PixInsight 1.8.8-4 Released

[Juan Conejero]

Hi all,

I am glad to announce a new version of the PixInsight core application: 1.8.8-4. This version is now available as an automatic update to version 1.8.8-3 for FreeBSD, Linux, macOS and Windows.

Main Bug Fixes and Improvements

Version 1.8.8-4 is a bugfix/maintenance release. It includes an update to the PixInsight core application, along with a set of updates to several mission critical modules and scripts.

* PixInsight core application / JavaScript Runtime: Fixed a data corruption bug in the implementation of the FileFormatInstance.readProperty() and FileFormatInstance.readImageProperty() methods. This bug was preventing correct propagation of image properties in some important scripts, including the BatchFormatConversion script.

* PixInsight core application / JavaScript Runtime: The ImageWindow.saveAs() method accepts now a sixth String argument to specify output format hints. This is a functionality enhancement available to scripts creating new image windows that have to be written to disk files, or scripts that rely on image windows to perform image file management operations.

* PixInsight core application: Minor performance, stability and security enhancements implemented on all platforms.

* Debayer module: Fixed a bug where XBAYROFF and YBAYROFF FITS keywords were not parsed correctly when keyword values are representations of floating point scalars, such as '1.'. This bugfix is distributed as a regular update to core version 1.8.8-4.

* All file format support modules: Fixed a bug where image property data types were reported incorrectly via core API function calls. This bug was preventing correct propagation of image properties in some important scripts, including the BatchFormatConversion script. This bugfix applies to the standard BMP, FITS, JPEG2000, JPEG, RAW, TIFF and XISF modules, and is distributed as a regular update to core version 1.8.8-4.

* BatchFormatConversion script version 1.4.0:

• Added support for image properties, which are now correctly loaded and preserved for output formats able to store XISF properties. This means that conversion from digital camera raw formats to XISF is now fully functional.
• Improved error management.
• Improved tooltips.
• Source code has been entirely revised.

This new version is distributed as a regular update to core version 1.8.8-4.

Known Issues

FreeBSD and Linux

* Recent versions of the KDE Plasma desktop environment include a morphing popups desktop effect that causes problems with recent PixInsight versions. If this effect is enabled, it slows down some dragging operations in the PixInsight core application, such as dragging icons and view selectors. You should disable this effect, which is very easy from KDE's System Settings panel. This problem is also present on Linux.

* On recent versions of the KDE Plasma desktop environment, a display tearing prevention option (v-sync) is enabled by default. This option can cause input lag problems (e.g., slow cursor movement over image windows). This option should be disabled for optimal PixInsight performance:

• System Settings > Display and Monitor > Tearing prevention: set to 'Never'
• Click Apply

Linux

* PixInsight is not compatible with the open-source Nouveau graphics driver. If your distribution is using Nouveau, you must remove and replace it with the proprietary Nvidia driver in order to use PixInsight.

macOS

* On Apple MacBook laptops with dual graphics cards, the integrated Intel HD graphics driver has been causing minor usability issues on macOS 10.14 Mojave. Apparently these problems have been fixed in macOS 10.15 Catalina. However, you may want to disable the Automatic graphics switching option on System Preferences (Energy Saver section) before running the PixInsight core application for optimal performance and stability.

Windows

* There are stability issues on laptops with integrated Intel HD graphics and touch screens. Most of these problems are being caused by outdated or invalid graphics drivers, and in some cases by conflicting third-party applications. These issues are beyond our control.

* On some laptops with nonstandard screen resolutions, such as the Microsoft Surface, PixInsight cannot find valid screen scaling factors automatically. On these machines, you may have to run the PixInsight core application with the --ui-scaling command line argument. For example, to apply a UI scaling factor of 2:

C:\Program Files\PixInsight\bin\PixInsight.exe --ui-scaling=2

You only have to do this once, since the scaling factor will be stored in application preferences automatically. Of course, if you already are using version 1.8.6 or later and the interface looks correct, then you don't need to do this; this is only required for new installations.

__________

Thank you for your attention.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi All,

We have detected a problem with the PixInsight core 1.8.8-4 update we released yesterday for macOS.

Yesterday's core 1.8.8-4 update causes a code signature error on macOS 10.15 (we have not checked it on previous versions) that leads to a crash report each time the updated PixInsight 1.8.8-4 application is executed. This does not happen just after installing the update, but only after a system reboot. Curiously, this only happens with the commercial version of PixInsight; the trial version works perfectly after the 1.8.8-4 update.

In my opinion, this error is actually a bug in Apple's code signature management. We can reliably demonstrate that there are no changes made by this update able to invalidate the application's code signature included in version 1.8.8-3. Actually, Apple has no problems to notarize the same PixInsight.app application bundle successfully after applying yesterday's 1.8.8-4 update.

Anyway, I have uploaded new update packages that solve this problem (well, actually, the new packages avoid the problem, since it is beyond our control) and allow you to update your commercial PixInsight application to version 1.8.8-4 on macOS.

If the above-described issue affects you, the only practical solution is to reinstall version 1.8.8-3, as downloaded from our server, and apply all available updates again. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Please note — this issue only affects the commercial version of PixInsight for macOS after yesterday's 1.8.8-4 update; there are no problems on FreeBSD, Linux and Windows.

[canyonlight]

Thank you Juan. Redownloading and reinstalling/updating seems to have resolved the issue.

Stan

[wvanreeven]

Thanks Juan. FYI I downloaded and installed the version with the workaround for MacOS and do not experience any problems.


Wouter

[gnomus]

I've just installed this update.  I now get an error every time I launch PI.  It relates to the PI Update System and it tells me that it is 'Unable to download repository information'.   Expanding the little box, tells me that I have an "Invalid platform 'version' attribute value '1.8.8:11.8.8-2'..." 

Edit:  I should add that I am using Win 10 HE on a Desktop/Monitor.  No previous issues.  Whe I downloaded the update it was extremely slow - indeed dial up speeds.

Please advise.

[Juan Conejero]

For some odd reason you have wrong repositories selected in your PixInsight installation. Do the following to restore them:

- From the main menu, select Resources > Updates > Manage Repositories.

- On the Manage Update Repositories dialog, click the Default button.

- Click OK.

Now you should have no problems to receive all updates available for your PixInsight version. After applying all updates you should have version 1.8.8-4 of the PixInsight core application as well as all updates released to modules, scripts and documentation.

[Juan Conejero]

Today I have uploaded new macOS and Windows installation packages for version 1.8.8-4 to our software distribution server. The new packages solve all issues caused by the latest core update on these operating systems:

- macOS: The application cannot be executed because of a code signing failure after a reboot.

- Windows 10: All file associations for PixInsight (e.g., XISF and project files) are suddenly broken after a reboot, and double-clicking these files launches a fake installation process that does not make any sense.

Simply uninstall PixInsight, download the new 1.8.8-4 package for your platform, and install it. You'll only have to apply two documentation updates. Sorry for the inconvenience.

There are no new packages for Linux and FreeBSD because the automatic 1.8.8-4 core update works perfectly on these platforms, although I'll probably create and upload them, just for convenience.

Please note that the above mentioned issues on macOS and Windows are not being caused by us. Interestingly, the macOS application bundle after the 1.8.8-3 -> 1.8.8-4 update has exactly the same code signatures as the bundle installed with the new package. The files and their signatures are identical, but Apple does not complain.