Second independant instance of Tasker

[YY-YY]

Hi,

Since October 2015, Tasker has become unreliable for me (since a lollipop update).  At times, I disable it to make sure actions do not get triggered off at an undesired time.  On the side, I installed AUTOMATE to use it as a Watchdog, to remind me to re-enable Tasker.

A preferred solution for me would be:

A totally independant second instance of Tasker.

The possibility to enable Tasker from outside.

Can it?  Could it?

Thanks,

Y.

[Pent]

Probably makes more sense to try and find the causes of unreliability.

Lollipop updates causing unreliability are usually due to one or more of these:

http://tasker.dinglisch.net/userguide/en/androidpowermanagement.html

Pent

[Rich D]

>> A totally independant second instance of Tasker.

>> The possibility to enable Tasker from outside.

lets see if If I understand this...

Tasker is 'unreliable' so you want to use another 'unreliable' iteration of Tasker to turn on and off the first 'unreliable' iteration. Hmmmm..   :/

The only way I know of to do this is to make a 'unreliable' app factory app that enables/disables ( freezes and thaws) tasker with root and a shell command. Not sure how much more 'unreliable' tasker will get from the enable/disable actions.

I would suggest trying to fix the 'unreliable' tasker. have you tried all of the relevant suggestions here?

http://tasker.dinglisch.net/userguide/en/androidpowermanagement.html

[technogeezer]

I use Tasker every day.  I appreciate the effort Pent and others have put into the product and applaud the quality of the work.

Having said that...

I too find Tasker unreliable.  Every time Tasker or Android updates, something else goes wrong, which is, sadly, to be expected from the open code environment Android resides in.

Describing such issues here usually results in a 'prove it or forget it' response, with the ever necessary logging file being required for any further comment.  Even then, and I don't begrudge him for it, Pent says some things just won't be fixed, i.e. media buttons.  Further, there are some issues that don't present themselves in a log file.

I have tried the various 'fixes' described in the power management html with no results.  Some Tasker issues have nothing to do with power plans.

Please have some pity on those who don't fully understand the Tasker environment.  A lot of Tasker users are not expert coders.  Please try to understand the feeling of frustration that occurs when something can't be resolved with due diligence.  Please understand that sometimes we don't even know what the specific due diligence entails.

On the more positive side, Tasker issues have enticed me to take up Android programming.  I've downloaded the Studio, researched the developer sites and have begun taking control of my devices.

HTH

[Rich D]

> Having said that...
>
> I too find Tasker unreliable.  Every time Tasker or Android updates, something else goes wrong, which is, sadly, to be expected from the open code environment Android resides in.

I use tasker for a lot of work related tasks and can not afford to be fixing things with every android update,  so my solution was to find a device I really liked that did not force updates and simply stick with that.  I do not have any apps auto update so my set up never changes. I really do not need all the latest and greatest "IMPROVEMENTS" (cough,cough) that google thinks I need.  For me I am still on a rooted Motorola Droid 4 / Stock ROM   / Tasker  /  Version: 4.8u5m/ Android version 4.1.2 .  A side benefit is that when I break the device replacements are now cheap on ebay. 

>
> Describing such issues here usually results in a 'prove it or forget it' response, with the ever necessary logging file being required for any further comment. 

Not sure how else it could be done.

Even then, and I don't begrudge him for it, Pent says some things just won't be fixed, i.e. media buttons.  Further, there are some issues that don't present themselves in a log file.

All true, however I just consider this 'the nature of the beast'

>
> I have tried the various 'fixes' described in the power management html with no results.  Some Tasker issues have nothing to do with power plans.

I am not familiar with that issue. I have found that persistents   pays off,  I have always been able to find a solution or work around with continual searching and posting. 

>
> Please have some pity on those who don't fully understand the Tasker environment.  A lot of Tasker users are not expert coders.

This would include myself..  :)

My post was meant with more of a humerus side (as well as a opportunity for the OP to let me know if I did not correctly understand his approach)  as apposed to any ill will.  Sorry if it did no come across like that.  I did answer the question to the best of my ability and offer a different approach.   

[Pent]

I too find Tasker unreliable.  Every time Tasker or Android updates, something else goes wrong, which is, sadly, to be expected from the open code environment Android resides in.

That's not 'unreliable', it's something breaking due to a change in the OS.

I have tried the various 'fixes' described in the power management html with no results.  Some Tasker issues have nothing to do with power plans.

Sure. But the vast majority of 'unreliable' complaints currently come from Lollipop/Marshmallow updates. Hence the instant
references to the power management stuff when the word 'unreliable' comes up. Those things of course won't fix every problem you might encounter using Tasker,
just the power management related things.

On the more positive side, Tasker issues have enticed me to take up Android programming.  I've downloaded the Studio, researched the developer sites and have begun taking control of my devices.

I hope you publish something and have some user interactions, will give a better understanding
of some of my responses :-)

Pent

[John Doe]

Pent did a good work in my opinion. The big problems are due to specific OS versions. Samsung for example (but even others) really like to set stupid constraints and  to use non standard features. Buy a Nexus and you won't see any problem.

[technogeezer]

Pent, you've done a beyond human job with Tasker!  I am in awe!  No, really.

That's not 'unreliable', it's something breaking due to a change in the OS.

Unfortunately, this is what you signed up for when publishing an app of such sweeping magnitude.  Your web page shows a list of features.  Some don't work.  Looking at it from a purely consumer point of view, that's a broken app.  As a developer, I understand what it takes to present a product to market.  I suggest an additional field in your list of features indicating the level of implementation,i.e. this one works all the time, this one is 'iffy'.  That list might save you a lot of responses here.

Sure. But the vast majority of 'unreliable' complaints currently come from Lollipop/Marshmallow updates. Hence the instant
references to the power management stuff when the word 'unreliable' comes up. Those things of course won't fix every problem you might encounter using Tasker,
just the power management related things.

Of course the majority of issues will come from the latest update.  'Unreliable', to me, means, 'can't consistently reproduce the error'.

I hope you publish something and have some user interactions, will give a better understanding
of some of my responses :-)

I have no need to publish since most of what I'm doing is custom code for my particular needs.  Plus, I already have a full time programming job.  ;)

But I do relate - I have made significant progress but not because of Google's outstanding documentation!