WordPress 3.5 Due Out December 5th

Watch for a new version of WordPress to be released on or around December 5, 2012.

WordPress 3.5 Beta 1 (and a bonus!) (wordpress.org)

-Tony

Joomla 3.0

There is a new version of Joomla out. First the news from Joomla and then our notes on this:

Joomla 3.0.0 Released (joomla.org)

The Joomla! Project is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Joomla 3.0.0. This is the next major release of the Joomla CMS in the Standard Term Support (STS) track. All 3.0 users will need to plan to update to the new versions available in the STS release cycle every six months until version 3.5 is released. These updates are expected to be simple and backwards compatible.

Who is this release for?

The standard-term releases are designed for users who need access to the new features. Most users with existing 2.5.x sites will not want to update to version 3.0. Users creating new sites can use either version 2.5 or 3.0, depending on which best suits their needs. Please consider the availability of third-party templates and extensions when deciding which Joomla version to use. Also, if you decide to use version 3.0, please be aware that you will need to update your site every six months (to 3.1, 3.2, and so on) until version 3.5 is available. These updates are expected to be simple and backwards compatible.

What is the status of Joomla! 2.5?

Version 2.5 of the Joomla! CMS is a Long Term Support (LTS) release and support for it will continue until shortly after the release of Joomla 3.5, scheduled for Spring 2014. Users on version 2.5 do not need to migrate to Joomla 3.0.

What is the status of Joomla! 1.5?

Support for Joomla 1.5 will end shortly after the release of Joomla 3.0. It is currently supported only for security issues.

Will I be able to update directly from 2.5 to Joomla! 3?

Yes. Any update issues will be a top priority and will likely be resolved early in the 3.x release train. However, it is likely that many templates and extensions for Joomla 2.5 will need modification to work with Joomla 3. Always test prior to migrating and consult with the developers of any extensions and templates you use. Be aware that the technical requirements for running Joomla 3.0 are different. In addition to requiring newer versions of software, certain settings that were once recommmened are now required such as requiring that magic quotes is off. See the Technical Requirements page for the specifications. See the Joomla 3.0.0 Post-Release FAQs for more detailed information about updating from 2.5 to 3.0.

What are the new features of Joomla! 3?

• Incorporation of Twitter Bootstrap into a jui media package.
• A new responsive, mobile device friendly administrator template--Isis-- and interface.
• A new front end template--Protostar-- built using Twitter Bootstrap.
• Updated accessible template called Beez3.
• A simplified 3-step installation process.
• PostgreSQL Driver. You will be able to run Joomla 3.0 sites using the PostgreSQL database.
• PHP Memcached Driver
• Use of JFeed for feed management rather than SimplePie
• Installation of language packages directly from the extension manager
• Guest user group present by default
• Saving blank articles allowed
• New administrator statistics module
• Update TinyMCE to version 3.5.6
• Continued clean up of older unused code, files and database fields and tables and improved standardization of tables.
• Improvements to Smart Search
• Extensive work on code style standardisation and consistency
• Unit testing in the CMS
• Updated system tests in the CMS 
• Custom active menu item for menu module
• Let the SEF plug-in add the canonical url to the head
• Version 12.2 of the Joomla Platform

This release also includes the current version (12.2) of the Joomla! Platform, which includes a large number of new and improved packages.

Our Take on This

First, please see our Joomla Upgrade Information page.

Secondly, the Joomla roadmap shows that the major releases are the ".5" versions. As they say (above), Joomla 2.5.x will be supported until the spring of 2014 when Joomla 3.5 should be released. If you are using Joomla 2.5, then you can keep using it. You do not need to upgrade. The 3.0 version just has more features. If you are interested in upgrading from Joomla 2.5.x to 3.0.x, then please let us know.

-Tony

If you are using webmail to get and manage your email on our servers, then please note that effective November 1, 2012, we wiill be running a nightly process to delete email that is older than 60 days.

If you need to keep email, then we suggest either downloading them or else use a program like Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail (Mac) to grab email off the server and manage it on your own computer.

Another good tip is to set up a forward (redirect) to a GMail account so that you have a backup of your email and another way to access your email.

Get more information about Webstix email.

-Tony

Joomla 2.5.7 is Out

Here are the release notes:

Jooomla 2.5.7 Released (joomla.org)

Check the Joomla 2.5.7 Post-Release FAQs to see if there are important items and helpful hints discovered after the release.
Statistics for the 2.5.7 release period

Joomla 2.5.7 contains:
1 new feature added
2 Security issues fixed
42 tracker issues fixed

New Feature Added

Installing Language packs from Extension Manager in 2.5.x. Javier Gómez. Click here to read a blog about this new feature.

Security Issues Fixed

Low Priority - Core - XSS Vulnerability. More information »
Low Priority - Core - XSS Vulnerability. More information »

Contact Webstix for information about upgrading your version of Joomla to the latest version. This is needed to make sure your website software is up to date and protected against compromises.

If you host with us, our Maintenance Department will contact you regarding upgrading your WordPress website or if you have signed up for automatic Joomla upgrades, then those will be performed and Maintenance Blocks will be deducted for them.

-Tony