Moodle Upgrade: Moodle has announced last month it’s most stable version 3.4, which was released on Nov 3rd 2017. Since Moodle releases the new version every six months, the older versions are still operable, but Moodle does not constantly support them. If you are running a lower version, your website can encounter bugs and Moodle website might not work smoothly as previously. As a Moodle user, it is my personal recommendation for moodle upgradation from time to time as the newer versions offer a more stable, faster, and secure website. Here is why you should update your Moodle websites constantly as per the new updates.
Moodle Security
If you are a business owner and owing a Moodle website for storing your confidential documents and credentials which is essential for your workplace. With older versions, as it does not offers more security over the content or your learner’s information, and so the content is compromised. Which will ultimately hamper your organization and privacy of you and your employees? To overcome such atrocious consequences, it is essential to upgrade your Moodle website.
Netanel Rubin, researcher, and CEO of Vaultra found that by exploiting a series of minor vulnerabilities, he could chain them together to remotely execute code on Moodle server. The attacks work on almost all versions, so administrators should move to the latest version v3.2.2 to fix the problem as soon as possible.
Moodle Support
As new features come up with the latest version, developers focus more on newer bug fixes and patch release rather than to handle older version queries. Moodle will not handle any more Moodle bug fixes for the older version. As a software person, I know how much annoying it happens when a bug is there in any software system. Moodle developers work continuously on sweeping out the critical security issues and bug fixes. Let us say that you owe a Moodle site v2.6 for which support is not available anymore. Therefore, you will not be able to fix the bugs. No hope of improvement is better than hope of improvement, which could be possible by upgrading your Moodle site from time to time as per the latest releases.
Stability
Picture Source: Moodle release calendar
Looking into the version release calendar of Moodle, a stable version is a release every year, which means that Moodle Support will not be focussing on solving queries for older versions. Moodle v2.6 and below are no longer supported by security patches and bug fixes by the Moodle. So it is always advisable to get upgraded from the legacy version to a stable version (Moodle v3.3) because they come up with new features, more secure options, customizable themes, file supports, OAuth2 plugins, chats supports etc. which are lacking in legacy versions.
Moodle Migration from v2.x to v3.x
- You can only upgrade to Moodle 3.x from Moodle 2.7 or later versions. If upgrading from earlier versions, you must upgrade to 2.7 as a first step.
- Migration from MyISAM to InnoDB – if you use MySQL you must upgrade the engine to InnoDB since it has become a requirement in Moodle 3.1
- Site backup must be performed for Moodle software, uploaded files and database.
- Automatic updates deployment enablement checks for recent updates for the installed plugins and upgrade it automatically.
- New Moodle software installation
Problems faced during the migration from Moodle v2.x to v3.x
If you are using an older version of Moodle say v2.0 and you want to upgrade to Moodle v3.x then you have to take site back up and moodle upgrade to version 2.2 firstly. After that, check if the site is running smoothly on the production site and then you can upgrade it to Moodle v2.7 version. Once the v2.7 upgrade is completed then only you can do moodle upgrade to the latest version of Moodle v3.x or later, which is a hectic and time lapsing procedure.
What is new in Moodle upgrade v3.0 and later release?
Version | Version | Version | Version | Version |
Atto Editor to format | Competency-based | A new responsive theme Boost improves navigation within and | Better | More efficient
|
Drag and drop | Assignment | Easier | Improved | Override |
Workshop submission reports | Download | Media | Font | Helpful |
File settings to | Easily | Interactive | Emoji support – brighten up | Tag database |
Improved filtering options | Forum posts and discussion pinning to the top option. | Discussion | Set a “Grade by” reminder for the alert | Better |
Options for | Workshop | Assignment | Specify | Private files
|
Dashboard reset buttons | Publish as LTI tool allows remote users | Students | Collapse comments in assignment and | Improved |
Profile reset button | Tag course activities | Select | Securely | Easier activity |
Plugins upgrading | Easier section editing | Rubrics grade calculations are now | Better activity completion management | Moodle |
Tags manager for page | Search meta | Customisable | Drag | Inspire |
Upgrade key | Competency | User | Stealth | New |
Delete messages | Learning | Competency | Glossary | HTTPS Conversion |
App-based choices | Enabling Global search by installing Solr. | New media player plugins – VideoJS player. | Delete multiple quiz sections at once. | OAuth2 |
Chat support in mobile app | Assignment file | LTI 2.0 | OAuth2 | Manage all |
The survey in mobile app | Enabling file system repository on your | Course end dates setting | Document file converters | More clear view of Site Registration. |
Search courses in | Lesson | User-friendly messaging | Improved | Database entry |
Self-enrolment in mobile app | Tagging | ————- | Easily manage scheduled tasks | Farewell |
————- | Bulk download files in zipped | ————- | Learning | Peer-Assess on |
————- | Search all courses you have access to | ————- | Complete Feedback activities | Purchase |
————- | Message button now next to | ————- | Disable | ————- |
————- | Easily link to forum posts | ————- | The search feature allows you to scan your | ————- |
If you are still using an older version of Moodle, then you will encounter with – no Moodle security, no bug fixes, no online support, old features, and functionality. Therefore, there must not be any delay in moodle upgrade to the latest version of Moodle, as the software itself is being upgraded constantly with the latest features.
3E Software Solutions is a full-service technology company dedicated to providing eLearning solutions for both web and mobile applications.
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