Big Medium 2.0b30: "Racer X"
Posted Oct 23, 2006
The "Racer X" beta update kicks Big Medium out of the slow lane, providing
dramatic speed improvements for very large sites (1000+ pages) and a modest
boost for smaller sites. The style editor earns a victory lap, too, with
its newfound ability to edit styles for sites in other domains.
Additional detailing: bug fixes, importer improvements and easy relocation
of sites to a new directory.
Download the latest version of Big Medium here.
Upgrading from 2.0b27, b28 or b29?
If you're upgrading from v2.0b27, b28 or b29, you can update to the new
version by uploading only the following files/directories, which you should
upload in "plain text" (or "ASCII") mode:
In directory: moxiebin/Modules
BigMed.pm
BigMed (directory and all contents)
File/Copy/Recursive.pm
In directory: bmadmin/js
bigmedium_cp.js
bm-build.js
bm-css.js
In directory: moxiedata/templates/site_templates/_navcss
hnav_dropdown.css
hsub_dropdown.css
After uploading the files listed above, browse to the bm-update.cgi
file in your site's moxiebin directory. For example:
http://www.example.com/cgi-bin/moxiebin/bm-update.cgi
The Nitty Gritty
Here's what's new in this version.
New Features
Dramatic speed improvements for very large sites (1000+ pages),
particularly when saving or rebuilding pages. Smaller sites enjoy
a speed bump, too, but far more modest than for very large sites.
The style editor now works for pages in domains other than the one
where Big Medium is installed.
When you change the homepage and/or page directory location for a site,
the public pages and files are now automatically moved to the new
location.
Site importer now tries to avoid importing the same image more than once
for an individual page.
Updated horizontal dropdown navigation so that the main section items
are no longer fixed-width.
Maintenance routine now sends email messages to Big Medium administrator
if it runs into problems.
Bug Fixes
Fixed crashing bug in setup wizard when Big Medium encounters a problem
creating data directories for the first time.
Fixed bug that prevented Big Medium from copying files and directories
under certain unusual Windows server configurations.
Fixed bug in the "Rebuild Pages" feature that occasionally prevented Safari
from displaying the page-building menu after the rebuild is complete.
Fixed bug that prevented ++MAINIMAGETEXT++ v1 widget from being properly
replaced by the importer.
Fixed bug in site importer that imported the incorrect time zone from the
v1.x site.
Fixed bug in <%sectionfeeds%> widget that could display links to feeds
for inactive sections.
Fixed bug in <%tips%> widget that could display tips from inactive sections.
Fixed bug that could cause the style editor to try to load the preview frame
over and over again if pages have not yet been built for the site.
More from this section
Big Medium Book: Now in PaperbackThe complete guide to Big Medium is now available in paperback for $11.95 (or as a free PDF). Plus: The book now sports an index, and you can also download the complete text to edit and create your own version.
Big Medium 2.0.8This maintenance update fixes a handful of bugs.
Big Medium 2.0.6This update fixes a bug which could prevent Big Medium from properly importing document files from Big Medium v1 sites. This update is recommended if you plan to import sites from Big Medium 1.x into your Big Medium 2 installation.
Big Medium 2.0.5Big Medium 2.0.5 fixes a bug in the released-just-hours-ago version 2.0.4
update, which prevented proper operation of image galleries. Apologies for the
double-pump release today, but I wanted to get this fix out quickly.
Updated: Big Medium Book and Widget CheatsheetThe new versions reflect the latest features in Big Medium 2.0.4.
Big Medium 2.0.4: Pack RatThis update adds automated backups of Big Medium data and site files. Plus: comment counts, improved control over the display of tips and announcements, and lots of other changes and bug fixes.
Big Medium 2.0.3This bug-fix update addresses a few lingering compatibility issues with Firefox 3, fixes a nasty bug that caused a small number of Big Medium sites to refuse to open in Internet Explorer, and adds several other changes.
Big Medium 2.0.2: Crazy Like a FoxThis update provides compatibility fixes for the new Firefox 3 browser, adds WYSIWYG editing for Safari, and offers a slew of other changes and bug fixes.
Big Medium 2.0.1This update addresses control-panel compatibility problems with Firefox 3 and Safari 3.1, funky navigation issues in Internet Explorer 7, and several other issues.