WordPress.org

The long-awaited fourteenth release of WordPress is now available. WordPress 3.1 “Reinhardt” is named in honor of the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Version 3.1 is available for download, or you can update from within your dashboard.

This release features a lightning fast redesigned linking workflow which makes it easy to link to your existing posts and pages, an admin bar so you’re never more than a click away from your most-used dashboard pages, a streamlined writing interface that hides many of the seldom-used panels by default to create a simpler and less intimidating writing experience for new bloggers (visit Screen Options in the top right to get old panels back), and a refreshed blue admin scheme available for selection under your personal options.

There’s a bucket of candy for developers as well, including our new Post Formats support which makes it easy for themes to create portable tumblelogs with different styling for different types of posts, new CMS capabilities like archive pages for custom content types, a new Network Admin, an overhaul of the import and export system, and the ability to perform advanced taxonomy and custom fields queries.

With the 3.1 release, WordPress is more of a CMS than ever before. The only limit to what you can build is your imagination.

(No video yet for 3.1, we’re going to add it later.)

By the Numbers

There were over two thousand commits to the codebase in the 3.1 cycle! For a more comprehensive look at everything that has improved in 3.1, check out 3.1’s Codex page or the more than 820 closed issues in Trac.

Now is the time to drop by our development channels if you are interested in being involved with 3.2, as the agenda will be under discussion shortly. We’re hoping to get the 3.2 release out in a shorter development cycle (3.1 took too long) and include some fun improvements around plugins and the speed of the admin. (Don’t worry, we’re still planning on using PHP.)

We’re All in This Together

WordPress is the result of the combined effort of people from all over the world united with a common goal: to make the best darn web software for publishing your story on the web and sharing it with the world. Here is a list of the more than 180 people who helped out with development during the 3.1 cycle:

Aaron Campbell (aaroncampbell), Adam Backstrom (adambackstrom), John Ford (aldenta), Alex Dunae (alexdunae), Alex King (alexkingorg), Amanda French (amandafrench), Will Anderson (anderswc), Andrea Rennick (andrea_r), Andrew Ozz (azaozz), Andy Skelton (andy/skeltoac), Andy Blackwell (andyblackwell), André Renaut (arena), Andrei Vereha (avereha), Azizur Rahman (azizur), Barry Abrahamson (barry), Mohammad Jangda (batmoo), Beau Lebens (beaulebens), Ben Ward (benward), Matthew G. Richmond (bigdawggi), Rowan Rodrik van der Molen (bigsmoke), Glenn Ansley (blepoxp), blt4, bobbyblade, Boone B. Gorges (boonebgorges), Brian Colinger (briancolinger), Brian Layman (brianlayman), Caesar Schinas (caesarsgrunt), Ben Casey (casben79), Chip Bennett (chipbennett), Chris Sfanos, Chris Jean (chrisbliss18), Marco Cimmino (cimmo), Scott Reilly (coffee2code), Dylan Kuhn (cyberhobo), Darren Meehan (darrenmeehan), Dion Hulse (dd32), Dean Robinson (deanjrobinson), Demetris Kikizas, Δημήτρης Κίκιζας (demetris), Denis-de-Bernardy, djzone, Доктор Бро (doktorbro), Donal MacArthur (donalmacarthur), Dougal Campbell (dougal), Dre Armeda (dremeda), Jon Cave (duck_), Doug Provencio (dougwrites), Edward Hevlund (edward mindreantre), Einar Egilsson (einare), Eric Mann (ericmann), Austin Matzko (filosofo), Gil Rutkowski (flashingcursor), foofy, Francesco Laffi (francescolaffi), Gary Cao (garyc40), Justin Tadlock (greenshady), Reuben Gunday (greuben), hakre, Hui Chen (huichen), Ben Huson (husobj), Matt Thomas (iammattthomas), Ian Stewart (iandstewart), indie-ulf, Jacob Santos (jacobsantos), Jakub Míšek (jakub.misek), James Collins (jamescollins), Jane Wells (jane/janeforshort), jayjdk, Jason Penney (jczorkmid), Jeff Farthing (jfarthing84), Josh Kearney (jk0), joelhardi, John Blackbourn (johnbillion), John James Jacoby (johnjamesjacoby/jjj), John O’Nolan (johnonolan), John Bloch (JohnPBloch), Joost de Valk (joostdevalk/yoast), Aaron Jorbin (jorbin), Joseph Scott (josephscott), Justin Rainbow, Kapeel Sable (kapeels), Adam Harley (kawauso), Jorge Bernal (koke), Daryl Koopersmith (koopersmith), Lance Willett (lancewillett), Lutz Schroeer (latz), Lew Ayotte (layotte), linguasite, Lloyd Budd (lloydbudd), loushou, mailnew2ster, mako09, Mark Jaquith (markjaquith), Mark McWilliams (markmcwilliams), MattyRob, Mauro Gentile, Michael Adams (mdawaffe), Chris Meller (mellertime), Michael Fields (mfields), MichaelH, Mike Schinkel (mikeschinkel), Robert Chapin (miqrogroove), Michael “Mitcho” Erlewine (mitchoyoshitaka), David McFarlane (mrmist), mrwok, John Havlik (mtekk), Martin Widmann (mwidmann), Andrew Nacin (nacin), Nikolay Bachiyski (nbachiyski), Nathan Rice (nathanrice), Niall Kennedy (niallkennedy), Bernhard Riedl (neoxx), Nick Momrik (nickmomrik), Nils Juenemannn, Nicolas Kuttler (nkuttler), nootron, norbertm, Dominik Schilling (ocean90), ohanesian, Samuel Wood (Otto42), Ozh Richard (ozh), Pádraic Brady, Franklin Tse (peaceablewhale), Pete Mall (PeteMall), Phill Brown (phill_brown), Phill Kenoyer (PhillKenoyer), phrostypoison, Michael Pretty (prettyboymp), Simon Prosser (pross), Ptah Dunbar (ptahdunbar), Harsh J. Chouraria (qwertymaniac), Ran Yaniv Hartstein (RanYanivHartstein), Rasheed Bydousi (rasheed), Daniel Jalkut (redsweater), rfw, Rasmus Lerdorf (rlerdorf), Ryan McCue (rmccue), Roger Theriault (rogertheriault), ronbme, rovo89, Ryan Boren (ryan), Sara Cannon (saracannon), Scott Bressler (sbressler), Scott Kingsley Clark (sc0ttkclark), ScottMac, Silviu Cristian Burca (scribu), Sergey Biryukov, Сергей Бирюков (SergeyBiryukov), Alex Petrescu (SeyelentEco), Shawn Parker (shawnparker), shidouhikari, Simon Wheatley (simonwheatley), Matt Martz (sivel), Samir Shah (solarissmoke), sorich87, Mitch Canter (studionashvegas), t31os_, Tracy Cannon (TECannon), tech163, Aaron Brazell (technosailor), TheDeadMedic, Tim Moore (tmoorewp), Tobias Bäthge (TobiasBg), Tom Lany (tomthewebmaster), tonyf12, Utkarsh Kukreti (Utkarsh), Zé Fontainhas (vanillalounge), John Hawkins (vegasgeek), Michael Stewart (vericgar), Alex Mills (Viper007Bond), Vladimir Kolesnikov (vladimir_kolesnikov), wahgnube, wedsxcrfv, Peter Westwood (westi), whoismanu, Will Norris (wnorris), Wojtek Szkutnik (wojtek.szkutnik), wpcanyon, William P. Davis (wpdavis), Ron Rennick (wpmuguru), Kenneth Newman (WraithKenny), Yoav Farhi (yoavf), and Safirul Alfreda (zeo).

Bonus: Don’t forget to check out the latest on WordPress.tv to see all the cool WordCamp sessions you may have missed.

WordPress 3.0.5 is now available and is a security hardening update for all previous WordPress versions.

This security release is required if you have any untrusted user accounts, but it also comes with important security enhancements and hardening. All WordPress users are strongly encouraged to update.

Three point oh point five
Enhances security
Three point one comes soon

The release addresses a number of issues and provides two additional enhancements:

Two moderate security issues were fixed that could have allowed a Contributor- or Author-level user to gain further access to the site.

One information disclosure issue was addressed that could have allowed an Author-level user to view contents of posts they should not be able to see, such as draft or private posts.

Two security enhancements were added. One improved the security of any plugins which were not properly leveraging our security API. The other offers additional defense in depth against a vulnerability that was fixed in previous release.

Thanks to Nils Jueneman and Saddy for their private and responsible disclosures to [email protected] for two of the issues. The others were reported or repaired by our security team.

Download 3.0.5 or update automatically from the Dashboard > Updates menu in your site’s admin area. Please update immediately.

WordPress 3.1 Release Candidate 4 is also now available.

The Release Candidate 4 build includes the security fixes and enhancements included in 3.0.5 and addresses about two dozen additional bugs. This includes fixes for:

• Deleting a user and reassigning their posts to another user.
• Marking multiple users or sites as spam in multisite.
• PHP4 compatibility.

As outlined in previous RC posts, if you are testing the release candidate and think you’ve found a bug, there are a few ways to let us know:

• Post it to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums
• Report it to the wp-testers mailing list
• Join the development IRC channel and tell us live at irc.freenode.net #wordpress-dev
• File a bug ticket on the WordPress Trac

To test WordPress 3.1, try the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (you’ll want “bleeding edge nightlies”). Or you can download the release candidate here (zip). If any new issues become known, you’ll be able to find them here.

After nearly five months of development and testing, we think we’re very close to a final release. Users and developers, please test your themes and plugins.

Download WordPress 3.1 RC4 or WordPress 3.0.5 now.