Can someone from Victron VRM development team come clean and make an announcement about VRM browser compatibility?
Up till 28.11.2024 my browser was capable of viewing my instalation on VRM.
After that day it stopped. I can only see totally unresponsive login page. There is no active link on that page.
I reported that problem here:
Someone from Victron asked me for specific information on my browser.
I did provide it, but up till now I got big fat ZERO as an answer.
I would by nice to know what browsers are compatible with current version of VRM.
I would not want to spent money on upgrading my computer only to find out that I am still not compatible.
From a testing perspective, the last 3 versions of browsers are tested.
Browsers are not intentionally obsoleted and it is not tested to see how far back it goes. That is unrealistic.
In reality, modern frameworks that are used by online platforms, move and evolve to support new standards and for security.
Sure there are some platforms that do not change, but to support dated browsers means it has to support weak encryption, security and known vulnerabilities. That just isn’t acceptable any longer for modern systems.
To persist in the modern online world, you don’t need to be on the latest tech, but a few generations is common development practice.
It is unrealistic to expect any platform to support 5 generations-old tech.
Mac OS 10.9 was released in 2013. Over 11 years seems like a good innings, considering the enormous changes, upgrades and enhancements to the ecosystem.
It is worth noting that Apple themselves only support the last 3 OS versions, so they discontinued support long ago. Most older Macs tend to support a version that can run an OS within generational support, if it can’t then the hardware must be extremely old.
The reality is that the major software/browser developers only support the last few OS versions, the OS providers do the same, so do the hardware manufacturers. It is a rolling ecosystem that any solution provider has to move within, and ultimately any user needs to do the same if they intend to use current services. This is necessary as otherwise it stifles development, extends dev/test cycles and costs a lot more to do. Sure it might continue to work, but it isn’t tested, and if it stops working it isn’t by design. By then the age of the equipment is well outside of norms.
Sorry, no idea what you’re expecting.
You’re trying to rebel against industry norms and blaming Victron, which controls none of which is ultimately your poor decision making.
As a Mac user of many, many years, you are talking nonsense.
I have a cupboard of old ones that I could still (just) get on the matrix of support. Their batteries are too tired and it’s too expensive to repair - Is that Victron’s fault as well?
You’re talking about 2006 era hardware. In 2025…
You have discussed YOUR bank before, it is not common for ALL banks, nor any current service provider, and it is not a good thing at all to have a dated ecosystem.
Most would just laugh if you raised such a query.
To be blunt, no one should care about supporting 18-year old hardware and continuing to whinge about expecting any business to support your personal choices is ridiculous. Go try your luck with any others and let us know how it goes.
To be fair, any laptop vendor bins hardware support pretty quickly these days.
Having switched some time back, I have had better long-term OS support on Macs than on any of my many business laptops.
The support statements and lifecycles for the industry are all pretty similar these days (and getting worse).
Being in the industry its same-same. Though, apple repair costs are terrible, but that is worse in this region. As a whole, business-wise, we have far greater ownership costs and less reliability with windows devices. But that is another topic.
I hate to put the gasoline on fire here, but somehow Marek is right…
Another example here is VictronConnect App that we all know that from version 6, released on March 2024, the Windows 7 is not supported anymore.
All understandable… Who has Win7, just use the old 5.107 version. OK.
BUT !!!
If you want to connect from Win7 through VC 5.107 and through VRM to your system, you can’t anymore.
The programs authorize itself OK into VRM, but when clicking on Cerbo for connection, the progress bar goes until 40% and freeze there with the CPU core assigned to the VictronConnect application process going to 100%.
What can be said about that?..
Only that something changed in the way VRM works and systems that up until lately (under few months) worked OK, now does not…
Sad…
My wife is a similar generation, same experience applies
Seriously tho, we do a lot of logistics for high-end computing gear.
What we have seen post pandemic is an acceleration of end of lifeing gear - it’s too difficult and expensive to produce componentry.
At the same time dev cycles have shortened to deal with security and driving change.
Patch Tuesdays don’t exist, it is now an ongoing, real-time process maintaining currency.
Should I understand that once again issues that are quite recent (the above issue with VC) will be deleted again?
Or should I start a new topic on that?
On beta or on Q&A ?
Your problem is not your HW or Victron.
Your problem is Apple not letting you install a more recent OS on your HW.
On a normal PC with similar HW you to your Mac could easily run Win 7, 8 or 10 (if you bypass the stupid HW limitation of the Win 10 installer).
A newer browser not only comes with security fixes it also adds new features and if a website uses that new features an older browser can’t access that website.
To run windows 7 needed Broadwell CPUs and above, which is circa 2013.
Cloverton (Xeon) predates that to 2006. The same 2013 Apple HW supports a similar OS generation Big Sur (v11) which would work fine.
If CPU’s do not have the extensions required for an OS to run, it will not run. It isn’t always a choice to intentionally not support it, but to build new OS’s for the market that leverage new features in silicon.
No one intentionally disabled support. Changes are continually rolled out and it is likely that this resulted in your issue.
They do not test (no one does) every browser since the dawn of time to see where it ceases to work.
The last 3 versions are tested, as is fairly standard practice in the industry.
Finally, while we always try help, we have always been clear this isn’t a support site, to not expect direct support. Staff will try respond where they can and where it is necessary.
No one else has had issues, and there is no chance that any organisation would invest time in chasing an issue for equipment and software that is so far off any and everyone’s support list.
With 2006 HW you would have the same issue be it windows, apple or linux.
Let’s try to see from another perspective.
Don’t want to offend you, Marek…
You are missing the VRM feature.
What is Victron manufacturing and selling? Inverters, MPPTs & stuff.
What is VRM? A monitoring tool offered as a free bonus for the Inverters, MPPTs & stuff above.
In a way, this is a “let’s meet in the middle situation”. You can get the free bonus if you use an up to date system.
So, one cannot cry after a lost bonus as long as your purchased goods work…
Victron itself will ignore many of our request, because it also offered like a bonus, based on interest, this community.
We try set the right expectation about replies here in our guidelines.
We are lucky to have staff access but this is still just a community forum.
There is no guarantee of a reply, nor if you get one that another follows.
The team are incredibly busy, and they would be keen to see if there is a broader issue or a quick fix.
Your reply made the situation obvious.
Given how busy they are, and they do amazing work behind the scenes, which is not visible here, it doesn’t surprise me they didn’t cycle back for a reply, its not intentional and also why we have a moderator team and other community members.
Getting an “official” statement from the horses mouth here is rare and not the purpose of the community. Though it really does try.
Asked and answered already. Closing, this topic is no longer constructive and nothing further can be added.
If you would like official support kindly contact your supplier.
