The latest version of WordPress made several noticeable improvements, aside from the usual security fixes. A few are:

• Autosave
• Tabbed editor allows switching between WYSIWYG and code editing while writing a post
• Blogroll links with sub-categories
• Comment feeds now include all the comments, not just the last 10
• A better picture upload manager
• An XML import/export tool
• A new version of the Akismet plugin

A few problems…
Those are good things, however not all of them worked form me. The tabbed editor for one didn’t, which would have been nice as I usually use the code editing mode, but like to use some of the WYSIWYG features occasionally.

I had mixed results with the XML importer. On a test blog that I setup (on Bluehost) before moving DPRK Studies from LunarPages to Bluehost, the XML importer worked like a champ. But when it came time to do it for real, I had to try to import the XML file at least two dozen times before all posts and comments were uploaded (although that may have been the computer/connection I was using, which was not my usual one), and I did later notice three missing comments. Still, I think with 2.1.x those issues will be solved.

I found, 10 Things You should Know About WordPress 2.1, and WordPress 2.1 Gotchas, to be useful as well.

Upload limits and php.ini
On a related note, the default upload limit for file uploads is 2MB, which won’t be enough if you’ve been blogging for very long. To increase that limit, edit the php.ini file located in the root directory (/public_html for most shared hosting plans). Find the following lines:

upload_max_filesize = 2M
post_max_size = 2M

And replace the “2” with the file size you need (I used 10 to allow 10MB). Then copy that file into every directory that includes .php files that might need know the new limit. If you’re not sure, just copy the file to most of the directories in wp_content and wp_admin.

Plug-ins
WordPress supplies a list of plug-ins that work with 2.1, but unless you use some of the standard themes, odds are that not all of those plug-ins have been tested with your specific theme.

For example, I use TripleK2, a three column theme based on K2, but the Adhesive plug-in (for making sticky posts) put all posts in both the main page, and in the right sidebar as asides. I see that the list of plug-in has been updated to include Adhesive on the not-working-so-far list.

The list of not working includes the latest version of Brian’s Latest Comments, 1.5.10, doesn’t work, but I know for a fact that 1.5.9 does as it’s in use here.

A few other plug-ins that I find extremely useful are:

• BDP Referral Tracker (stats)
• Exec-PHP 3.0 (allows use of php tags in posts/pages)
• External Links (open all external links in a new window)
• Google Sitemap Generator
• KG Archives
• Post Teaser (control ‘continue reading’ for longer posts)
• WP Database Backup

SPAM!
GI Korea said that he’s been getting a lot of spam since moving from Tripod to WordPress on Bluehost. I suggest using the bundled Akismet (you’ll need an API key) and Bad Behavior; with that combination I’ve seen only one or two spam comments get on the blog since I started using them in late 2005.

To upgrade or not?
Those are the sorts of things you have to watch out for when moving to 2.1. Should you upgrade? If you have a host that uses cPanel and already have the option to upgrade that way (Bluehost does), I’d say yes. The upgrade instructions are fairly comprehensive and include all you need to know to backup your SQL database and WordPress files.

A word of caution; the XML method of backing up and restoring doesn’t get pages and links. While you may not have many (or even any) pages, rebuilding a blogroll is not fun. But WordPress has a file for that as well; wp-links-opml.php.

This file is located in the root directory. To access it, go to http://www.yourdomain.com/ wp-links-opml.php. Your blogroll will be output to the screen in OPML format. Use the file, save as method to save this to your computer. If you have to restore your blogroll, there is an import function in the link management area where you can browse for this file and upload your links.

Good luck!

Update: I forgot to mention link and post categories. In 2.1, link and post categories are merged, something you may or may not find useful. I had a link cat called “Korea Blogs,” but don’t post under that cat. On the other hand, I had both a link and post cat called “News Links.”

Default categories are no longer on the Blogroll or Manage >> Categories, but under Options >> Writing. It takes a little getting used to, but no functionality is lost.

/////

temp test trackback…