Hello,

We are pleased to announce the availability of the phpBB3 Beta4 package. With this fourth beta release we are again a great step forward.

With this beta an update path is provided, though being not fully supported. We decided to give away the proposed update package to let it properly test and fix any remaining issues encountered before using this as the primary method of updating. This means that you should test the update and report any bugs or issues you notice, but not depend on a successful update - you should still not use this beta in a live environment and you should always be able to completely remove your installation to perform a fresh install.

If you decide to do a new installation without testing the updater, please be sure to remove any remaining files, especially those within the cache directory as well as not reusing your database.

Changes since Beta3

• Bug statistics from 12th November 2006 to now
• List of fixed bugs since the 12th November 2006

Below are some guidelines regarding the beta as well as the download locations.

UTF-8 Support

The decision to support UTF-8 (prior to a long period of discussing and evaluating) was made due to other problems we encountered and which would have taken longer to properly fix than introducing UTF-8. We know that this is not normal during beta phases and represents a drastic change. This new functionality basically affects every single area of the software.

We encourage you to test with Usernames like ťĕsťůsĕř or ťĕsťůs'ĕř (note the single quote) to spot problems better. People already using UTF-8 encoding for their language packs should report every single problem they encounter.

Obtaining Support

During the beta phase a minimal level of support will be given. We will provide answers to general setup questions, configuration problems and support for determining common problems mostly related to bugs. We will not support modifications, custom code/style additions or any users using the beta packages within a live environment.

For some support questions or bug reports we may ask you to re-install the beta, clean tables in the database, purge data or other actions which are not advised to do in a live environment. So please be aware that you are still on your own if you run the beta in such an environment.

Beginning with the release candidates full support will be given.

Updating Beta to RC/Final releases

Even if an update path is given with this beta, we begin to fully support them with the first release candidate.
Please be aware that your test installation may need to be replaced/removed if a new beta is announced.

Missing elements

Within the beta packages we did not include the conversion tool for converting phpBB 2.0.x (and other packages) to phpBB 3.0.x. It is most likely included within the first Release Candidate.

Minimum Requirements

phpBB3 has a few requirements which must be met before you are able to install and use it.

• A webserver or web hosting account running on any major Operating System with support for PHP
• A SQL database system, one of:
  • MySQL 3.23 or above (MySQLi supported)
  • PostgreSQL 7.3+
  • SQLite 2.8.2+
  • Firebird 2.0
  • MS SQL Server 2000 or above (directly or via ODBC)
  • Oracle
• PHP 4.3.3 or above with support for the database you intend to use.
• These optional presence of the following modules within PHP will provide access to additional features, but they are not required.
  • zlib Compression support
  • Remote FTP support
  • XML support
  • Imagemagick support
  • GD Support

The presence of each of these optional modules will be checked during the installation process.

Security

If security issues arise we won't release a new beta immediately. They will be fixed within the CVS tree and incorporated into the next beta packages. So please be aware that you may be at risk if you run the beta in a live environment while security issues arise. Security issues found should be reported to our security tracker in the usual way.

Translations

We still encourage potential translators to get used to the new language system. The new language pack management system, contrary to the previous announcement, will most likely be released in conjunction with the deployment of phpBB3 to this site.

If you are translating in a team of people, for example on an international support site, beginning with the translation now might not hurt. You may spot things we are able to easily fix during the beta phase. But also be aware that you might need to keep track of language pack changes on your own. All current active language pack authors will be automatically invited to provide the language pack for their language for 3.0.x if they are willing to do so.

Updating from Beta3 to Beta4

This section is meant as a tiny guide for those deciding to test the updater. We only provide the packages for the automatic update tool, the other packages are not available for the beta releases; namely the file changes and the patch file release. The code changes known from the 2.0.x line will no longer be available with phpBB 3.0.x.

To perform the update, either follow the instructions from the Administration Control Panel -> System Tab or following the instructions listed below. Please note that you are not able to directly download the update package from the Administration Control Panel if you are using a snapshot or CVS installation.

• Go to the phpBB3 development section and download the phpBB3 Beta3 to Beta4 update package.
• Upload the archives contents to your phpBB installation - only the install folder is required. Upload the whole install folder.
• After the install folder is present, phpBB3 will go offline automatically. Within Beta3 there was a bug not allowing you to login - this has been fixed in Beta4.
• Point your browser to the install directory, for example http://www.example.com/phpBB3/install/
• Choose the "Update" Tab and follow the instructions

Documentation

An initial quick start guide is available for use with the betas from the link at the end of this message. This documentation will be evolving over the course of the Beta and Release Candidate phases. If you encounter an error in this documentation, please report it to the documentation section of the bug tracker. If something in the documentation is unclear, please use the 3.0 support forum to seek assistance. We will be monitoring this and may make changes to clarify if necessary.

BETA Download/Documentation

• phpBB3 development section
• phpBB3 Documentation
• phpBB3 support forum
• phpBB3 bug tracker
• Documentation bug tracker
• Non-exhaustive phpBB3 Feature List

Every section above is accessible from the phpBB3 development section.

We wish you all happy testing,
the phpBB Teams.

More...

Well, we know that AF doesn't support UTF-8

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