UPDATE: Because of the scheduled posts bug on WordPress 2.9 caused by a conflict with some versions of PHP’s curl extension (scheduled posts and pingbacks are not processed correctly), users are advised to upgrade or skip to version 2.9.1 Beta 1 to fix or avoid this problem.
A couple months back I blogged about WordPress 2.9 features including the ability to update/upgrade plugins by batch. Now WordPress 2.9 is finally here!
If you were busy or away from the computer last weekend, you might have missed the release WordPress 2.9 “Carmen”, which is named after jazz vocalist Carmen McRae. I saw the release notification but I was busy with stuff so I wasn’t able to upgrade my WordPress installation until today.
Here’s a video that provides short walkthrough of the new cool features of WordPress 2.9
If you’re a regular WordPress user like me, then you’d be thrilled with the following new stuff included in WordPress 2.9:
- Global undo/”trash” feature, which means that if you accidentally delete a post or comment you can bring it back from the grave (i.e., the Trash). This also eliminates those annoying “are you sure” messages we used to have on every delete.
- Built-in image editor allows you to crop, edit, rotate, flip, and scale your images to show them who’s boss. This is the first wave of our many planned media-handling improvements.
- Batch plugin update and compatibility checking, which means you can update 10 plugins at once, versus having to do multiple clicks for each one, and we’re using the new compatibility data from the plugins directory to give you a better idea of whether your plugins are compatible with new releases of WordPress. This should take the fear and hassle out of upgrading.
- Easier video embeds that allow you to just paste a URL on its own line and have it magically turn it into the proper embed code, with Oembed support for YouTube, Daily Motion, Blip.tv, Flickr, Hulu, Viddler, Qik, Revision3, Scribd, Google Video, Photobucket, PollDaddy, and WordPress.tv (and more in the next release).
If you want to know more about “Carmen”, make sure to read the official post on the WordPress blog.
If you have the time to do it, then you are strongly encouraged to download and install WordPress 2.9. If you’re a bit apprehensive about upgrading your WordPress installation, you could probably put it on hold and wait for a couple weeks for developers to find additional bugs and learn from the issues, problems and mistakes of other WordPress users who’ve done the upgrade.
But if you’ve made up your mind, you can download WordPress 2.9 here.
WordPress just keeps on getting better and better. The case for custom development is taking some serious body blows, and I for one am quite happy with that. Less time spent on development means more time to create quality content!
A few plugins of mine were shot with the upgrade to 2.9 too, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride this one.
When is this released?
Quick and painless. WP is looking better every upgrade.
I also have updated wordpress 2.9. thanks for the info.
but I have a problem with the multiple batch plugin update. it does not work on my blog, how do it? thanks