Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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To the site administrator

Currently there are separate web pages for:

Can you combine them all in to one page? That is what many other projects do. For example, PHP downloads https://www.php.net/downloads

The argument is, currently the visitor is "automatically" taken to the /latest/, i.e. release 4.2. Many think that it is the *only* supported version and (try to) install of upgrade to it - whether they need it or not - and fail:

  1. Some don't have the higher system software needs 4.2 has. 
  2. Some notorious one-click installers break trying to upgrade. 
  3. Others are continuously changing a "running horse".
  4. The nagging, and too simply formulated, "There is a newer version available" message makes the things worse.

The Installing and upgrading help forum is full of examples.

In addition, people don't realize that there is a LTS path. On that topic, could you always say 3.9 LTS, 4.1 LTS, when you refer to those releases?

I would go a step further and add the development release and the legacy releases on to the same page, see https://www.debian.org/releases/ for example. But this is much less important.

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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Séverin TERRIER -
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I just want to remind that some years ago, it was done like that (all versions on one page).

And i also would prefer to have them all on one page (again). I think it's simpler, avoids one click (and risk of missing information), and let people know what exists (in one page).

Perhaps i begin to be an old man (with old habits, and old UI habits), but i prefer a long page (easy to print, search in...) than several little pages with nearly nothing inside, but impliying several clicks.

Séverin
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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Aurélie Soulier -
Hello Visvanath,

Thank you for your detailed feedback regarding our download pages. We appreciate the time you've taken to share your insights and the examples you've provided.
We'll certainly review and consider the points you've raised with our team. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve.

Thanks again,
Aurélie
Community Engagement Lead
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回复Aurélie Soulier

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Hello Aurélie

Appreciate you considering these changes and taking it to your team. Did you also set a time frame. The following post, came yesterday, reminded me the status quo.

===
I was using Moodle 3.9 for more than a year and created my course using H5P plugin black one. I had put my main content in “Interactive Book” option of H5P along with some 100+ practice questions. I was happy with 3.9 version though. See the image of Moodle 3.9 with H5P activity.

But I thought of updating Moodle from 3.9 to 4.1.5 before launching my course. So I updated Moodle through CPanel of my web hosting service. ...
=== https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=451006#p1812610

There is a whole stream of such posts, mostly in the Installing and Upgrading forum. If necessary I can compile a list. I thought of doing that and didn't, 'cause you acknowledged the problem.
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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Talking to myself: This one https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=452205#p1817254 has hit the blocks, I fear.

This https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=452195#p1817226 was a scare, then survived!
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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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I don't know, this was clear in the OP, when one visits https://download.moodle.org/ it is pretty difficult to find something other than Moodle 4.3 (as of today Nov 2023).
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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Séverin TERRIER -
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Just to note that we just have someone in french community which didn't find the 4.1 version.
 
Really, the way the download page is organised now is problematic.
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回复Séverin TERRIER

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Séverin and others

Now Moodle 4.4 with higher requirements than the previous one is out, you can imagine the new wave of users who are having trouble. For details see the Installing and upgrading forum.

My only sensible explanation to why this simple change in documentation is not happening is that it is intent. HQ produces and maintains a huge piece of software, what are these changes in a few web pages in comparison? I think HQ has overcommited to producing not one but two new versions, full versions, not releases, every year. So a two year old LTS amounts to tedious back-porting!

But there is good news. HQ has recognized the role of the LTS and formalizing it. Ref. https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=457946#p1839118. So things will change. The question is When, because this documentation part is done by softies as opposed to the techies at the forefront. Ultimately not my problem, the Git in the code allows me to download any version since Moodle 1.3.
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回复Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Aurélie Soulier -
Hello  Visvanath,

We've discussed this with the team again, and we’re considering it. Viewing all the versions in one page would mean a lot of buttons/download packages available which also runs a risk of confusion for less experienced Moodlers.
We need to research the impact on other users, so we'll look into this in our project work.

Best wishes,
Aurélie
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回复Aurélie Soulier

Re: Suggestion: Combine "Latest release", "Other supported releases" and "Security-only-supported releases" in to one page

Séverin TERRIER -
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Hi Aurélie,

Thanks for you answer. My opinion is that there should be pages to download :
  • each of the supported Moodle version (latest, other, security)
  • each of the legacy / unsupported Moodle version
  • development version
For the moment, i don't understand why we have :
  • only one version per page, but very big header and footer taking much more place than the real content
  • direct access to the development version from the download home page, but not for supported versions. I suppose there are much more administrators needing supported version than developpers (and these power users should more know how to find development versions, perhaps by git)
Appart from new Moodle installation, or upgrade of Moodle with nearly no plugins (or only very well supported plugins), users should not always take the latest Moodle, but the latest which correctly supports used plugins.

And directing them by default to the latest one isn't the best choice.

Combining the 3 supported versions, now that 3.9, 3.11 and 4.0 are out of support would not take so much place.

I would also like to write again that we had all versions available on the same page for (at least) 10 years, i don't think it was so bad...

Best wishes,
Séverin


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