Beta testing

Beta 1.5.6 testing

Here, are some instructions that you should know before testing the current beta version of 1.5.6.

• Read the Migration guide
• Enter our Discord channel: Write us at contact@sweep-me.net and we will provide an invitation link.
• Check the list of major changes: https://sweep-me.net/changes/version_1-5-6
• First closed beta versions are available to test whether they can be started and to do some first tests.
• All modules that are not shipped with the installer need to be downloaded, most of them are available now. Only MQTT, Message, PID, and SQL still need to be uploaded.
• Also, some drivers need to be revised and uploaded again to work with Python 3.9 or with 64bit. Let us know if some driver does not work yet that you would like to test.
• If you have a lot of errors during the start, please send us your debug.log to support@sweep-me.net. Then, we can see which modules and drivers made problems.

Beta versions

We have two categories of beta versions: closed and open beta.

Closed beta

Closed beta versions are used to test new features and new upgrade versions before they are released via the download page.

Closed beta versions can be downloaded after registering a sweep-me.net account which can be done here. After login, you will find "SweepMe! beta versions and release candidates" on your Dashboard page. Please select "Download SweepMe! 64bit 1.5.6.3rc1 (beta)" or similar and the download will start. Please make sure that your profile preferences are changed to participate at beta testing to see the links.

The closed beta version is a self-extractable exe-archive made with the program 7-zip. Just double-click and it will unpack the version to the selected folder. It will directly create the ready-to-use version folder and there is no extra installer. Please note that the self-extractable archive has not been signed and thus you might see a warning.

When you execute the self-extractable exe-archive you will be asked for a folder to unpack. You can use the main SweepMe! folder, e.g. "C:\SweepMe!" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\SweepMe!". An individual subfolder indicating the closed beta version will be automatically created, so that you can install these versions in parallel to other offical SweepMe! distributions. It is possible to have multiple SweepMe! versions installed in parallel, including official live releases, closed beta version, 32bit and 64 bit versions.

In contrast to official versions or open beta versions, closed beta versions will create a subfolder like "Beta_SweepMe!v1.5.6.3rc1(exe)_64bit_030723". It has the prefix "Beta" and contains the full version number and the date of creation. To remove such a version, just uninstall the folder.

Each upgrade version e.g. 1.5.5 or 1.5.6 has an own version configuration file. So, when testing newer beta upgrade versions, you change driver and module versions without affecting your working version environment in the productive upgrade version.

Open beta

Open beta versions can be obtained via the download page and using the WebInstaller. These versions are basically identical to official release version in the way how they are created and installed. New features have previously been tested using close beta version so that one can assume that open beta versions are already more stable. Of course, early versions are never free from bugs which is why we recommend to use open beta versions not for productive systems.

Open beta versions are typically listed as second or third choice in the WebInstaller, so you have to select the right version to download it.

Once an official release version is available, you can directly update your open beta version in SweepMe! and you are to up to date and no extra download is needed. Because of that, open beta versions have already a subfolder name like "SweepMe!_1.5.5" that is the same like the one of the later official release.

After a new upgrade version is released, it is likely that no open beta version is available until the next upgrade version is availble for testing.