vBulletin Connect 5.1.0 Beta 1 Released

[vB.Org System]

This is an unstable Beta Release of the software. It is not recommended to be used on production systems at this time.

Today we're proud to release of vBulletin 5.1.0 Beta 1. It is available to all customers with a valid vBulletin 5 Connect license. Our goal with this version is to primarily focus on returning the Article publishing functionality of the vBulletin 4 Publishing Suite. To do this we needed to port the functionality and recreate it within the vBulletin 5 database structure and APIs. Along with this we wanted to make sure that your existing articles are imported in a way that makes sense to you and your users without needing a lot of reconfiguration from you to get started.

Article Publishing Channels
During the transition to vBulletin 5, a few changes have been made to the structure and functionality of the Article system. These include:

• Comments will no longer be stored in a hidden forum. With the node model, articles can each hold their own comments. The commenting system is the same used for other content types to allow for portability.
• Sections and Categories - These were confusing in vBulletin 4. In vBulletin 5, there will only be Categories. Each category is a channel in vBulletin 5 and can hold one or more article nodes. The main channel will be "Articles" and it will be on the same level as Forums, Blogs, Groups and Special. The Articles channel should not be deleted. Article categories are managed in the AdminCP either in under the CMS section or Channel Management.
• Tags are the primary method of multi-category organization. The vBulletin 5 CMS uses the standard vBulletin Tag system. Tags are not assigned to categories but can be used across categories. They function the same as tags in forum topics and blogs. They can be searched in the same system.
• Grids, Layouts and Widgets - These are replaced with Site Builder's functionality. The Site Administrator can use Site Builder to add pages, edit Article Categories and add widgets to the user's view. The Layout step has been eliminated. Grids are now Layouts. Widgets are called Modules. Page templates are previously stored page configurations.
• Author and Editor Usergroups – Two new usergroups have been added to handle article creation and publishing details. Most sites have a limited author pool. These groups allow you to develop a workflow to create and publish articles on your site. With the default permissions, Authors can create and save draft of articles. They will be able to edit their own articles before publishing over multiple sessions.
• Channel Navigation Module: This replaces the Section Navigation Widget in vBulletin 4.X. It can be placed on any page and allows you to choose the Top Level Channel to be used. This means you can use it for Article Categories, Forums, Blogs, and Group Categories. An example would be to place it in a Forum Category to get a quick navigation box to all of its children.
• Author Info Module: The Author Info Module allows the site owner to put an Author box on pages. Currently is shows the author's name, their avatar, a custom profile field (default is the Biography field) and a link to their profile.

Password Handling and Storage
With vBulletin 5.1.0, we have completely reworked how the system handles passwords. The new system provides the following features:

• Seamless transition from the current MD5 Algorithm to a new Blowfish based Algorithm.
• Ability to add additional password schemes including those from other software packages (details to come)
• Ability to adjust the priority and disable different password schemes (details to come)

How do I update my user's passwords?
After the upgrade your existing user's passwords will remain in a legacy format. This means that they'll be able to log in and participate on your site. The first time they log in to the site however, we take that log in and create a new hash using the blowfish algorithm.

Doesn't this expose my user's passwords on transmission?
For a brief period, yes. The passwords could be exposed with a "man in the middle" attack. However this means someone needs to actively be watching network traffic for your server and have set up a means to intercept it. The chances of this are less likely than other attacks. The transmission behavior is the same as previous versions.

How do I provide secure log in functionality?
vBulletin 5 Connect support SSL based log in functionality. Using this encrypts the log in traffic betweeen the user's device and your server.

Other features

• Quick Setup functionality has been added to the Site Builder. This is intended for first time admins and walks them through a few steps to get up and running quickly. They can upload their site logo, create forums and invite friends via email from here. While not an exhaustive list of steps, it can help you get online faster.
• Outgoing RSS has been readded to the system. This allows people to subscribe to your site with their favorite RSS Reader or browser and get timely updates on new content. Functionality is similar to the functionality found in vBulletin 4.
• Post Comments are now controlled per usergroup so it can be restricted to staff members if you wish.
• Google Analytics is integrated. All you need to do is add your Analytic code to the option. This is found in the Admin CP under Settings -> Options -> Google Analytics.
• In Addition to the above features, over 350 issues have been fixed or resolved in the system.

This is an unstable Beta Release of the software. It is not recommended to be used on production systems at this time.