Question [Merged topic] Joomla 1.7 and implications for Kunena

deemo: I have approved your request to join the Official Kunena Testers Group. Membership of that group is restricted to people who are experienced users of Joomla and Kunena and who have demonstrated their commitment to the project by their activity on the forum. Members of the group are expected to provide feedback to the group, to confirm that new releases of Kunena work (as much as detecting any serious issues that need to be resolved) before new releases are made available to the general community. People who do not meet these requirements cannot join that group or they may be removed from the group if they do not continue to be active within that group.

As a member of the testers group you now have access to versions of Kunena under development. Can you please test K 1.6.5 and advise whether this version is safe to be released? Please note, there is no support given - to fix problems that may arise - to people who use development releases of Kunena. In other words, we do not recommend that you should use a live, production site for testing development releases of Kunena. I hope that puts your concerns aside. Thank you.

yog5121 wrote:

sozzled wrote:
A few moments ago, I received information that the following Joomla extensions are known to have compatibility problems with J! 1.7:

• Community Builder
• Artiseer templates
• Gantry templates
• YOOtheme templates
• JomSocial
• EasyBlog; and
• Joomlart T3 templates

Yes i have EasyBlog too and it breaks J1.7. I think a few days i can wait for the new Kunena version, and wish thats the best Kunena ever
Sorry but i have asked for helping you with beta testing, i´m a little bit experienced in PHP and Databases, oh i have learned this (Information Technology it´s my job ) You don´t want my help, because i´m a frsh user. OK

I also use EasyBlog and Artisteer templates and they actually WORK.
Both were quite quick to release updated version that were compatible with 1.7.

EasyBlogs "breaking" could be because a bug that were in 1.6.0 (anx was fixed in 1.6.1) is reappeared in 1.7.0.
There is a fix in EasyBlogs homepage FAQs (fatal errors on Joomla 1.7.0).


And like the rest of us, I also am waiting for the updated Kunena version (great extension by the way) to make the final transition to J! 1.7.

some little things (absolutly no offense)

- the yoothemes, easyblog, etc aren't FREE products like joomla, it means less ppl who use them (i think)

- the kunena forum is essential for joomla users (million times more than every other 3rd part component)

- some ppl just asking when you release the new version, you don't have to blame "they also does not work", we can wait, we want help, really, we are not enemies (sorry, just it was really reminded me in school times, "i didnt made my homeword, but xy also didnt made" ofcoz you DON'T HAVE to make, just it was picked in my mind)

sorry for my bad english, im a language antitalent, but i hope you know what i mean

and again: it's not offense, we all want help.

Earlier I mentioned the 'end of life' deadline for Joomla 1.6 - It's important to remember that after mid August 2011, even Kunena developers cannot get support for the 1.6 version of Joomla. That means they just won't answer questions about how they programmed Joomla 1.6, they'll be busy ironing out the problems in 1.7.

What is even more shocking, is that we may be doomed to repeat this scenario about mid February of 2012, about six months from now! as Joomla 1.7 reaches it's 'end of life' But wait, there's more.. Joomla 1.5 croaks about the middle of May, this means.. "If you're a Joomla user, you better have 1.8 on your site by the Middle of May, next year.. You'll get no support from Joomla, except for that version!

Why Joomla does this, is their business - They want their project to survive, healthy, leaving the extension community (Kunena, etc.. ) to fend for themselves.

So, while the Kunena project is just getting the forum running smooth for 1.7, it's liable to be smashed to the ground again as 1.8 makes it's debut. Just as the team 'learns' how 1.7 ticks, it's got to get going strong on 1.8.

A suggestion to avoid most of this pain, would be to try to develop a more 'stand alone' version of Kunena, with input and output less dependent on Joomla's changes.. There are 'stand-alone' forums out there, they 'bridge' into Joomla.. Some go easy, some go, not-so easy.. But fiddling with a bridge code must surely be easier than trying to learn, then re-learn, then learn again how Joomla works.

Here's a scary picture I found on the net..

sade wrote: some little things (absolutly no offense)

- the yoothemes, easyblog, etc aren't FREE products like joomla, it means less ppl who use them (i think)

- the kunena forum is essential for joomla users (million times more than every other 3rd part component)

Excellent point, actually Kunena is many times more valuable to a Joomla user 'because' it is free, as in 'no charge for updates or improvements'.

By this I mean, many extensions, core improvements, even templates 'cost' membership to a club, or out-right cha-ching! - Support for those requires 'continued membership' at a cost, or 'pay as you go' support. It gets expensive.

If your membership has run out for something like, "Jomsocial" or the "YooTheme" you're faced with NOT upgrading to the next Joomla or, shell out more money, then sit and wait and hope those teams get their project in order, or listen for their announcement that it works with the version of Joomla you want to use.. then pay your money. (In the case of Jomsocial, it's half again as much as the initial membership, and they just raised their prices!)

(As a side note, I've long thought projects that ran that way looked at the calendar to see when the majority of their membership was coming to expiration, then 'release' the latest feature or upgrade to their project, so as to entice people to re-apply. But that just sounds too paranoid)

This way of running a 'project' nets money, and possibly more money for the project.. however, as we may realize 'could' drive away customers, your product left frozen in a version of Joomla that nobody can get support for.

Earlier this year the community was spouting a, "stick with 1.5" motto, "As this is the most stable version of Joomla, and least likely to blow-up on you".. Of course, tons of new extensions for 1.6 were coming out, 1.6 seemed to be running smoothly.. And, it became hard to NOT upgrade.. So, when your favorite extension (ie.. Kunena) announced that it worked with 1.6.. You sprung into upgrade! Well, unless you had several 'paid for' products that were not compatable.. then you stayed 'stuck' in 1.5

And you can just imagine how those, 'pay to have' developers scramble whenever Joomla changes.. their support forums are a fist-fight battle ground most of the time..

I like what you have said, and decided to start donating a small amount of money to Kunena from now on, maybe once or twice a month.

I prefer to use the open source 'free' extension instead of paying for membership etc., and Kunena suits me perfectly.