This blog now on WordPress 2.5

We’ve just updated this blog to the new WordPress 2.5. If you notice any quirks or see any problems, please let us know.

WordPress 2.5 Admin screens totally changed

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After upgrading from WordPress 2.3.3 to 2.5 the first, most obvious difference is in the Dashboard. The screenshot on the left above is from my Oddity59 blog, not yet upgraded, while that on the right is from TiKouka.

The colour scheme has changed, information and links have been moved around, fonts reduced in size, and some previously ‘fixed’ items have been made mutable. Overall things seem slicker and sleeker, more efficient and more compact.

A nice touch is the summary of your blog — how many posts and pages and so on. Here’s what mine says right now:

You have 2,325 posts, 12 pages, 2 scheduled posts, contained within 34 categories and 558 tags.

You are using Neoclassical theme with 13 widgets. Change Theme This is WordPress version 2.5.

Immediately below that are lists of Recent Comments and Incoming Links.

Very obvious are the buttons to go straight to write a new Post or a new Page.

Changes continue through each individual Admin screen. New features include a Media Library that displays all the images and other media you’ve uploaded, and tells you which posts they’ve been used in.

WordPress 2.5 is a new version, rather than a minor point upgrade. If you’re not a confident WordPress user, I suggest you do some reading before you upgrade, and maybe watch the 4 minute screencast.

WordPress 2.3.3 Urgent Security Release

From WordPress.org:

WordPress 2.3.3 is an urgent security release. A flaw was found in our XML-RPC implementation such that a specially crafted request would allow any valid user to edit posts of any other user on that blog. In addition to fixing this security flaw, 2.3.3 fixes a few minor bugs. If you are interested only in the security fix, download the fixed version of xmlrpc.php and copy it over your existing xmlrpc.php. Otherwise, you can get the entire release here.

Read about WordPress 2.3 before you upgrade

Aaron Brazell has written an excellent round-up, with 10 Things You Need to Know About WordPress 2.3:

With WordPress 2.3 to be released on September 24, 2007, I think it’s appropriate to follow the tradition and let you know about the ten things I think you should know about WordPress 2.3.

It sounds as though there are some quite big changes under the hood. If you’re like me and like to upgrade instantly, then it sounds as though backing up first would be very smart.

The WP.com Write page

A new feature with WordPress.com blogs is additional information and options on the Write post page. This includes tips about the types of files you are able to upload and information about how much disc space you’ve used. If you need more space to store your files, click the Buy more link.

If you upload large files, such as movies and audio files, you may find you quickly need to add more disc space.

Another really great feature is Autosave. WP.com saves your posts as you go along, so you don’t have to keep clicking the Save and Continue Editing button.

WordPress.com evolution

WordPress.com is the hosted WordPress service. You don’t have to mess around installing and updating files on your own server; instead you log in to your account and everything is done for you.

One of the exciting features of WordPress.com is that it’s not static: it evolves almost daily, with more and less subtle changes and developments occurring all the time.

One downside of this is that some of the instructions and screenshots in our book are a little out of sync. But then, that’s what this website is for…

In the last few posts we’ve concentrated on server installs. This post, and several to follow, aim to do a quick review of what’s changed over at WordPress.com since the book was published.

Dashboard changes

As soon as you log on at WordPress.com (WP.com) you’ll see that the Dashboard looks a little different. The Dashboard Administration panel itself has a few, mainly cosmetic, changes. The quick links to write a post, view comments and so on are on a single line near the top, with links to your own recent posts immediately below. At the very top (below the toolbar) you may find a Quick Tip. The Sidebar area now contains WP.com news and links to other WP.com blogs.

You’ll also see new links in the Toolbars across the top of the page. The Bookmarks item has been replaced by Comments and Blogroll links, while the Import link has changed to Upgrades.

There are many more items on the second row of links too: what was merely Dashboard, Blog Stats and Feed Stats has added Friend Surfer, My Comments and Tag Surfer.

In the next few posts I aim to work through these different areas of the Dashboard and alert you to changes you should know about.