vBulletin 3.8.11

[Mark.B]

I'm trying to upgrade to 3.8.11 from 3.8.7. My server is running PHP 5.4 and I'm getting this error when I go to the upgrade.php page:
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '*' in /usr/www/users/shinymda/m2rc/sports-central.org/community/boards/includes/functions.php on line 1433

Do I need to have my PHP upgraded first? What about MySQL?

php needs to be at least 5.6 before the upgrade will run, yes.

[BirdOPrey5]

MySQL does not need to be upgraded.

[Gary Fischman]

I'm currently on PHP 5.6.25 and MySQL 5.1.73. Is it safe to upgrade from vB 3.8.10? Any known gotchas?

[BirdOPrey5]

The main "gotchas" are significant code changes for PHP 7 compatibility that will break add-ons that might otherwise work. If staying on PP 5.6.x you may want to stay on VB 3.8.10 for as long as possible assuming you use any add-ons. Before upgrading to 3.8.11 epgrade a test site (a copy of your live forum) and see what kind of issues may run into with the changes.

There were also some other changes if I recall like taking away different mark thread read options in favor of the "best" option, basically the 3rd option- Database (automatic forum...) as opposed to Cookie. For most sites shouldn't be an issue but for sites that have been using Cookies to store read threads its fairly major change easy to miss.

[ch-joy.com]

Thanks

[Grover]

No, no further updates will be made to the blog add-on.

Blog version 2.0.6 seems to be last compatible with PHP 5.4.x.

Upgrading to VB 4.2.4 or 4.2.5 Publishing Suite will allow you to keep using the blog under higher PHP versions.

Yep, 2.0.6 was the final release for the old vb3 blog addon.

Its not supported anymore, and almost certainly wont work on PHP 7, and will probably struggle on PHP 5.6.

We have bought vBulletin Blog at the time as an integrated companion to our vBulletin Forum platform. Our hosting provider upgraded their servers to PHP 5.6 in the beginning of this year and our vBulletin forum went down, since we were on vB 3.8.8 at the time which did not support PHP 5.6. vBulletin Support upgraded our boards to vB 3.8.11 and it runs now fine (on PHP 5.6).

However, it turns out that PHP 5.6 broke our vBulletin Blog product (and some functionality of the forum as well when the Blog product is active). We bought our Blog product back then, since it forms an 'integrated' part of our forum platform. So we would expect this companion part to work as long as the forum product works on a specific PHP version. Now, we are confronted with a dysfunctional platform, because vBulletin 3.8.11 does work on PHP 5.6, but vBulletin Blog (latest version 2.0.6) apparently does not. Making an intrinsic part of our platform obsolete.

Can you explain to us why the forumproduct vB 3.8.11 gets updated for PHP 5.6 (until PHP 7.1), but the Blog product is not?

Thank you.

[Mark.B]

We have bought vBulletin Blog at the time as an integrated companion to our vBulletin Forum platform. Our hosting provider upgraded their servers to PHP 5.6 in the beginning of this year and our vBulletin forum went down, since we were on vB 3.8.8 at the time which did not support PHP 5.6. vBulletin Support upgraded our boards to vB 3.8.11 and it runs now fine (on PHP 5.6).

However, it turns out that PHP 5.6 broke our vBulletin Blog product (and some functionality of the forum as well when the Blog product is active). We bought our Blog product back then, since it forms an 'integrated' part of our forum platform. So we would expect this companion part to work as long as the forum product works on a specific PHP version. Now, we are confronted with a dysfunctional platform, because vBulletin 3.8.11 does work on PHP 5.6, but vBulletin Blog (latest version 2.0.6) apparently does not. Making an intrinsic part of our platform obsolete.

Can you explain to us why the forumproduct vB 3.8.11 gets updated for PHP 5.6 (until PHP 7.1), but the Blog product is not?

Thank you.

Paul left the business last year.

The entire vBulletin 3 series, including the blogs, is now end of life. The software is more than 14 years old now. No further development will take place.

Your license gives you access to vBulletin 4, which has blogs built in and will be compatible with php 5.6. Although again vB4 is now end of life and no further development will take place.

Our current product is now vBulletin 5.

[Grover]

Paul left the business last year.

I don't understand what that means? We are doing business with a company, not a single person.

What I have read is that vBulletin 3.8.11. broke the Blog product. We have bought both vBulletin and vBlog as an integrated duo to build our platform. And that always functioned, until vBulletin Support upgraded (without our permission) our board to vBulletin 3.8.11, since the version we were running on (3.8.8. I believe) was not compatible with PHP 5.6 that our host switched to. Now I understand that vBlog 2.0.6 does not work anymore on vBulletin 3.8.11 and it also does not support PHP 5.6 for that matter. Furthermore, having the vBlog 2.0.6 active seriously breaks vBulletin 3.8.11 as well... because certain functionality in the forum and -even more serious- functionality inside the ACP have become dysfunctional with this combination of vB 3.8.11 and vB 2.0.6.

How is it possible that the forum product is updated by releasing version vBulletin 3.8.11 where is breaks our purchased accompanying vBlog product that is supposed to work together with that forum-product (and which in return is also broken when the Blog is active)? The blog product is part of the vBulletin 3 series supporting products, so it should be made compatible with eachother as long as both products are not EOL.

I would like feedback on this matter, thank you.

[Mark.B]

I don't understand what that means? We are doing business with a company, not a single person.

You addressed your comment directly to Paul, I am simply pointing out that he is not going to reply as he is no longer with the business.

What I have read is that vBulletin 3.8.11. broke the Blog product. We have bought both vBulletin and vBlog as an integrated duo to build our platform. And that always functioned, until vBulletin Support upgraded (without our permission) our board to vBulletin 3.8.11, since the version we were running on (3.8.8. I believe) was not compatible with PHP 5.6 that our host switched to. Now I understand that vBlog 2.0.6 does not work anymore on vBulletin 3.8.11 and it also does not support PHP 5.6 for that matter. Furthermore, having the vBlog 2.0.6 active seriously breaks vBulletin 3.8.11 as well... because certain functionality in the forum and -even more serious- functionality inside the ACP have become dysfunctional with this combination of vB 3.8.11 and vB 2.0.6.

How is it possible that the forum product is updated by releasing version vBulletin 3.8.11 where is breaks our purchased accompanying vBlog product that is supposed to work together with that forum-product (and which in return is also broken when the Blog is active)? The blog product is part of the vBulletin 3 series supporting products, so it should be made compatible with eachother as long as both products are not EOL.

I would like feedback on this matter, thank you.

Once vB4 was released, which incorporated blogs, the standalone blog product for vB3 was deprecated, as the recommended path became an upgrade to vB4.
Notwithstanding that, the vB3 line continued to be updated for later versions of php beyond this point, as a service to customers. This too has now ceased, and as such there are no plans to update vB3 to be compatible with php 7.2.

The blog license was a 'lifetime license' - this however means 'lifetime of the product', and the product is now end of life.

There is no further development work planned for any part of the vB3 line (or vB4). This situation is not going to change. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

[BirdOPrey5]

The short answer is hundreds (if not thousands) of sites still actively use VB 3.x forum software so updates were made for as long as they were because there was a large user base.

However only a small fraction of them use the VB 3.x blog product so support was ended sooner.

Regardless your license does not leave you stranded, you can upgrade to VB 4.2.5 Forum, Blogs, and CMS version and your blogs will continue working along with your forum for as long as you can run PHP 5.6.x through 7.1.x.

[alex818]

where can I download 3.8.11 Thank you

[Mark.B]

It is available in the members area, as with all versions:

https://members.vbulletin.com

[Artes_Marciales]

I can upgrade to Vb 3.8.11 if I have PHP Version 5.3.16 and mysql 5.5.27?

Or should I upgrade PHP and mysql to another version before?

If so, which version should I update to be compatible with Vb 3.8.9 and at the same time Vb 3.8.11 ??

Thank you !!

[BirdOPrey5]

VB 3.8.11 requires PHP 5.6.x minimum and 7.1.x maximum.

Upgrade your PHP first and then you can upgrade to 3.8.11. You don't need to be compatible with the old version to upgrade to 3.8.11 however if you are in a situation where you have two separate forums on one server PHP 5.6.x should work for both 3.8.9 and 3.8.11.

[Artes_Marciales]

VB 3.8.11 requires PHP 5.6.x minimum and 7.1.x maximum.

Upgrade your PHP first and then you can upgrade to 3.8.11. You don't need to be compatible with the old version to upgrade to 3.8.11 however if you are in a situation where you have two separate forums on one server PHP 5.6.x should work for both 3.8.9 and 3.8.11.

Thanks !!
Thank you !!
I have 5 vbulletin forums on the same server and I want to go to Vb 5 but first go to Vb 3.8.11 the 5 forums and then upgrade to Vb 5

Do I need to also update mysql 5.5.27 to another version or is it not necessary?

I understood that Vb 3.8.11 needs at least mysql 5.5.8.
it is right?

Thanks !!