PHP software update, advance notice. PHP v4 to v5 migration, 1st October 2007
Mailbox software update: This coming weekend, sirium.net will be updating the software that delivers the e-mail to your mailboxes. This is due to the fact that cPanel is dropping support for the current software for a more efficient alternative. As the current software will no longer be supported, it may cause problems in the future, and no updates for security and/or bugs will be applied.
You may see a delay in e-mail delivery, but all e-mails should be stored on the backup server if they cannot be delivered during the update.
PHP software update: At the end of this year (31st December 2007), The PHP Group will be dropping support for version 4 of PHP. After this date, they will only be providing updates for critical security issues as and when they are found, and then, only for a few months.
There is also a movement afoot where many PHP software projects will be dropping support for PHP v4 in February 2008. After this date, if you use software from any of these projects, you will no longer be able to update them to the latest versions, unless v5 is installed on the server.
What does this mean for sirium.net users? It means that time has finally come to upgrade PHP on sirium.net from v4 to v5. The advantages of this includes continued support from PHP in the form of updates and security fixes, as well as more features and improved speed. The scheduled date for this upgrade is 1st October 2007.
However, there is a chance that some PHP based applications you use on your site may not function properly under version 5, hence the 6 week (approx) notice period to enable you to check compatibility of your software, and to carry out any upgrades and/or fixes that will ensure your site works under v5. If you require it, you can request a temporary, free, test account account on a separate server to test and update any software you use, before the update is carried out.
If you have continued problems after the upgrade, Sirium.net will help you get your site up and running again, at no extra cost.
Some frequently asked questions can be found on the sirium.net support's FAQ section at http://support.[...]categoryid=6
The GoPHP5 project web site has details on projects that are dropping support for PHP in February 2008: http://www.gophp5.org
Just an update to say that the Sirium Green theme is being updated to be compatible with XOOPS 2.0.15 and later.
I say updated, but essentially I have re-written the HTML from scratch. Hopefully, it is 100% XHTML 1.0 transitional complaint, its width can be altered easily and other small enhancements have been carried out.
I'd like to remind people to please update their version of Articles to v1.03 if they have not already done so - this update includes an important security fix.
If you are at all worried about the security of your site, then the Protector module by Peak XOOPS is highly recommended.
I would write a security guide regarding XOOPS, but the chaps at XOOPS tips have already written a good one, so why reinvent the wheel? You can read it here.
Finally, I would like to state that I am dropping support for Articles for anything other than serious bugs (which is unlikely as it has proven to be quite bug free in general, this is only likely to be a problem with new versions of XOOPS) and security issues.
By all means, please ask in the forums if you have any questions about its use, or want to make modifications, etc., but please do not be insulted if they go unanswered by me. Direct e-mails to myself probably won't be answered either, unless I have time. I do not mean to be rude, but I am very busy with various things, plus I have 4 other modules that I am working on, and trying to get Articles v2 started, which will have loads of new features v1 does not have.
Well, I've had to have a break from coding AM Reviews. I found that with the way I want to get the ratings feature working, I kept running into problems, and it was driving me up the wall. I needed to take a step back and go back to it with a clear head.
So, I've taken a break from it for a while.
And it doesn't help that my development server has gone down, so I'm unable to work on anything at present anyway. I've ordered new components for it, which should be here later in the week. Don't worry, the drives are okay, so no code has been lost.
Anyway, I apologise if the delay has caused disappointment.
Before asking for support with regards to the Articles module, please ensure it is the Articles (please note the "s") module that you are using, and not the similarly named Article (no "s") module.
Despite the similar names and purpose for these modules, they are developed by two totally different people/organisations. So, before you request support, make sure you are at the right place and get the name correct when asking. If in doubt, refer to the included documentation as to how to request support - in the Articles module, this information can be found on the "about" page.
