I created Node-RED Plus to overcome specific obstacles I found in the community Node-RED app, most importantly the inflexibility of the required /endpoint in the URL for dashboards and other node endpoints, as well as incompatibilities with FlowFuse Dashboard (aka Dashboard 2.0). This alternative/replacement app has worked very well for me and, I hope, many others.
Recently the community app has upgraded to Node-RED v5 and also removed the bundled legacy dashboard nodes, enabling compatibility with FlowFuse Dashboard. However, it still carries the /endpoint restriction, leaving the Node-RED Plus alternative still relevant.
It is apparent that the community app’s transition has not been painless for many people, and I would like input before making significant version upgrades to Node-RED Plus. Right now the app includes Node-RED v4.1.11 using Node.js v22 (the recommended version at the time from the Node-RED developers, and the most compatible with third-party nodes).
There are two potential pain points: moving Node.js to v24, and moving Node-RED to v5. Both may introduce incompatibilities with third-party nodes or flows that people currently rely on.
What upgrade path would the community most like?
I see two main possibilities:
- Bite the bullet and make the major upgrades, with prominent warnings not to upgrade if it is likely to disrupt existing flows.
- Keep the current app with the current versions indefinitely, and introduce a new app with the major version upgrades.
Are there other possibilities? What are your thoughts?