Proposal... Ability to Mark native integrations as Abandoned

Development
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1

It seems there are time when some of the native integrations (recently TP-Link and Ring) are abandoned. None of the devs respond to bug posts or direct contact. Some of these bugs affect critical functionality, or break that functionality completely.

I propose we need a way to alert the core team when a native integration has long-time outstanding major issues -AND- the devs have not communicated for a period of time (30 days for acknowledgement, etc)

Some recent examples ...

Ring integration snapshots have been broken for the 2 yrs or longer. The devs never responded even after 6 months. I attempted a fix and luckily someone new is attempting one now. But it has been 2 yrs!

TP-Link integration has been broken for a few months (in a few ways - some cameras are affected others are not) and the devs have no communicated at all. Not even an acknowledgement. I suggest it is not "Platinum quality" if broken and no longer being fixed.

We need a way to 'mark' an integration so everyone (users and devs) know the integration is no longer reliable and/or being fixed. In github, or somewhere - I dont know... but not having a way to warn people of this is an issue that will only get worse as HA grows.

2

Feature Requests belong in Github. Heads-up: Feature requests are moving!

3

Looking for feedback from Devs... it is not an HA app feature request

This is a good place to discuss with Devs.

If you are a core or integration dev and have some input on how to address this issue would love to hear. (I dont know if you are, you hid your profile and I could not find anything under your name related to coding.)

4

Both of those "recent examples" have active devs, all volunteers. They aren't obligated to fix bugs because they are volunteers. This does not mean the integration is abandoned. tplink last change was 3 weeks ago. Rings last change was last month.

Anyways, if you want the "ability to mark native integrations as abandoned", that would be a feature request.

As a volunteer myself, I would be super pissed if someone marked my integration as abandoned if I was still working on it. In fact, I have active bugs that are a couple of years old still in my queue. Somethings have more priority than others. :man_shrugging:

5

I last commit to the Ring integration was me, the 'assigned devs' did not respond for >6 months. When you have no assigned dev commenting or committing when they are getting multiple bug reports on something critical, it is pretty much abandoned by that dev.

From what I see the last commits for TPlink were not the assigned devs, but at least sometimes they approve commits.... so maybe that is ok.

Maybe 'abandoned' is not the right word, but if an integration is supposed to be core/native, it should get attention by the assigned devs, even if it is to say "I cant work on this for X months" Volunteer or not, that is irrelevant. If you dont want to work on it, cool, take your name off 'assigned devs'

6

No it was not, go check out the history. You were a couple PRs ago.

You're more than welcome to create a PR to have their name removed.

7

It seems that @Ltek might end to getting himself listed as a dev of those integrations, and then it will all be his fault :slight_smile:

8

Actually longer, for certain devices, ( TAPO Devices, is my only "reference"

If you take time to read the "New" TP-Link-Integration, And Have Issues with Tapo Device, in specific older Device ( With New firmware ), and look for Supported Devices, in The Docs for the "New" ( Merged Tapo/Kasa Device-Integration ) TP-Link Smart Home
You will most like find that your Firmware is not listed as Supported, You ( We ) have simply updated our Devices, when new firmware came out. And these firmwares made it a PITA, for the native as well as Custom Integrations ( For the past about 2 years )
The Merge of TAPO & KASA in HA-CORE did only made it worse, as they now uses " python-kasa " , for both Branches , causing spewing logs for certain TAPO Devices, on Certain Firmware

TAPO and KASA, has as you know always 2 different product lines, in 2 different phone APPS ( And actually mainly 2 different "regional" customer bases )
However they also in many aspects "talks different", hint the 2 APPs ( Most KASA devices will work in TAPO APP, Very few TAPO Devices works in KASA APP )

So you have a Big "Gap" to overcome
Why the DEV's choosed to "merged" i don't know, nor why they choosed python-kasa ( Note:Yes i think this is wrong !, a bad decision )
Maybe because they found it easier, or maybe they are a big fans of KASA ( Have mainly Kasa Device )

TP-Link has also recently ( Last Year ) Announced that they will, "slow down" On the KASA Branch ( Mostly do to their "conflict" with US Goverment )
However US is their biggest market for KASA, Where EU and East is TAPO
They continue their development and expansion on the TAPO Productline.

No im not a developer, far from, im just a simple DIY

PS: Another "coincident" TP-Link and AQARA, not particular "well" represented in HA, is both from Shenzhen, China ( Hint: 1 major reason for TP-Links "Issues" in US )

9

Perfect :wink: Expect lots of activity but I'll prob break more than I fix :rofl:

I'll stick to coding blueprints and dashboard cards until I get better with coding integrations. My Ring PR was only half right, so someone else is finishing it, luckily.

10

Find the old TAPO integration, and build on with with the tapo specific py(tapo)’s out there , not that i know whether those has even more issues now, but seems like they have updates until reason, i.e 2 month ago
So, it all depends upon which Devices you have issues with, as each integration has it’s own “ Focus “ … Code Owners Choice , and “fight”

NOTE: Thou i agree that the Native TP-Link integration, should never be called that, as TP-Link have a bunch of branches which never will “fit” into the same “Folder”
Calling it TP-Link and classify it as "Platinum quality" is kind of a bad joke , and not something which is in favor of Homeassistant