Bit 5 Blog 8.0
Release Notes and Changelog
The Bit 5 Blog development team is happy to announce the release of Bit 5 Blog Version 8.0. We hope that this document helps to explain many of the changes that have been introduced since the B5B 7.x series.
Bit 5 Blog is provided free of charge and without warranty.
Thank you for using Bit 5 Blog. Happy blogging!
Version 7 Availbility
The 7.x versions of Bit 5 Blog are no longer available for download.
Due to various security concerns with the 7.x code base, we will no longer offer these versions for download. We hope that users upgrade to version 8.0 to take advantage of enhanced security upgrades.
Compatibility Issues:
Due to a new templating engine in B5B 8.0, the template.html files from previous versions are not compatible with this new version. Users will need to edit the templates provided or create their own template from scratch. We suggest that users make a copy of one of the included templates, rename it, and then edit it according to their likes.
stylesheet.css files from previous versions will work but need to be renamed to global.css The global.css file will control the look and feel of both the blog and the administration pages. However, please note that the forms and HTML of the administration page are not (yet) templated.
We have maintained 100% database compatibility with the 7.x versions of Bit 5 Blog. No changes have been made to the database tables or fields. This should make upgrading from previous versions a breeze.
Change Log:
The items below are listed in no particular order.
Security: There were multiple changes to the code to increase security. Global variables were eliminated, htaccess added, and other such items. Upgrading security items was a major goal of the development team.
Templates: A new templating engine has been introduced. The configuration file defines what template should be used. This new style of templating should make it much easier for users to customize their blogs and switch between different templates. Note: See the message above about older template compatibility.
IP Ban Eliminated: The Ban IP option was eliminated from the administration page. It is better to use htaccess to restrict access to the blog and directories from hosts. (This feature existed for a very short time and never worked 100% correctly.)
Language File Eliminated: Languages should now be handled through the new templating engine. Other than the default English templates, we currently do not have other language templates available. If you are interested in submitting a template to the Bit 5 Blog project for a language, please email bit5blog@users.sourceforge.net
RSS Syndication: Each entry now has a RSS syndication link for that particular entry.
Permalink: There is a permanent link ("permalink") to each entry.
Misc. Code Cleanup: Much of the existing code was "cleaned up" and consolidated. You will notice a new directory structure that reflects some of this work.
Recent Comments: The recent comments plugins was slightly expanded and shows the name of the person who left the comment.
Configure Options: The options set an installation are now able to be edited through the administration page. This includes the blog name, description, etc.
Known Problems/Bugs:
There is a minor bug with the users online plugin. If you select the users online plugin to display twice, it will generate an error. We have opted to fix this bug in future release so that we may maintain the 100% database compatibility for this version.
Reporting Bugs:
All bug reports should be entered into the bug reporting system. If you believe that you have found a bug or other problem, you can access the bug reporting system here.
Please do not email individual developers to report bugs. The amount of email that a single bug can create is quickly overwhelming. Furthermore, emailed bug reports may slip through the cracks and not be properly tracked.
Getting Help:
If you are experiencing problems with installation or use of Bit 5 Blog, please visit the help forum. Posting a detailed message about your problem in the help forum is usually the quickest method of receiving assistance. If someone has experienced a similar problem, hopefully they can assist you.
The help forum and other forums are located here.