New f.lux version
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I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. My f.lux has auto upgraded to version 4 recently and it's been awful every since.
First it randomly popped up a webpage saying that the app has upgraded. This thing itself was annoying and pointless - I hate when apps/browser add-ons do that, but I guess it turned out to be useful with tracking down the cause for the issues I've started to have.
A couple of times I was leaving my PC unattended for half an hour or so, only to find the screen absolutely ruined - it was all orange/yellowish, sallow even. For a second there I though that my GPU is frying or that the cable connecting my display has got loose. Moreover, the app keeps giving me some plain-retarded, distracting notifications, such as "the sun will rise in 7 hours", or something like that. I can't tell you exactly, because the notification disappears quickly and it's not visible in Windows 10's notification centre, even though it looks like a standard, system notification. What in the name of all that's holy, is the point of giving me a gone-in-2-seconds notification telling me that the sun will rise in 8 hours, and why does it pop up every single day? Jesus Christ.
A week ago I'd recommend the app to everyone, and now I'm seriously considering switching to an alternative app or using the built-in Windows 10 blue light solution. This update is absolutely awful.
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Whoa. Hang on. Let's configure f.lux so that these aren't problems anymore. There's no need to be so extremely harsh.
If you want to get rid of that notification, then turn off "Backwards alarm clock". It's in the f.lux menu located in Options (and Smart Lighting)... > - just untick "Backwards Alarm Clock" at the very top. I'm mostly sure that the Backwards Alarm Clock is responsible for telling you when the sun will rise.
If you don't like the color temperature that you're seeing, then change it. One way to change it is by using the menu on the main window where it might say "Recommended Colors". The other choices are as follows:
Reduce Eyestrain
Working Late
Far from the Equator
Classic f.lux
Cave Painting
Color FidelityOf course, you can also simply adjust the main slider on the main f.lux window.
The other way to change it is by going into the f.lux menu from the main f.lux window and choosing "Adjust all colors at once" (you can also go here after choosing any preset to see what color temperatures that preset has set your color temperatures to). You'll see a new options area for adjusting the color temperature setting for each of the 3 f.lux modes to whatever you want. Bedtime is controlled by your "earliest wake time". It changes to that color temperature 9 hours before your wake time, or it changes at Sunset if sunset comes before that 9-hour point and then bedtime mode will kick in later when it's 9 hours prior to your wake-time.
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Thanks for the reply, but now I've had it. I actually found the option you are talking about myself, but turning it off wasn't of much help. I've just restarted the computer and flux has given me yet another annoying notification, advertising the option to increase the colour range or something like that. This time though, due to a bug (I presume) the notification would not go away, instead of disappearing before you can read it like it usually does.
And guess what happened? I moved my cursor to the "x" button to close the notification, and instead of it closing, I got notified that I just ENABLED the option (that does god knows what and has a god knows what effect on my PC behaviour/performance) and asked me to restart the computer to make it take effect! Wow, at least it asked me to restart instead of restarting straight away. Remember - all I did was trying to click on "x" to turn off a permanently stuck notification. This drops the ball. I'm turning off the app, gonna use the Win10 feature and will probably revert to f.lux 3 with the app blocked from accessing the internet thanks to firewall. I don't have time for this now though.
PS
And here we go, literally while posting this on my desktop, I was resuming my laptop from hibernation (on which flux 4 is also installed) and this is what I saw upon booting it up: I swear to god, I did not alter the image in photoshop or anything else: it's an orange, fucking screen of death. Let me repeat that: an orange screen of death.
I'm uninstalling f.lux 4 from my laptop as well. Enough with this shit. I've never, ever had a one, single issue with f.lux 3 despite using it for a long period of time on both of my desktop and laptop computers. If I wasn't so pissed off I'd probably laugh at the orange screen of death phenomena, but not under these circumstances.
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Expanding the color range is something that version 3 does too. It enables you to set the color temperature below 3400K. The only difference is, you're notified differently with version 3. You still have to restart for the change to take effect for both versions.
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I registered just to reply to your comment. You're 100% correct saffron. This new version, is troublesome. As soon as I can I'll be "downgrading" to a previous version.
The issue is that this update expanded the colour range way too much, and there was no warning, so the user is suddenly met with what looks like a failing monitor, and no idea why. The users settings they relied on, have been wiped and replaced with 'factory defaults' that make little sense.
This is the type of app you want seamlessly integrated into your life, and when it changes, it's routine breaking. If we had been asked to try out the new features, or been offered a little wizard showing them to us, or just given us a good read me describing them, I am certain we'd be less off put by the update. Despite having turned off all notifications I can, anytime I reboot I get an on screen prompt I cannot disable (exactly what you saw). Ask me if I like on screen prompts I cannot disable. Spoiler: They are the devil.
So, between the defaulted features that wiped out the user preferences, and the lack of ability to disable all notifications, and the fact that F.lux us much less intuitive now in terms of what the expanded options mean, we are left with a need to roll back.
Sorry Devs/Designers, this one doesn't work well for my needs. We need no forced/unexpected changes. Retention of settings, a good readme, and a clear description on the tooltips of what we're looking at and how to change it back. Moving back to 3.10 for the time being, love love love that version.
Thank you for reading.
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In addition to the notes here:
https://forum.justgetflux.com/topic/4167/version-3-to-4-upgradeThe latest version (4.54+) also has a better "classic f.lux" feature. We hope you will figure out the new features and use them, but you don't have to downgrade in any case.
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@saffron For you and others nauseated by the "new, improved" version, 1) remove the new version, 2) download the old version, here: https://justgetflux.com/flux-setup3.exe and 3) Turn OFF automatic updates, which will replace this version with the new, shitty one before you can say "New Coke*".
*For those too young to get the reference:
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@AJNow Oh, I'm old enough to have actually had 'New Coke'. And yes, I uninstalled and upgraded back to version 3.10. Works perfectly and I will never need to upgrade.
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The thing that drives me insane with the new f.lux is that it doesn't auto fix unless I physically move the mouse or press a key. The auto fixing when unlocking the computer is also far too slow. It also doesn't work at all on the lockscreen anymore. The old version properly kept the screen tinted when locking and unlocking.
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@herf I downloaded the new version but my CUSTOM colors and the slider are both grayed out and I cant seem to move them... am I doing something wrong?
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@darienlake PMed you.
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@lorna Hello there. I was just emailed that I was PM'ed by darienlake. However, there is no PM I can see, nor any PM interface on this forum software that is readily apparent. Perhaps there was a mistake on the forum? If I can help, let me now please.
Alternatively, email me directly.
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This post is deleted! -
@Achaern hey!!
sorry I replied back to Iorna, I will email them directly .... if you click on the little bell that has a number, you should be able to see the PM -
@darienlake There is no PM in there. But, all good. I went back to 3.10 and my issues are resolved. I'll keep a back up of that .EXE to future proof myself in case my client is accidentally updated.
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@Achaern I think the thread might have emailed you - you can unsubscribe but I think we have it sorted now! cheers
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I don't love the new f.lux either. I used to rely on the old 'check' box to temporarily disable it, now I have to get used to a completely different way now, it's annoying and the change didn't seem to come with any tangible benefits.
Also, this version is glitchy. When I let the monitor turn off, when it turns on, it turns on without f.lux for a second or so, hitting my eyes with blue light. Then flux turns on, this never used to be the case.
The new interface is overall confusing, and has been casually annoying me for a few weeks now. It was a dream to use for a very very long time and one of the first things I went to install when I formatted my computer.
It also took me a while to figure out how to disable the very annoying alarm/notifications.
I'm on version 4.55
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@skuflux said in New f.lux version sucks:
Also, this version is glitchy. When I let the monitor turn off, when it turns on, it turns on without f.lux for a second or so, hitting my eyes with blue light. Then flux turns on, this never used to be the case.
I think this is a brand-new Windows 10 bug.
Have you found the keyboard shortcut Alt-End useful, or do you prefer to use a menu to disable?
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I guess it's nice to have the option, but I preferred just clicking on the sys tray icon and using the check mark to disable for an hour.
I guess from my perspective, this program was already complete (for my needs), it was also a set it and forget it type of thing, and I relied on it. Now it has issues, the main remaining one is what you are suggesting is a "windows bug".
I could happily install the old version and turn off automatic updates if that would help you rule that idea out. Let me know.
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@skuflux The main goal of this version is to make most things automatic. So we have several ways to disable based on which app you're using, and other ways to adjust the schedule so it suits your actual sleep/wake timing better. (And still, there is a hotkey...) But feel free to say how you're using disable and why, because we'd always like to hear.
I believed we had fixed all of the "flashing" issues during our beta. But in one case I can think of, f.lux does work better after a reboot (after expanding your color range).
