Release Notes for JMRI 5.13.6 release
Date: November 7, 2025
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test Release 5.13.6 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.
Notes:
This is a test release. Please
post a note
if you encounter any new or old bugs!
And please back up your JMRI files before installing this, in case you want to go
back to an earlier version.
This is the next in a series of 5.13.* test releases.
It requires at least Java 11 to work.
We recommend that you use Java 17.
(See our page on downloading Java)
We expect this series to end in the next JMRI production release in December 2025.
(See the tentative release schedule)
We are getting close to the next production release, so we would particularly
appreciate your testing of this release to make sure it works for you. That way,
if you find new problems, we can try to fix them before the production release.
JMRI is now only available under the
GNU General Public License. For more information, please
see our
copyright and licensing page.
Update From Older JMRI Versions
If you are currently using a version older than JMRI 5.0, please follow these instructions carefully:
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.12?
If so, then update to JMRI 4.12 first, and ensure everything works correctly: check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
Then continue with step 2.
If you are currently using JMRI 4.7.3 or earlier on Linux or macOS (Windows doesn't need this),
then it's very important
that you update to JMRI 4.12 and
carrying out the migration process described in the JMRI 4.12 release note
before updating to any later release.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.20?
Then update to JMRI 4.20 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name, use those from now on, and go on to step 3.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 4.24?
Then update to JMRI 4.24 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
- Is your current version older than JMRI 5.0?
Then update to JMRI 5.0 first, and ensure that works correctly (check
start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else.
Save your preferences again.
Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
- You can then install this release.
Following this multi-step order of updating via stable major releases safeguards you against possible migration issues
that can arise from skipping these versions.
New problems with this release
New warnings for this release:
Older warnings
See the
JMRI 5.12 release note for more warnings predating the 5.13 development series,
including pointers to various migration issues.
These may be relevant to you if you're updating from an earlier version;
we strongly recommend you update to at least
JMRI 5.0
before installing this test release.
See
instructions above.
- Since JMRI 4.99.1
This test release, and all subsequent ones, require the use of
Java 11 or later.
We recommend that you use Java 17.
Java 8 is explicitly not supported.
There's more information on this migration on the
JMRI Tech Road Map and
JVM Capabilities pages.
- If you're using a Firefox web browser and opening JMRI
help files locally (not over the web), a Firefox bug
can sometimes cause it to enter a loop. There's a
workaround in
this JMRIusers post.
- Since JMRI 5.11.3
There's been a change to how OpenLCB turnouts are
addressed when using the MTT addressing short cut.
Turnouts 253,254,255, 510, 511, 512, 765, 766 and 767
will be addressed differently. If you're using any of these
via e.g. MTT253, you will need to change the address. If you've
been having trouble getting those addresses to work, this change should
fix that.
- Since JMRI 5.11.5
OperationsPro program file locations were changed in
JMRI 5.11.5. Start up actions
involving operations windows from previous releases no longer work. You'll need to remove them and
add them back if needed.
Download links:
These files are located in the
JMRI 5.13.5 GitHub release.
The
full list of included changes is available from our
GitHub code repository.
Hardware Support
MERG
- If you have multiple CAN-based connections defined
(MERG, LCC, OpenLCB),
you can now specify which one for a start-up action to use.
- If you have multiple CAN-based connections defined
(LCC, OpenLCB, MERG),
you can now specify which one for a start-up action to use.
DecoderPro
- Update the roster XML Schema to fix a bug preventing
validation of the roster.xml file in some circumstances.
- There is now a way to define indexed CVs in a decoder definition so
that the PI and SI values will be written to new values afterward,
e.g. 11.12.123;0.1
Dispatcher
- Fix bug ActivateTrain SaveDIalog
- Correct calculating remaining length of blocks in a section.
Layout Editor
- Fix a problem with selecting "Show ? When Unknown"
checkbox in turnout pop-up menu.
LogixNG
- The new action ExecuteProgram has been
added. It lets you launch a program from JMRI.
- The new action Request update of turnout
has been added. It's used when you want JMRI to request
the state of a turnout from the layout. Note that not all
systems support this.
- The new action For each with delay has
been added. It's similar to For each but
has a delay between each item. It's useful when you need
to do something for example for every turnout, but where
you need to wait some time between each action.
OperationsPro
- New feature, auto select car types for a train based on the locations serviced by train's route.
- Major improvement to "Test Destinations" for classification / interchange and staging tracks.
- Improved train routing when there's multiple locations that can pull a car.
Miscellaneous
- Fixed a bug that prevented restarting AbstractAutomaton-subclass
objects in scripts.
