Custom 3.5.8 version available - released

I now don't know if I release a newer version too.  It is very hard to make a version that is working for everybody. Not when somebody is using it after months/years I did it and my memory is not as good as it was in old times.  (I am too old for this).

It is easier just to do it for my site. 

I really hope that there will be an official release with the developer team working on...  

On the picture, there is a new installation of 3.6 example and a new email setting of 4.0.

What I need to know - why are settings part of the installation process? It complicated things. Why just not install efiction, then log in and set settings in the admin area?

Just a backup of the original efiction manual.

Note: I have it online at https://docs.e107sk.com/efiction-3-5-5   but it was gone after changing provider. I fixed it, of course, but you never know... 

If I left any credits, any available information for this efiction version, let me know.   

Thanks, Jimmi! If we updated from 3.5.3 to 3.5.8 would that work, or should we go to 3.5.7 first? (It's my understanding 3.5.3 is identical to 3.5.5 except for php security fixes which were made directly in our codebase without upgrading)

@cawthraven 

Directly to 3.5.8, but before it, manually change your version in the database from 3.5.3 to 3.5.5  (otherwise you will get the message and redirect to update355.php to update to 3.5.5)

I use a different approach for updating - there are rules/conditions for each version, so if there is any problem, your version will go back to the version with this problem to solve:

- you will get 3.5.6 only if all dates (if I know about them) in the date fields are correctly updated

- you will get 3.5.7 only if your IPs are updated correctly

only then you will get 3.5.8 version. And it will message you field after field. 

Sometimes you need to go manually go site/update.php  - no idea why, I didn't want to change header.php file too much. 

Be aware that your site has newer phpmailer and many custom pages. Not to mention modules.

By the way, I have discord account (new user) so it will be easier to talk than with emails.

Many thanks, Jimmi, for all your efforts. After I had a bit of trouble with the 3.5.8 version on my local server and on the Strato server, but got it to work, I then failed with the plugin epubversion for downloading epubs.

For years, this unique and great project has been on the rocks. It's a shame and sad, but I've now decided to change platforms with a heavy heart. Fictioneer for Wordpress is now my new choice and I can only say it's a great alternative.

If you want to take a look: Fanfic-Archive – WordPress with Fictioneer Theme

Unfortunately, this marks the end of a long time with eFiction and my site. Thanks to everyone who has put so much time and effort into this project in the past.

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Vielen Dank Jimmi für deine tollen Bemühungen. Nachdem ich mit der 3.5.8 auf meinem Lokalen- und auf dem Strato-Server etwas zu kämpfen hatte, aber es an laufen bekam, scheiterte ich dann an dem plugin epubversion zum epubs downloaden.

Seit Jahren ist dieses einzigartige, tolle Projekt nun am Rande des Abgrunds. Es ist sehr schade und traurig, aber ich habe mich nun auch schweren Herzens entschieden die Plattform zu wechseln. Fictioneer für Wordpress ist nun meine neue Wahl und ich kann nur sagen es ist eine tolle Alternative.

Wer mal schauen mag: Fanfic-Archive – WordPress mit Fictioneer Theme

Leider geht damit eine lange Zeit mit eFiction und meiner Seite zu Ende. Danke an alle die in der Vergangenheit soviel Zeit und Hirnschmalz in dieses Projekt gesteckt haben.

Final update for this line: 3.5.9 and 3.5.9.1 are out – but there will be no new forum topic.

Official eFiction development has resumed (3.5.7 and the 3.5.7x updates are out, eFiction 4 is announced), so there is no reason to keep a separate community line alive. Until the official version covers everything our sites need, we keep maintaining 3.5.9.x for the sites already running on this line, but only on GitHub:

https://github.com/e107-eFiction/efiction-3.5.x (releases, changelog, open issues)

What is in 3.5.9 / 3.5.9.1

Mostly the security fixes from official 3.5.7 and 3.5.73–3.5.84, ported to this code base, plus fixes of this line:

• passwords stored with bcrypt, existing MD5 hashes upgraded on next login (same as official 3.5.7)
• authorization checks: a member could edit another member’s e-mail/password via uid, rewrite any review or news comment, edit others’ series, stories, challenges, favourites
• SQL injection fixes in browse, series, user, admin, shoutbox (guest name could read password hashes), challenges, search (%, _, ! now matched literally)
• XSS: descript() rewritten – tags are rebuilt from allowed attributes, all on* handlers and javascript: / data: links removed; stored content cleaned by the update step
• PHP 8.1+ deprecations fixed properly (null arguments), PHP 8 fixes from official 3.5.73–3.5.77
• installer refuses to run on an installed site, SMTP port/TLS settings and test tool

3.5.8 → 3.5.9 is a database update (password column widened, SMTP settings, cleanup of stored HTML). 3.5.9 → 3.5.9.1 is files only.

Why a site on this line cannot switch to the official 3.5.7x

Both lines come from 3.5.5, but this line changed the database schema in 2020 and the official one kept the original. Official code on our database does not work:

1. Dates – official uses DATETIME columns with now() / UNIX_TIMESTAMP(); this line stores INT timestamps. All dates show as 1970, and in MySQL strict mode new stories, reviews and comments fail to save.
2. IP addresses – official uses INT + INET_ATON/INET_NTOA (IPv4 only); this line uses VARBINARY(16) + INET6_ATON/INET6_NTOA (IPv4 and IPv6). Admin → View Log and the online block break.
3. SMTP – smtp_port and smtp_secure are ignored by the official code; on hosts that require port 465/587 with TLS, mail stops working.
4. The official auto-updater does not merge forks – it compares files against official bases and replaces the code if less than half matches, and its dbupgrade.php has no conversion for our columns.

What is compatible: utf8mb4, password varchar(255) + bcrypt, and most of the security fixes from 3.5.73–3.5.84 – those are already in 3.5.9.1.

Switching would mean a reverse database migration (INT → DATETIME, VARBINARY → INT) and a clean official install. We will not write that script for 3.5.x – a migration path will be made only for eFiction 4 once it is released and stable. If you install the official version over a database from this line without migration, you will get exactly the problems above.

If you are on official 3.5.5 or 3.5.7x: stay there and use the official updates. This line is only for sites that already moved to 3.5.6–3.5.8 in 2020–2024.

This does not mean I am leaving eFiction. I am only stepping back from maintaining a parallel 3.5.x line now that the official project is active again – I simply do not have the time for it at the moment and I am busy with other things. If, in a few years, the friends who run their archives on eFiction are disappointed with its development once more, or if they need things like a forum or a gallery next to their archive, I may come back to my original idea: eFiction and e107 CMS working side by side as equal partners (shared accounts, sessions, mail, and e107 providing the extra features). Nothing is planned, but the door stays open.

Thanks again to everyone who tested and shared data over the years. I will not post further announcements here – watch the GitHub repo.