[Moodle] Moodle 2.0 Release

[Adam Barbary]

Just some quick notes I jotted down from Martin at the Moodleposium. I  
apologise in advance for any errors/omissions.

Moodle2.0 Upgrade.

Requirements
Basic upgrading
Third party modules
Functionality tests
Performance tests
Other
Helping


1. Requirements
Php 5.2.8
Oracle 10
Linux/Unix, Windows is lacking good php support.

2. Test site first
     Back up db and web root
     Copy to new machine with Moodle 2.0 code
     Watch upgrade messages carefully
     Check defaults for all new settings

Watch hacks that move files, these will all fail as the file structure  
and handling will be changed. There is version tracking or files, no  
replication of data. Files will no longer have names, just a hash of  
the content. The name, and file type is stored in the DB, the bits are  
on the system disk.

Roles now includes access to files. If you don't have permission for a  
file, you can't access it. (previously if you knew the resource URL,  
you could)

Database reconstruction will also take time, expect several hours.
New features will be disabled, but defaults should be checked.

BAD - Most of the 3rd party modules will break
GOOD - Most of them will get fixed a lot

3. Third party plugins
The following areas have been re-written.

Database API - How Moodle talks to the DB, no slashes, magic quotes.  
ADODB, now purely native drivers. Performance increase over current  
version.

File API -  How files are read and written, new interface for  
navigating file tree. Any hack, block etc. that handles files, will  
break.

Rendering API - How the data is displayed to the screen. Themes can  
now override and change the display properties of Moodle. Designers  
can now manipulate all areas for integration. New blocks etc, will  
need re-writing.

4. Functionality Testing
Check that view and functionality of used resources and modules are  
behaving as expected. Watch during beta phase. Check the tracker, add  
issues to function tracker.

5. Performance Tests
Tweaking settings of php, Moodle and the DB and server, to make sure  
that it handles heavy loads. Disable unused settings.

6. Other bits to look at.
Database sessions. Cookie file moved from server root to DB

7. Helping Moodle.
Help during the beta phase. Beta in December, as many testers as  
possible required to help expedite a full release.

Cheers,

Adam

On 08/09/2009, at 8:25 AM, Roland Gesthuizen wrote:

> Exciting but I can understand the delay. It isnt so much that they  
> need all the Moodle 2.0 bits to work as much as it needs to have a  
> smooth upgrade so that teacher classes and features smoothly work as  
> expected and all the data migrates across for all of the older  
> versions that could be used before an upgrade to Moodle 2.0
>
> From the Moodle website if you are thinking of upgradeing to version  
> 2.0, do a full backup and start to think of upgrading first to  
> version 1.9
>
> http://docs.moodle.org/en/Upgrading_to_Moodle_2.0
> In general, it is recommended to upgrade via each version of Moodle,  
> for example 1.8 -> 1.9 -> 2.0. An exception to this is when  
> upgrading from 1.5 or 1.6, when it is recommended that 1.7 be  
> skipped, in other words upgrade 1.5 -> 1.6 -> 1.8 -> 1.9 -> 2.0.  
> (The main reason for this recommendation is that the default roles  
> settings obtained when upgrading to 1.7 are not ideal for 1.8  
> onwards.)
>
> Cannot wait for the new features planned to roll out :-D
>
> Regards Roland
>
> 2009/9/7 Adam Barbary <home at adambarbary.com>
> At the Moodleposium in Canberra at the moment, Martin has said they  
> hope to go Beta by December. Bring on Moodle 2.0!
>
> Adam Barbary
> University of Ballarat
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Authority and
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> Teachers Association Inc
>
>
>
> -- 
> Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
> http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
>
> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens  
> can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." -- 
> Margaret Mead
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> Moodle Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment  
> Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology  
> Teachers Association Inc

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