¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Locked Web server update


 

I have been using the control panel editor panels for years now to display on tablets browsing my web server. I have not had an op session for a year but that changes tomorrow night. I was checking out the electronics and noticed the web pages on the tablets are not refreshing when signals and turnouts change.

It got me back to checking preferences and I see a 5 second refresh under frame server, but it is grayed out. What is the difference between frame server and web server in JMRI? Which should I be using to update my local panels? I was using the Android browser. Is another browser better?

Bob Bucklew


 

Hi Bob,

The JMRI web server has two methods of showing panels, the "frame" server and the "panel" server.

The panel server at /panel is the newer, more efficient method, as it draws the panel client-side and only sends state changes back and forth. Updates are immediate. This is highly recommended if it works for you. It requires WebSocket support on your devices.
The frame server at /frame actually sends a "screen capture" of the panel image, and tries to process mouse clicks based on position. Updates and refreshes are subject to a timer. This also works with some JMRI windows in addition to panel windows.

On old devices, there may be no WebSocket support (check?). If that is the case, you must change the Web Server Preferences to "Enable frames" and use the /frame server. That sounds like your situation.

Regards,
? SteveT


 

Steve,

? ? Can we have both types?? In case we want the newest version on some devices, but still maintain older tablets.

Roger


 

Our club had a similar problem on two of the six tablets we use for glass panels about two or three months ago. Maybe this was concurrent with updating the JMRI version or maybe nobody noticed it earlier as those two panels each control remote portions of the eleven scale miles of dual track main line that have little switching activities.

When we compared the version numbers for the Chrome app, those two tablets had much older versions than the tablets not showing any problems. Most of our tablets were donated by members who had moved on to more trendy gadgets, so we had some "version deficit" issues that should have been noticed earlier.

Since we do not have access to the Internet at the club, it was necessary to bring them home, log onto our local WiFi router and request Google Play to do an update. Unfortunately that took most of a day, since a lot of stuff that I thought we had deleted got updated too. My fat finger skills with smartphones and tablets is mostly limited to phone calls and Engine Driver.

Both tablets work as they had been and that problem is now behind us for the time being. Our only glass panel problem now is that we have to turn them off during Open House sessions, since stray fingers seem to invade us from time-to-time.

This experience is anecdotal from what I can tell, but there may be some value in sharing it.

Cliff in Baja SoCal


 

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 08:57 AM, Roger Merritt wrote:
Can we have both types?? In case we want the newest version on some devices, but still maintain older tablets.
Roger,?
Yes, once you enable the "Enable frames" setting, you can access panels via either URL, the /panel or /frame?
--SteveT


 

Thanks Steve,
I tested the Android browser for websockets and it failed. Chrome on the same tablet passed so I am using it to browse the local panel and it is updating almost immediately. I need to check some of the older tablets before the session tomorrow night. I am using the newer /panels and not /frame, but it was good to learn that you could have both. I guess that would require two sets of panels?

Bob Bucklew

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Todd" <mstevetodd@...>
To: "jmriusers" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 11:39:29 AM
Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Web server update

Hi Bob,

The JMRI web server has two methods of showing panels, the "frame" server and the "panel" server.

The panel server at /panel is the newer, more efficient method, as it draws the panel client-side and only sends state changes back and forth. Updates are immediate. This is highly recommended if it works for you. It requires WebSocket support on your devices.
The frame server at /frame actually sends a "screen capture" of the panel image, and tries to process mouse clicks based on position. Updates and refreshes are subject to a timer. This also works with some JMRI windows in addition to panel windows.

On old devices, there may be no WebSocket support (check? ). If that is the case, you must change the Web Server Preferences to "Enable frames" and use the /frame server. That sounds like your situation.

Regards,
? SteveT


 

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 01:55 PM, rbucklew wrote:
I guess that would require two sets of panels?
Bob,
No, the same panels will work on either server. The path determines which version is used. Use the /panel path for WebSocket-capable devices, and /frame for the others.
--SteveT


 

Steve,
I just updated one of my older Android phones from Engine Driver 2.10 to 2.22.69

I can run trains with the throttle, but can't get auto web to show my JMRI web site or panels. Is there a new setting I am missing?

I can get the web to display at the bottom of the throttle screen, but prefer the auto web for these small screens.

Bob Bucklew

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Todd" <mstevetodd@...>
To: "jmriusers" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 5:16:14 PM
Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Web server update

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 01:55 PM, rbucklew wrote:


I guess that would require two sets of panels?
Bob,
No, the same panels will work on either server. The path determines which version is used. Use the /panel path for WebSocket-capable devices, and /frame for the others.
--SteveT


 

Hi Bob,
When rotating for the Auto-Web, what do you get? A blank screen, an error screen, no screen, something else?

In Engine Driver Preferences, what do you have set for the following Preferences:
Initial Web Page
Initial Throttle Web Page (under Web View Preferences)
Throttle Screen Type

Regards,
? SteveT


On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 6:02 PM rbucklew via Groups.Io <rbucklew=[email protected]> wrote:
Steve,
I just updated one of my older Android phones from Engine Driver 2.10 to 2.22.69

I can run trains with the throttle, but can't get auto web to show my JMRI web site or panels.? Is there a new setting I am missing?

I can get the web to display at the bottom of the throttle screen, but prefer the auto web for these small screens.

Bob Bucklew

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Todd" <mstevetodd@...>
To: "jmriusers" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 5:16:14 PM
Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Web server update

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 01:55 PM, rbucklew wrote:

>
> I guess that would require two sets of panels?

Bob,
No, the same panels will work on either server. The path determines which version is used. Use the /panel path for WebSocket-capable devices, and /frame for the others.
--SteveT






 

Steve,
When I rotate the updated throttle, nothing happens. I still see the throttle but it stays in portrait mode.

So in the first Web preferences section
Web Screen Orientation is set to Auto Web
Initial Web page is set to / which showed the JMRI home page I customized years ago. It should be same as localhost:12080

Throttle Screen type is set as Original - Phone or Tablet

I tried the other screen types but still no web. I can get web as a small screen at the bottom of the throttle.
Bob BUcklew

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Todd" <mstevetodd@...>
To: "jmriusers" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 11:01:54 AM
Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Web server update

Hi Bob,
When rotating for the Auto-Web, what do you get? A blank screen, an error
screen, no screen, something else?

In Engine Driver Preferences, what do you have set for the following
Preferences:
Initial Web Page
Initial Throttle Web Page (under Web View Preferences)
Throttle Screen Type

Regards,
SteveT


On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 6:02 PM rbucklew via Groups.Io <rbucklew=
[email protected]> wrote:

Steve,
I just updated one of my older Android phones from Engine Driver 2.10 to
2.22.69

I can run trains with the throttle, but can't get auto web to show my JMRI
web site or panels. Is there a new setting I am missing?

I can get the web to display at the bottom of the throttle screen, but
prefer the auto web for these small screens.

Bob Bucklew

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Todd" <mstevetodd@...>
To: "jmriusers" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 5:16:14 PM
Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Web server update

On Thu, Nov 15, 2018 at 01:55 PM, rbucklew wrote:


I guess that would require two sets of panels?
Bob,
No, the same panels will work on either server. The path determines which
version is used. Use the /panel path for WebSocket-capable devices, and
/frame for the others.
--SteveT






 

Hm, not sure what's up with that. What happens when you set the orientation to something else, and then use the "Web" menu option? I'm trying to determine if your issue is with the rotation or with the web activity.