just walk the last mile and invest a little time into the documentation of the Plugins by a adding a simple! step by step guide to install and configure it (including Hardware and other software components). The initial installation guideline is a good example of what I mean.

Keep up the good work

@cherberg All users are invited to contribute to the project and can help with documentation matters at least like some users already do, e.g.

• collaborate on writing & updating the user documentation (pimatic wiki)
• writing good how-to articles on specific matters (How-To topics on the user forum)

Every helping hand counts! Compared to most other FOSS smart home projects like fhem, openhab, iobroker and such it should be stressed that pimatic has not commercial or professional backing. It solely relies on contributions from the community.

Needless to say, that trialing test version like pimatic 0.9.44a is also something where users can help.

@mwittig said in Install pimatic failing:

Needless to say, that trialing test version like pimatic 0.9.44a is also something where users can help.

What do you you want us to test?

And how this installation can be handled?

@thex Thanks! 1st solution worked fine for me!