WordPress 2.6.1
WordPress 2.6.1 is finally out. Here’s a nice tip if you’ve been wondering about when you should upgrade:
With 2.6.1, we’re continuing our trend of releasing a maintenance release shortly after a major release in order to get fixes for the inevitable “dot zero” bugs into your hands without a long wait. If you’re happy with 2.6, however, keep on using it. You need not upgrade to 2.6.1 if 2.6 is getting the job done.
If you’re an early adopter, you probably made the move to WP 2.6 already, and you may not have to upgrade immediately since this is not an urgent security release. If you haven’t, waiting for the “dot one” release ensures a lot more bug fixes than the “dot zero” release. Check out the the list of 60 bug fixes here.
Download WordPress 2.6.1 here.
WordPress 2.6.1 Beta 2
Beta 2 of WordPress 2.6.1 is out. The team is approaching 60 bugs fixed for the official 2.6.1 release. You can the new fixes since beta 1 here.
WordPress 2.6.1 Beta 1
WordPress 2.6.1 Beta 1 is out. You might want to grab it now, or wait until an official release arrives, which Ryan Boren says will arrive around the time of this year’s WordCamp San Francisco.
Here’s another tip from him:
With 2.6.1, we’re continuing our trend of releasing a dot one release about a month after dot zero. We want to get fixes for the inevitable dot zero bugs into your hands without a long wait. If you’re happy with 2.6, you can ignore 2.6.1.
There are over 50 fixes, a lot of which address the typos in code and major bugs—like the 404 error that turns up when your permalink structure is /index.php/%postname%/.
WordPress 2.6 bugs and fixes
It’s only been a few days since the release of WordPress 2.6 and already we are hearing about some major bugs and problems. Whether you’ve upgraded already or not, it’s best to be aware of these issues so that you can address them immediately. Here are some of the major ones being discussed around the blogs:
Missing Categories
If you run a big blog with lots of categories, chances are your categories have mysteriously disappeared. David Cumps wrote a fix, which requires phpMyAdmin knowledge.
get_posts Not Working
If you have a custom theme that uses multiple loops, chances are it uses get_posts. Unfortunately there are several problems with the function in this version, so you might be better off using query_posts instead.
index.php Permalinks Not Working
If your permalink structure involves “index.php“, chances are your blog post links (but not your blog pages) are broken.
More stuff to be fixed in WordPress 2.6.1
Don’t forget that if you have custom themes and plugins installed, check first to see if they’re compatible with the latest version of WordPress before you start complaining. Then search for your problem first in the Support forum.
Visit the 2.6.1 roadmap for a detailed list of the bugs squashed. Also visit the WordPress Development Updates blog for up to the minute information from the WP team.
WordPress 2.5.1 Released, But You Can’t Reset Passwords and 2.5.2 is Close Behind; Will You Update?
Just as Filipino bloggers trooped to U.P. Diliman for the 4th iBlog Summit, WordPress 2.5.1 was released. It has over 70 security fixes and enhancements, including a SECRET_KEY in the wp-config.php file explained in-depth by Ryan Boren.
Now it seems people are debating whether one should hold off for the next WordPress version for several reasons. First, there’s a bug that can potentially lock people out of their blogs should they wish to reset their passwords. This can be fixed by manually editing the password through phpMyAdmin, and there’s a patch for the WordPress update itself.
Second, there’s talk that WordPress 2.5.2 will soon be out. This could frustrate a lot of bloggers who aren’t really comfortable with updating WordPress.
So will you upgrade to 2.5.1 immediately, or wait until 2.5.2 comes out? I’d say it has a lot to do with how confident you are in the blog security of your current installation.
