Question: Geeklog Version Numbers

Answer: This entry explains what Geeklog's version numbers typically look like and what suffixes like 'sr1' and 'rc2' mean.


Release Candidates

When development of a new version of Geeklog has reached a point where we've added all the new features that were planned, we release this version as a Release Candidate.

Release Candidates can be identified by the "rc", followed by a digit, that is attached to the version number.

Before you download a Release Candidate, make sure there isn't any newer version available (e.g. the official release).

Example: 1.3.9rc3

Note: Release Candidates shouldn't be used on "production" sites, i.e. on websites that are actually in use. They may have bugs and there's generally no official upgrade path from a Release Candidate to the offical release later on. We try to avoid database changes during the Release Candidate stage, but sometimes they are necessary to fix problems. In that case, you would have to apply the database changes manually, as Geeklog's install script will only handle database changes between official releases.


Official Releases

After the release candidate stage, the finished version is released. Its version number does not have any suffixes.

Examples: 1.3.8, 1.3.9


Bugfix Releases

Usually, bugs will only be fixed in the next release (unless there are security issues - see below). Occasionally, however, we do release a new version to address severe or annoying bugs. Bugfix releases can be identified by the dash and the digit that is appended to the "base" version number.

Example: 1.3.8-1


Security Releases

Since we take security very seriously, we release security fixes as soon as we are made aware of the issue (and we have a fix). Security Releases can be identified by the "sr", followed by a digit.

Rule of thumb: If we release a version with a 'sr', you should install it ASAP.

Examples: 1.3.8-1sr6, 1.3.9sr2


Identifying Geeklog's version

Geeklog does not store the version number anywhere. It is only defined as a constant in config.php:

define(VERSION, '1.3.9sr2');

So when you upgrade Geeklog, make sure to change that definition accordingly.

You can see Geeklog's version number on the moderation page ("Submissions" from the Admin's block) as well as behind the "GL Version Test" entry, also in the Admin's block. Use that link from time to time to check if your version of Geeklog is still up to date. Or, better yet, subscribe to the geeklog-announce mailing list to be informed of new releases as soon as they are made available.


On a side note, if you have a theme that displays Geeklog's version number in the site's footer, we recommend that you remove that version number. Otherwise, attackers can easily search for sites that are running on versions with known vulnerabilities.

To remove the version number, open the file footer.thtml, search for the {geeklog_version} variable and remove it (including the curly braces).

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FAQ » General » Geeklog Version Numbers