Liferay Portal 6.3a Released!

I'm very happy to announce the release of Liferay Portal 6.3a! Download it now: [Tomcat Bundle] [JBoss Bundle] [GlassFish Bundle] [Source Code] [Other bundles and Files] [Quick Start] [Detailed Install Instructions].

This release is particularly noteworthy as it represents a new direction for Liferay. Due to the cost involved in producing CE releases we've decided to make this and future community releases ad-supported. What does this mean? It means you'll start seeing advertisements from our sponsors and related products within Liferay and on websites built with Liferay (see screenshots below). And best of all, this is a completely free service for you. Ad revenue will go directly to Liferay and used for improving Liferay, and occasionally used for important executives on important business meetings using a new corporate jet we've leased. The "a" in 6.3a? Why, ads of course!

Control Panel Ads

Here is an example of the new Control Panel:

As you can see the ads are tastefully placed throughout. This is a great way to find deals on cars, or fix your PC (clearly mine has important problems that need to be fixed - I just clicked!). 

This release also corrects many issues found by our open source community and customers since the last release (and might introduce a few new issues -- sorry about that!). Want to know more? Read on!

Release Naming

Following Liferay's official versioning scheme, this release is Liferay Portal 6.3 CE GA1 (Codename: "Loki"). The internal version number is 6.3.0. Future CE releases will be designated GA2, GA3, .. and so on. Of course, it is unlikely this release will need an update. It's probably already perfect.

Downloads

You can find this release on the usual liferay.com downloads page. If you need additional files you'll need to visit the additional files page and possibly enter your credit card details, or make cheques payable to James Falkner.

Source Code

Unfortunately for this release we cannot release the source code, as it contains sensitive code related to the new advertisement feature. Also, there are some bugs we are particularly ashamed of but would rather not tell you about. It's more fun to find them! 

What's New / Changed?

This update fixes many bugs [full list here], but here are some of the more important and/or popular ones that you may be interested in:

  • A valid credit card is now required to activate your installation. We may share this information with our advertising "partners".
  • The use of ad-blocking software (hereafter referred to as "you meanie!") will render Liferay inoperable. Looking away or turning down your speakers during advertisements will cause NullPointerExceptions.

Kaleo Workflow

Users of Liferay's workflow engine will also appreciate the opportunity for great deals on Jewelry and cruises in an inconspicuous way that does not alter the usability at all. For example:

Known Issues

One of the things you get with a regular release cycle is the peace of mind of knowing that releases don't have to be held up by minor issues - it can get fixed in the next release, and no one should have to suffer delays because of really minor issues. There are a couple of items we found during testing that were deemed not to be "showstoppers" and will likely be fixed in the next release.

  • Occasionally, Liferay will not start properly. It only happens on Tuesdays, and only during low tides. We are investigating.
  • Please do not affix stickers from other portal software vendors to your laptops. Only Liferay stickers are permitted. Other stickers may cause your machine to run slower, and could potentially cause a lot of other things to go wrong.

Audience Targeting Updates

You probably saw the audience targeting plugin released last year. We are now "targeting" you, the Liefray user, more effectively. As a power Liferay admin, you've come to depend on the ability to configure Liferay. Now, with our embedded advertising, we're able to target you more effectively - every time you want to check the portal settings or update configuration (e.g. changing the virtual host, adding users, or even creating web content) you'll need to watch a short video ad, as shown below:

Not watching this ad will render Liferay inoperable until the ad is watched. You will require an internet connection and may need to enter credit card details to continue!

Documentation

The Liferay Documentation Team has been super-busy and has not yet had a chance to document this release. They send their regards!

Support Matrix

Liferay recently published the official compatibility matrix for 6.1 and 6.2. For this release, you can either use Tomcat, or you can use Tomcat. Tomcat users should also be OK.

Liferay Marketplace

Marketplace plugins are really superb, so you should go download some today!

If you are a Marketplace Developer, and have authored a 6.2 CE GA1- or GA2-compatible app, you should be aware that this release is not compatible with any other Liferay release. As such, your plugins will most likely not work. There's not much you can do -- again, sorry about that!

Bug Reporting

With this release we are pretty sure we've fixed all bugs, so there's no more need to report bugs. How awesome is that?

Upgrading

Good news for you! Because this release is completely incompatible, there is no need to Upgrade! You can simply install this release and delete your old one. Done!  There are some caveats though, so be sure to check out the Upgrading Liferay information on the Liferay Developer Network for more detail on upgrading to this release.

What's Next

It depends! On the amount of ad revenue we get. So keep watchin' those ads, folks!

博客
how much should I write the check for?
Additional files cost at least $100 each - but there is no maximum amount! It's whatever you feel is appropriate. As long as it's at least $100. But your call.
Where as a liferay partner can I get some ad space.
How much would "powered by liferay, suponsored by Componence" cost
Hey James, here in Europe 1st april is almost gone, we were relaxed already ... so several people is seriously risking a heart attack !
@Andrea - yeah, next year I'll be more organized and schedule it to hit in the morning instead of quickly throwing it together right after a mini-vacation emoticon
Great idea, let's add the same value that Google give users of their free products.
Good one! What's the code name for this release - Loki?
It took my breath away(was almost dead) in the beginning, but got it back in the middle of the blog realizing this is April Fools' Joke emoticon