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vBulletin Connect 5.5.3 Alpha is available for download. |
<h1>vBulletin 5.5.X Changes and Updates</h1>
<p>vBulletin 5.5.3 Alpha 4 is now available for testing. It is not recommended to run pre-release builds on production sites.</p>
<h2>Front End Changes</h2>
<h3>Group Icons</h3>
<p>We have resolved a few additional issues with Group Channels. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Group Icons can now be removed. Previously you could only replace them with a new icon.</li>
<li>Icon management works properly on the Group Settings Page.</li>
<li>Items will no longer break out of the Conversation Toolbar at different resolutions.</li>
<li>Topics and Replies will be properly moderated before displaying if this group option is set.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Facebook Connect</h3>
<p>A number of changes have been made to Facebook Connect to enable better operations due to changes in their API over the years. When a user registers with Facebook, the process is simplified. Facebook no longer allows the automated operations from vBulletin 4.X. We have worked to make the registration process as simple as possible. It is no longer possible to pre-fill custom profile fields with Facebook information. They have removed that functionality. We have also upgraded the Facebook API to the latest version.</p>
<h3>Container Module</h3>
<p>You can now add additional modules to the Container Module in the Blog Channel Sidebar. An issue that could cause all modules to be deleted when doing this has been resolved.</p>
<h3>Accessibility</h3>
<p>Code has been added to apply the aria-label attribute on form elements that currently do not have proper labels. This should improve general accessibility throughout the software. In addition to this, the jQuery Placeholder plugin has been removed from the system. The placeholder attribute is natively supported by browser engines today. This workaround was no longer needed.</p>
<h3>Breadcrumbs</h3>
<p>These have been reworked to display better on smaller screens. Breadcrumb text will no longer be abbreviated with the CSS .ellipsis class. Instead the breadcrumbs will wrap to the next line as necessary. In addition to this, the Home label has been replaced with an icon and appropriate label.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Back End / AdminCP</h2>
<h3>Improved Search Engine Performance</h3>
<p>A number of performance issues relating to the search engine in vBulletin 5 have been resolved. These changes can significantly speed up your search results when using either keyword based search or the JSON powered search modules placed on pages.</p>
<h3>Moderation Permissions</h3>
<p>We have split the single &quot;Skip Moderation Queue&quot; permission into three different permissions. This was done to give you greater control over moderating new content similar to vBulletin 4.X. Setting these permissions to No will force content into moderation on a channel by channel basis. The three permissions are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Skip Moderation for New Topics - This will enable you to moderate new topics started by different usergroups.</li>
<li>Skip Moderation for Replies - This will enable you to moderate replies and comments on approved topics.</li>
<li>Skip Moderation for Posts/Topics with Attachments - If set to no, this will automatically moderate any topic starter or post with attachments. This allows review of the attachments before they are made available to your users.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Proxy Support</h3>
<p>We have added support for Cloudflare and Sucuri proxies in the <code>/core/includes/config.php</code> file. These directives are commented out in the default file. Uncomment the block that you wish to use. Uncommenting will make them active. Only one can be active at a time.</p>
<h3>.htaccess</h3>
<p>Code has been added to the default .htaccess file to handle rewriting vBulletin 4.X Friendly URLs. This code is commented out by default.</p>
<h3>AdminCP Home Page Statistics</h3>
<p>These statistics have been updated so they are more accurate. In addition to this, the obsolete Profile Picture Statistic has been removed.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Mobile Apps</h2>
<h3>Push Notifications</h3>
<p>Changes have been made to make push notifications more reliable in the mobile apps. A new option has been added to control the push notification timeout. This option can be found in the AdminCP under Settings -&gt; Options -&gt; vBulletin API and Mobile Application Options.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Additional Information</h2>
<h3>Install / Upgrade</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391348">Installation Instructions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391346">Upgrade Instructions</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>File Cleanup</h3>
<p>After upgrading your vBulletin system, you should delete any possible obsolete files. You can obtain more information on why this is needed and instructions on how to do this in this <a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391346"><strong>topic</strong></a> in the vBulletin 5 Installs &amp; Upgrades forum.</p>
<h3>System Requirements</h3>
<p>Minimum System Requirements</p>
<ul>
<li>PHP Version: 7.1.0</li>
<li>MySQL Version: 5.6.10</li>
<li>MariaDB Version: 10.0.0</li>
</ul>
<p>Recommended System Requirements</p>
<ul>
<li>PHP Version: 7.3 or higher</li>
<li>MySQL Version: 8.0 or higher</li>
<li>MariaDB Version: 10.3+</li>
</ul>
<p>For more information see <a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4391344">vBulletin Connect System Requirements</a>.</p>
<h3>Current Version Support Schedule</h3>
<p>It is recommended to use the latest version of vBulletin at all times.</p>
<ul>
<li>Active Version - 5.5.2</li>
<li>Security Patch - 5.5.1</li>
<li>Security Patch - 5.5.0</li>
<li>No Patch Release - 5.4.5 or earlier.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Discussion</h3>
<p>If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: 4416598</p>
<p>If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our <a href="https://tracker.vbulletin.com">tracker</a>.</p>
<p>In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our <a href="https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/">community forums</a>.</p>
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 11 Jun 2019 22:11:53 GMT |
Spanish Translator Wanted. |
We are currently looking for someone to continue work on the Spanish language files included with vBulletin 5. There may also be some support work with our Spanish customers involved. If you are fluent in Spanish and wish to take on this role, please email your credentials to sales@vbulletin.com.
Actualmente estamos buscando a alguien para continuar trabajando en los archivos de idioma español incluidos con vBulletin 5. También puede haber algún trabajo de soporte con nuestros clientes españoles involucrados. Si domina el español y desea asumir este rol, envÃ+e sus credenciales por correo electrónico a sales@vbulletin.com.
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 11 Jun 2019 17:30:44 GMT |
vBulletin 5.5.2 is now Available. |
vBulletin 5.5.2 Changes and Updates
vBulletin 5.5.2 is now available by licensed download customers. vBulletin Cloud customers will be notified when their sites are scheduled to be upgraded.
Front End Changes
Groups
We have made a number of changes to the functionality of Groups. Many of these changes are centered around the display of Groups in order to bring more attention to the functionality. The display of Groups has been updated to support a grid-based card layout in addition to the current List layout. The new layout should encourage users to create their own groups and augment the content on your site.
Additional functionality changes include:My Groups shows all groups where you are a member. Not just groups that you own.
Group Descriptions can now contain BB Code.
Group Images that are smaller than 200 X 200 pixels will be enhanced with an automated background color.
Related Issues: VBV-12379, VBV-19209, VBV-8135, VBV-19298, VBV-19303, VBV-19297, VBV-19278, VBV-12951
Accessibility
We've restored functionality for using the outline property on links and have applied CSS so that it better matches your style. This property highlights the focus of the currently selected element, primarily links. Originally, this was removed from many elements due to aesthetic reasons. That decision created issues when navigating using the keyboard and has been reversed. Removing the outline of links causes problems for individuals with vision problems. When using tab key to move from element to element on a page they will be properly highlighted with a dotted outline.
You can override this with custom CSS using the outline property.
Related Issue: VBV-19119
Channel Performance
Changes have been made to how a list of topics is retrieved within a channel. These changes should provide performance benefits in channels with a large number of topics. In addition to this, the node count of channels should be more accurate overall.
If you experience any performance issues due to this change let us know as soon as possible.
Related Issues: VBV-19175, VBV-19195, VBV-19210
Permissions - Viewable on Member's List
This permission has been restored and is now functional. When setting this permission to No for a usergroup, those users will not be listed within the Member's List module. We have set the default values for this permission to Yes on various usergroups. This was done to provide functionality similar to vBulletin 4.2.5. Please review your permissions to make sure this value is set correctly for your site.
Related Issue: VBV-10641
Miscellaneous ChangesVBV-19197 - Do not parse smilies within the [attach] BB code.
VBV-13796 - Photo gallery page is missing breadcrumbs.
______________________________
Back End / AdminCP Changes
Authorize.net Hashing Updated
Due to changes in API processing from Authorize.net, the system will generate SHA256 hashes for communication. These new hashes will be required after you upgrade to vBulletin 5.5.2. If you use Authorize.net, you will need to generate a signature key for your Authorize.Net merchant account and update your Authorize.Net payment settings in the Admin CP.
Quote:
Note: These changes require that the hash library is enabled in PHP. When enabled you can see this library listed in your View PHP Info output within the AdminCP under Maintenance.
Related Issue: VBV-19100
CSS File Output
When using "Store CSS and SVG as files" (recommended), the system will only write the files for Styles marked as active in the AdminCP. A style is considered active if it is assigned to a Channel within the Channel Manager or the Style is checked within the Style Manager. This provides a performance improvement when rebuilding styles during installs and upgrades or choosing to rebuild styles from the AdminCP or tools.php file. It will also provide a minor benefit in the space needed to store vBulletin's files.
This change also applies to the install and upgrade scripts. This should improve upgrade times and reduce server timeouts if you are using a provider such as GoDaddy.
If a non-active style is used by clicking on its title in the Style Manager, the system will revert to retrieiving the information from the database for that style.
Related Issue: VBV-19274
Rebuilding the Search Index
In some cases, the Search Indexing tool would fail. This would prevent content created before upgrading to vBulletin 5 from being indexed. In order to resolve this issue, the tools to rebuild your search index after migrations or upgrades have been refactored. In addition to resolving this issue these tools are now able to index sites faster than before.
Related Issues: VBV-14529, VBV-13834
AdminCP Indexing ChangesWhile reindexing within the AdminCP, vBulletin will attempt to increase the PHP memory limit to 256M. Provided that is permitted by the server configuration.
The "start nodeid" now does what it says. If provided we start the index at that node id. Previously it was an offset into the node list. Mostly it's useful because you can restart the index by giving it the "last node updated" value that is now displayed when a batch finishes.
The Default batch size at 250. This can be increase to provide more efficient reindexing. However larger batches will require more memory and are more likely to time out. We recommend using Command Line Indexing and/or Sphinx Search on larger sites.
Command Line Indexing
Using the command line indexing tool (<code>/do_not_upload/searchindex.php</code> can provide a more efficient reindexing experience due to removing the overhead of a web interface.
This tool now supports command line parameters.
Example:
Note: Code Cannot Be Viewed on the Portal
batch: The number of nodes that are processed per batch.
memory: Will attempt to increase the memory allocated to PHP. This values follows the rules for PHP config either number of bytes or you can use K, M or G as a shorthand.
startnode: This tells the script which node to start the indexing process at. The startnode parameter is primarily used for restarting a process that failed at some point. The script's output will now give you the "last processed node" for reference.
_____________________________
[B]Additional Changes[B]VBV-9482 - Paid Subscriptions - Hard coded currency needs to change
VBV-19206 - Create 32-bit API Key on generation.
VBV-19217 - Prevent ClickJacking.
_____________________________
Additional Information
Install / UpgradeInstallation Instructions
Upgrade Instructions
File Cleanup
After upgrading your vBulletin system, you should delete any possible obsolete files. You can obtain more information on why this is needed and instructions on how to do this in this <strong>topic</strong> in the vBulletin 5 Installs &amp; Upgrades forum.
System Requirements
Minimum System Requirements:PHP Version: 7.1.0
MySQL Version: 5.6.10
MariaDB Version: 10.0.0
Recommended System Requirements:PHP Version: 7.3 or higher
MySQL Version: 8.0 or higher
MariaDB Version: 10.3+
For more information see vBulletin Connect System Requirements.
MySQL Deprecation
Versions of MySQL older than 5.6.10 and MariaDB older than 10.0.0 are now deprecated. Older versions of these database servers are no longer supported by their developers. While vBulletin will remain functional using these older versions for the time being, support for them may be dropped in the future without further notice. Please make plans to upgrade to a non-deprecated version. vBulletin System Requirements have been updated to reflect this.
Current Version Support ScheduleActive Version - 5.5.2
Security Patch - 5.5.1
Security Patch - 5.5.0
No Patch Release - 5.4.5 or earlier.
Discussion
If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: 4413190
If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our tracker.
In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our community forums.
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 14 May 2019 21:45:32 GMT |
vBulletin 5.5.2 Alpha 4 is now available for download. |
<h1>vBulletin 5.5.2 Changes and Updates</h1>
vBulletin 5.5.2 Alpha 4 is now available for testing by licensed download customers. We do not recommend using pre-release versions of the software in a production environment.
Front End Changes
Groups
We have made a number of changes to the functionality of Groups. Many of these changes are centered around the display of Groups in order to bring more attention to the functionality. The display of Groups has been updated to support a grid-based card layout in addition to the current List layout. The new layout should encourage users to create their own groups and augment the content on your site.
Additional functionality changes include:
My Groups shows all groups where you are a member. Not just groups that you own.
Group Descriptions can now contain BBCode.
Group Images that are smaller than 200 X 200 pixels will be enhanced with an automated background color.
Related Issues: VBV-12379, VBV-19209, VBV-8135, VBV-19298, VBV-19303, VBV-19297, VBV-19278, VBV-12951
Accessibility
We've restored functionality for using the outline property on links and have applied CSS so that it better matches your style. This property highlights the focus of the currently selected element, primarily links. Originally, this was removed from many elements due to aesthetic reasons. That decision created issues when navigating using the keyboard and has been reversed. Removing the outline of links causes problems for individuals with vision problems. When using tab key to move from element to element on a page they will be properly highlighted with a dotted outline.
You can override this with custom CSS using the outline property.
Related Issue: VBV-19119
Channel Performance
Changes have been made to how a list of topics is retrieved within a channel. These changes should provide performance benefits in channels with a large number of topics. In addition to this, the node count of channels should be more accurate overall.
If you experience any performance issues due to this change let us know as soon as possible.
Related Issues: VBV-19175, VBV-19195, VBV-19210
Permissions - Viewable on Member's List
This permission has been restored and is now functional. When setting this permission to No for a usergroup, those users will not be listed within the Member's List module. We have set the default values for this permission to Yes on various usergroups. This was done to provide functionality similar to vBulletin 4.2.5. Please review your permissions to make sure this value is set correctly for your site.
Related Issue: VBV-10641
Miscellaneous Changes
VBV-19197 - Do not parse smilies within the [attach] bbcode.
VBV-13796 - Photo gallery page is missing breadcrumbs.
Back End / AdminCP Changes
Authorize.net Hashing Updated
Due to changes in API processing from Authorize.net, the system will generate SHA256 hashes for communication. These new hashes will be required after you upgrade to vBulletin 5.5.2. If you use Authorize.net, you will need to generate a signature key for your Authorize.Net merchant account and update your Authorize.Net payment settings in the Admin CP.
Note: These changes require that the hash library is enabled in PHP. When enabled you can see this library listed in your View PHP Info output within the AdminCP under Maintenance.
Related Issue: VBV-19100
CSS File Output
When using "Store CSS and SVG as files" (recommended), the system will only write the files for Styles marked as active in the AdminCP. A style is considered active if it is assigned to a Channel within the Channel Manager or the Style is checked within the Style Manager. This provides a performance improvement when rebuilding styles during installs and upgrades or choosing to rebuild styles from the AdminCP or tools.php file. It will also provide a minor benefit in the space needed to store vBulletin's files.
This change also applies to the install and upgrade scripts. This should improve upgrade times and reduce server timeouts if you are using a provider such as GoDaddy.
If a non-active style is used by clicking on its title in the Style Manager, the system will revert to retrieving the information from the database for that style.
Related Issue: VBV-19274
Rebuilding the Search Index
In some cases, the Search Indexing tool would fail. This would prevent content created before upgrading to vBulletin 5 from being indexed. In order to resolve this issue, the tools to rebuild your search index after migrations or upgrades have been refactored. In addition to resolving this issue these tools are now able to index sites faster than before.
Related Issues: VBV-14529, VBV-13834
AdminCP Indexing Changes
While reindexing within the AdminCP, vBulletin will attempt to increase the PHP memory limit to 256M. Provided that is permitted by the server configuration.
The "start nodeid" now does what it says. If provided we start the index at that node id. Previously it was an offset into the node list. Mostly it's useful because you can restart the index by giving it the "last node updated" value that is now displayed when a batch finishes.
The Default batch size at 250. This can be increase to provide more efficient reindexing. However larger batches will require more memory and are more likely to time out. We recommend using Command Line Indexing and/or Sphinx Search on larger sites.
Command Line Indexing
Using the command line indexing tool (/do_not_upload/searchindex.php) can provide a more efficient reindexing experience due to removing the overhead of a web interface.
This tool now supports command line parameters.
Example:
$ php searchindex.php [--batch=5000] [--memory=700M] [--startnode=600]
batch: The number of nodes that are processed per batch.
memory: Will attempt to increase the memory allocated to PHP. This value follows the rules for PHP config either number of bytes or you can use K, M or G as a shorthand.
startnode: This tells the script which node to start the indexing process at. The startnode parameter is primarily used for restarting a process that failed at some point. The script's output will now give you the "last processed node" for reference.
Additional Changes
VBV-9482 - Paid Subscriptions - Hard coded currency needs to change
VBV-19206 - Create 32-bit API Key on generation.
VBV-19217 - Prevent ClickJacking.
Additional Information
Install / Upgrade
Installation Instructions
Upgrade Instructions
File Cleanup
After upgrading your vBulletin system, you should delete any possible obsolete files. You can obtain more information on why this is needed and instructions on how to do this in this topic in the vBulletin 5 Installs & Upgrades forum.
System Requirements
Minimum System Requirements
PHP Version: 7.1.0
MySQL Version: 5.6.10
MariaDB Version: 10.0.0
Recommended System Requirements
PHP Version: 7.3 or higher
MySQL Version: 8.0 or higher
MariaDB Version: 10.3+
For more information see vBulletin Connect System Requirements.
MySQL Deprecation
Versions of MySQL older than 5.6.10 and MariaDB older than 10.0.0 are now deprecated. Older versions of these database servers are no longer supported by their developers. While vBulletin will remain functional using these older versions for the time being, support for them may be dropped in the future without further notice. Please make plans to upgrade to a non-deprecated version. vBulletin System Requirements have been updated to reflect this.
Current Version Support Schedule
Active Version - 5.5.1
Security Patch - 5.5.0
Security Patch - 5.4.5
No Patch Release - 5.4.4 or earlier.
Discussion
If you have any questions about these changes you may discuss them here: https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/node/4413190
If you find an issue with the software or wish to place a feature request please visit our tracker.
In order to receive support for your vBulletin Product please visit our community forums.
Read more (locally) ...
Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:11:22 GMT |
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