multiCapabilities doesn't invoke parallel instances of WebDriver

Bug report Using Protractor = 6.0.0-beta, multiCapabilities execute individual captibilities in sequential order rather than running the capabilities in parallel.

• Node Version: v10.15.1
• Protractor Version: 6.0.0-beta
• Selenium Standalone: 3.141.59
• Browser(s): Chrome 72/ Firefox 64
• Chrome Driver: 2.46
• Operating System and Version Mac OS 10.14.2

- Your protractor configuration file // conf.js

exports.config = {
    framework: 'jasmine',
    seleniumAddress: 'http://localhost:4444/wd/hub',
    multiCapabilities: [{
        browserName: 'chrome',
        specs: ['spec.js'],
    }, {
        browserName: 'chrome',
        specs: ['spec.js'],
    }]
};

- A relevant example test // spec.js

describe('Protractor Demo App',  () => {
    it('should have a title', async () => {
        await browser.get('http://juliemr.github.io/protractor-demo/');
        await browser.driver.sleep(5000);
        expect(await browser.getTitle()).toEqual('Super Calculator');
    });
});

- Output from running the test

➜  standard git:(vr-async-await) ✗ sudo ./node_modules/protractor/bin/protractor config.js                 
.[13:10:24] I/testLogger - 
------------------------------------
[13:10:24] I/testLogger - [chrome #01] PID: 11283
[chrome #01] Specs: /Users/vr/Documents/new-async-await/kb-automation/standard/spec.js
[chrome #01] 
[chrome #01] [13:10:13] I/local - Starting selenium standalone server...
[chrome #01] [13:10:14] I/local - Selenium standalone server started at http://192.168.0.11:56758/wd/hub
[chrome #01] DEPRECATION: Setting specFilter directly on Env is deprecated, please use the specFilter option in `configure`
[chrome #01] Randomized with seed 98392
[chrome #01] Started
[chrome #01] .
[chrome #01] 
[chrome #01] 
[chrome #01] 1 spec, 0 failures
[chrome #01] Finished in 6.914 seconds
[chrome #01] Randomized with seed 98392 (jasmine --random=true --seed=98392)

[13:10:24] I/testLogger - 

.[13:10:34] I/testLogger - 
------------------------------------

[13:10:34] I/testLogger - [chrome #11] PID: 11309
[chrome #11] Specs: /Users/vr/Documents/new-async-await/kb-automation/standard/spec.js
[chrome #11] 
[chrome #11] [13:10:24] I/local - Starting selenium standalone server...
[chrome #11] [13:10:25] I/local - Selenium standalone server started at http://192.168.0.11:62938/wd/hub
[chrome #11] DEPRECATION: Setting specFilter directly on Env is deprecated, please use the specFilter option in `configure`
[chrome #11] Randomized with seed 38299
[chrome #11] Started
[chrome #11] .
[chrome #11] 
[chrome #11] 
[chrome #11] 1 spec, 0 failures
[chrome #11] Finished in 6.914 seconds
[chrome #11] Randomized with seed 38299 (jasmine --random=true --seed=38299)

[13:10:34] I/testLogger - 

[13:10:34] I/launcher - 0 instance(s) of WebDriver still running
[13:10:34] I/launcher - 0 instance(s) of WebDriver still running
[13:10:34] I/launcher - Running 0 instances of WebDriver
[13:10:34] I/launcher - chrome #01 passed
[13:10:34] I/launcher - chrome #11 passed

Able to reproduce this issue only in Protector 6.0.0-beta

[froblesmartin]

Any update on this? Has someone found any workaround in the meantime? @cnishina

Even more important: Is the project abandoned?

[wodddy]

When should we expect 6.0.1? It looks like the development of a protractor has stopped completely. And the latest version 6.0.0 has a typescript error. that makes it totally unuseful. Can somebody release just that fix under 6.0.1, and then take care of the rest in a scope of 6.0.2?

Or else, if there’s no more development of protractor, can it be announced, so that people start to look for alternatives?