Discuss: phpBB 3.1.0-RC1 released

[noth]

sounds amazing

Shouldn't have to hack into the core anymore. I personally will. its quicker to just add one line of code without having to figure out how to write an ext for as i'm not so code savvy

there's always one!

[TheBird956]

Awesome news guys!!

Now I am trying to guess when it will be officially released and how much time it will take for mod authors to update their mods.

Funny fact, I am running the latest version (3.0.12) and I managed to install without a problem a mod made for 3.0.5. Now I dont want to touch anything code related xD

[Skhilled44]

I know quite a few people who shy away from phpBB and other such software because of this. The reasoning is it takes longer for them to get their forum going the way they want because it is a steeper learning curve for them.

Is it really that much steeper. If they install the forum software the preferred way (in other words, not using "one-step installers" that aren't supported), they still have to upload the phpBB files and run the installation process.

If they can do that, I would think that uploading and installing extensions would be a piece of cake.

Steve

How much steeper depends on an individual's learning ability. I've been surfing the net for over 25 years and can definitely tell you that we all learn at different paces for different things. Just because you may be highly skilled at one or more things does not mean you understand the fundementals of something else or more easily than someone else. No matter how much we think we know, some things are just harder for some than others. The "preferred" way ("preferred" being a preference which means SOME and definitely not all) may be how some view things but may not be how others view things or can learn them at the same or a more rapid pace.

Some people need things explained to them in a different way or multiple ways before they catch on. People who do understand how a specific thing works tend to forget how hard it may have been for them when they started learning something or how unforgiving people were when they asked questions (called stupid or noob) and they did not understand the way others tried to explain it to them...no matter how kind or unkind they may have been to them.

It does not matter if it is SMF, phpBB, myBB or called mods or extensions, etc. The process in how a user can accomplish their task(s) is usually more important to most people as well as the time it takes to complete it. Making these concepts easier to grasp or complete is what gets people "in the door"...which is half battle. After you get them "in the door" you have more of a chance of talking them into staying for the long haul. If you can't even get them "in the door", the battle is lost or will be lost, eventually...especially from a marketing viewpoint.

That all being said, there are MANY people who are new to computers (yes, barely know how to use a computer), protect themeslves OR just don't know how to FTP or may have poor hosting and have been told to do things the wrong way and these people are trying to learn how to do things we take for granted daily. A lot of them may not know how to use search engines or how to ask the proper questions to get the proper answers they require. I just don't understand why people expect others to know or learn things at the same pace as they do/did or to immediately understand something because it is explained one particular way. I'm sure everyone here does not know EVERYTHING or have learned it as easily as they may have other things.

"One step" installers allow end users to enjoy the software more easily and quickly and then they can learn the inner workings or more detailed things like manual installations at their own pace. They can then create a test site to play/learn with using a copy of the db from their live site (something I've supported for many years) without messing up their live forum and disrupting their users' experience until they learn how to do what they require for their site which makes for a more happier enduser as those who visit their sites.

What I'm saying is not knocking extensions over mods because it is a step forward. I was just wishing that mods/extensions as well as styles would be uploadable via the admin thus being easier for the enduser overall...especially since it is something that was wanted and needed for a long time.

[Ger]

So basically you're saying that phpBB should cover for all the wrong things that people have been taught and all the poor hosting solutions with bad advice and bad practice, instead of that those people follow a simple step-by-step guide on how to copy files from location A to location B.

IMO, if people can't achieve a simple upload, they aren't capable of running a board in the first place.

[noth]

Agreed

and another thing .....

MichaelC on a locked topic 1 month ago

Unlike updating from phpBB 2.0 to 3.0 which was a conversion, 3.0 to 3.1 is an update and therefore things such as the automatic file updater can be used. It would be exactly like an upgrade from 3.0.x to another 3.0.x release except the changeset is huge and should you have modifications you're highly likely to have conflicts & breakages which is why we recommend a fresh file set. The boards don't run along side each other. However, if you're running vanilla phpBB without any code changes then using the automatic updater should work fine for you.

to me this conjures up an image of an average phpBB3 board that has installed a few mods along the way

Michael C says "we recommend a fresh file set. The boards don't run along side each other. However, if you're running vanilla phpBB without any code changes then using the automatic updater should work fine for you."

So if you use a fresh file set and the automatic updater you achieve 3.1 standard install with all your members and topics intact from 3.0 but although your forums database remains there with any tables created for the old mods they simply won't be referenced

it occurs to me that some kind of "clean up" to take out those 3.0 mods might be a good idea or do others think that is simply unnecessary?

I know many admins will be howling with resentment at the thought that all their old mods and the tables created thereby could be deleted but actually .... is this an "opportunity" to just start over (in that regard) this is a discussion aspect

[MichaelC]

Agreed

and another thing .....

MichaelC on a locked topic 1 month ago

Unlike updating from phpBB 2.0 to 3.0 which was a conversion, 3.0 to 3.1 is an update and therefore things such as the automatic file updater can be used. It would be exactly like an upgrade from 3.0.x to another 3.0.x release except the changeset is huge and should you have modifications you're highly likely to have conflicts & breakages which is why we recommend a fresh file set. The boards don't run along side each other. However, if you're running vanilla phpBB without any code changes then using the automatic updater should work fine for you.

to me this conjures up an image of an average phpBB3 board that has installed a few mods along the way

Michael C says "we recommend a fresh file set. The boards don't run along side each other. However, if you're running vanilla phpBB without any code changes then using the automatic updater should work fine for you."

So if you use a fresh file set and the automatic updater you achieve 3.1 standard install with all your members and topics intact from 3.0 but although your forums database remains there with any tables created for the old mods they simply won't be referenced

it occurs to me that some kind of "clean up" to take out those 3.0 mods might be a good idea or do others think that is simply unnecessary?

I know many admins will be howling with resentment at the thought that all their old mods and the tables created thereby could be deleted but actually .... is this an "opportunity" to just start over (in that regard) this is a discussion aspect

Some MODs might actually continue to work on 3.1 however the vast majority would stop working and require considerable efforts to use on 3.1. Essentially purging your files and going back to a vanilla version of phpBB gives you a clean slate and, with extensions, file conflicts when updating should become a thing of the past as the majority of people using >= 3.1.0 will be using a vanilla set of files (by that I mean additional files may be present but no file modifications) but your DB will still have remanants of old MODs that could cause problems in future.

I believe the database cleaner in STK strips everything non-vanilla (columns/tables) out so that could be an option should you wish to 'clean up' your database.

[noth]

well no one wants problems in future so from what I read there, a huge amount of Admins will need STK before going to 3.1 then

any board that has got mods - the Admin does not want problems in future so STK will have to be applied ! not exactly an option surely

... so an alternative train of thought

an Admin is going from 3.0 to 3.1

he has plenty of remnants of old MODs that could cause problems in future (as you say) because he is not presenting with a vanilla set of files

he wants to go to 3.1 with all his files containing the old mods, so ....

now what happens? is that actually possible? if so, how?

[rwmtiger]

after try rc1. it is workable. known rc1 may have missing or broken part. i not going use it. but i did install it anyway just to play with it and get use to it. so far i really do like it. some part seem to work better. i love how loading clock look.

[antonjw2]

So basically you're saying that phpBB should cover for all the wrong things that people have been taught and all the poor hosting solutions with bad advice and bad practice, instead of that those people follow a simple step-by-step guide on how to copy files from location A to location B.

IMO, if people can't achieve a simple upload, they aren't capable of running a board in the first place.

i do find this to be a little elitist... something which does creep in now and again on this board.

surely from a software design point of view, the general idea is to reduce steps and reduce the amount of interface elements / complexity required to execute a task, amongst other things.

taking this approach will lower the barrier of entry to using that software, and will increase uptake - all very desirable, i would have thought.

in this case, ensuring that extensions can be installed easily via only one interface (i.e. the admin interface, and not also via an FTP interface, and the phpBB modification area), reduces steps, number of interfaces and complexity.

anyway. i am encouraged by DavidIQ's post which states that all this is being prepared for 3.1.x. it will be a really welcome development, i am sure.

[Cpt. Blackbeard]

So basically you're saying that phpBB should cover for all the wrong things that people have been taught and all the poor hosting solutions with bad advice and bad practice, instead of that those people follow a simple step-by-step guide on how to copy files from location A to location B.

IMO, if people can't achieve a simple upload, they aren't capable of running a board in the first place.

i do find this to be a little elitist... something which does creep in now and again on this board.

surely from a software design point of view, the general idea is to reduce steps and reduce the amount of interface elements / complexity required to execute a task, amongst other things.

taking this approach will lower the barrier of entry to using that software, and will increase uptake - all very desirable, i would have thought.

in this case, ensuring that extensions can be installed easily via only one interface (i.e. the admin interface, and not also via an FTP interface, and the phpBB modification area), reduces steps, number of interfaces and complexity.

anyway. i am encouraged by DavidIQ's post which states that all this is being prepared for 3.1.x. it will be a really welcome development, i am sure.

Sounds a bit elitist to me as well. By the same logic, if you aren't able to do a simple tune up on your car you probably aren't capable of driving it anyway. Makes as much sense.

[Seraphic]

When might we expect the final official release? Looking forward to doing a clean forum install.

[Jessica]

When might we expect the final official release? Looking forward to doing a clean forum install.

There's no set date. It'll be out whenever it's out

[naderman]

Locking this as RC2 has been released: viewtopic.php?f=64&t=2252031