Upgrading to 1.0 - We got you covered!
Version 1.0 - the first stable release of Flarum - has been released on May, 27th. Many communities have already been updated to the stable version. With this "Community Update Special" we want to look at updating in detail. In case you haven't updated yet this is exactly the post for you!
📊 What benefits does upgrading to 1.0 bring?
First and most importantly Flarum 1.0 is the first and only stable version of Flarum. Older (beta) versions of Flarum are not supported by staff. If a problem is reported you will be asked to upgrade your community. Only issues on the latest stable release can be addressed and fixed in future updates.
Upgrading keeps you compatible with the latest php and mysql versions. With its high velocity in releasing new minor versions, PHP is deprecating older php versions at a very fast tempo. By upgrading Flarum you are able to keep up and not run on a vulnerable php version at some point.
Another great reason to update is the compatibility of extensions. There has never been a greater number of compatible extensions than now. Currently, 286 extensions are available to install. This does not even include the 37 language packs available! Additionally, it's expected that extensions remain compatible up to the next major release, which will be 2.0. While extensions got incompatible quite frequently on beta releases this is now a thing of the past!
🔁 What do I need to do before updating?
There is a special major version update guide. This is a step-by-step guide to update Flarum to the most recent version. It's a bit different then upgrading a minor version - so be sure to check it out. It's not hard though - promised. If you read carfully and follow the guide you will have a smooth update experience.
Also don't forget to make a backup of your community before your proceed.
🤖 Is there a tool to assist with upgrading?
In fact there is something very helpful for upgrading Flarum. You can use the Extiverse Helper to assist with the process. With the help of this tool you will automate the steps mentioned above / in the major version update guide.
🐛 What are common problems that have occurred on other communities?
We have seen very little issues on other communities when upgrading to the stable version. Here are some of the most common problems that we have seen discussions / support requests on.
- Make sure you are in the right folder before running the composer update command. You need to execute the command where your
composer.json is located.
- Make sure you have set all extensions to requiring the latest version (
"*") so that they don't block your update. If there is still an extension blocking check if there is a compatible version with 1.0. You might have to remove the extension if there is no compatible version.
- Don't forget to run
php flarum migrate and php flarum cache:clear after running the update command.
🏥 Who can help me when I get stuck on updating?
The Flarum community is happy to help you out. Just open a new discussion in the #Support/Upgrading Tag. To get an helpful response you best include the error you have encountered as well as your composer.json and the output of php flarum info.
🏁 Final words
We hope you feel encouraged to give upgrading your community a go as well. Be sure we will help you getting the upgrade done right so you can also enjoy the stable version for Flarum yourself! Also make sure to follow our other Community Updates!
