XenForo 1.5 is coming

[Mike]

We are about to move onto a new branch of the XenForo forum software, version 1.5.0.

These are the times when you feel a bit a bit of anticipation about having new features, but you also feel a sense of apprehension, wondering what bits and bobs are going to end up 'breaking' in the upgrade.

I am putting out a call for some individuals who would be interested in doing some testing on a sandbox site. I have a test site, with a current version of the software running on it. Once XF 1.5 is available as a public beta, I will upgrade that site, and see where things fall out.

I would like to get at least a dozen, preferably two or three dozen of our members, who would be interested in spending some time on the test site, just trying things, to see how they work. I am actually looking for someone willing to put forth a bit of effort, so if you are not interested in helping to test things, then please, do not throw your name into the hat.

However, if you are an adventuresome sort, who is willing to get in it up to your elbows, and testing things like avatars, profile posts, forum posts, Personal Conversations, etc., then you are exactly who I need to enlist. The posts are all test posts, so you can post Mother Goose rhymes if you like. The content you enter should all be considered expendable, as it will likely get rubbed out.

I have no public beta release date, but I am guessing it is 2, maybe 3 weeks out. And the beta testing will take as long as it takes. The plus to having a lot of participation, is that we have a better chance of finding any bugs, getting them reported, and getting 1.5 to a Gold release date.

If you are interested in helping out, please reply to this thread.

If you are just wanting to see what 1.5 looks like, and what it feels like, here you go - https://xenforo.com/community/threads/welcome-to-xenforo-1-5-assorted-improvements.100565/

 

[Mike]

Wow. Just wow.

The spirit of volunteerism around here is positively embalming. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have stepped up and offered to play around in the sandbox site.

Oh.

Wait.

I have 1.5.0 Beta 1 running, if anyone gives a rat's rectum and would like to lend a hand. Be careful, don't get caught up and trampled in the rush.

 

[choppedtop]

Mike, this stuff is all greek to me. I have not a clue as to what any of this means. It would be like me attempting to assist a brain surgeon I fear. I don't mind lending a hand, but I feel you would be taking backwards steps with my help. I can't even find the donate button for this month.
Lee

 

[hulkamania]

Mike sorry we have been extremely busy at the shop and I will be happy to help out.

 

[Zandoz]

I'm not sure what help I could be, since I do not use most of the site's functions, but I'm game to do what I can

 

[2old2fast]

This site has functions ?????
dave

 

[Mike]

I can't even find the donate button for this month.

Lee, that is by design. Everyone got head over heels about donating, last month, and we ended up tripling our monthly quota. Typical, it's either feast or famine around here. Anyway, I have disabled some of the Donation Manager, so the donate button will not appear.

Mike sorry we have been extremely busy at the shop and I will be happy to help out.

Josh, I will fire you off a PC with the sandbox details.

I'm not sure what help I could be, since I do not use most of the site's functions, but I'm game to do what I can

Bill, a lot of the testing is just using the site. Register. Log in. Add an avatar. Add some posts. Start new threads and add polls to them. Tag some of your new threads, By simply using the sandbox site, you are helping us to test it. There nothing technical you need to do, just use the site and let me know if something fails to work, or doesn't work as it should.

 

[2old2fast]

I can do 4 of 7 , will that help ?
dave

 

[Zandoz]

please disregard





i

 

[Mike]

Screw it, XenForo 1.5.0 Beta 3 has been installed, here. If something breaks, then we'll just have to look into fixing it.

I want to thank @Zandoz and @hulkamania for their willingness to help myself and the rest of you leakers out. Yes, they were the only ones that could be bothered to help with preliminary testing of 1.5.0. A big thank you <COUGH> to everyone else who opted to sit on their thumbs and do naught. Your demonstration of community helping community was positively embalming. It really ignites my own passion for providing everyone with a solid forum experience. OK, so that last bit was a lie.

And if it seems I am less than impressed with things, then you are pretty astute. I got between a rock and hard place, with regards to updating our software license, which was $55 I did not want (or need) to spend. And since our stand-by forum style has been discontinued, I am getting ready to spend another $40, to get a forum style that will play nicely with XenForo 1.5.x. I've been doing my best to simply avoid this place, the last couple of weeks, and here I am, spending money on it, yet again.

But hey, I hope everyone else is having a wonderful day. If you'll excuse me, I'll go spend some more money, so your forums will keep working.

 

[Mike]

Thanks again to @Zandoz. I saw what you did, there, and it was certainly appreciated.

People, we've a new look. Personally, I think it is a good look, but you are allowed to have a differing opinion. I've been moving to a flatter look on my Linux installs, by using the Numix icon themes, and I find the look to be rather appealing. So, I opted to go with Audentio Design's Intrepid theme, which offers a flat, metro-style look, with some flat colors to pull it all together. Some additional features are - static navigation, with the navigation bar links always being visible at the top of the screen - an upper ad block that is not trying to share real estate with the sidebar, which allows some spacing between our sponsor's logos - a side-by-side node list on the forum index page, where forum nodes are displayed in two columns, rather than in a single column list - a quick navigation button combo that is static in the lower-right corner, as you scroll, to conveniently allow you to move to the top or bottom of a page.. There is also a sprinkling of Font Awesome icons here and there, to help bring in a fresh, new look. You will now also see a pulsing green indicator on a member's avatar, to indicate that user is online.

All other forum styles (other than the bog-standard XenForo style) are being replaced by Intrepid, as they were all incompatible with XenForo 1.5.0. The company that created our signature DXF-Red default style has been shut down by the developer, so there was no hope for getting any future updates to those styles. Which means that our new signature default style will be Intrepid. It is a style that is very easily customized, so if time ever permits, I may look into trying to create a red version, but be aware it is not enough of a priority to even make my list.

 

[Zandoz]

You are quite welcome. I do what I can, when able...today I was able

 

[Mike]

I can think of over 1,600 others that should be thanking you, as well. But we all know that isnae gonna happen.

What are your thoughts on the new style, Bill?

 

[Zandoz]

I can think of over 1,600 others that should be thanking you, as well. But we all know that isnae gonna happen.

What are your thoughts on the new style, Bill?

Once I figured out how to switch from the Panes/Tiles/What-ever-the-term-is view to a list view it looks good to me...but I'd not suggest switching the default. That change is one I make on a lot of sites...I'm just an old fart who is set in my ways.

 

[Mike]

OK, XenForo 1.5.0 Beta 4 has been released, and there is a rather serious security flaw that gets fixed with the upgrade, so I will be closing the site down, in just a few minutes, to run the upgrade. We'll be gone for 12 - 15 minutes, so just hold tight.

 

[Mike]

And we're back, just under the wire, at 15 minutes.