Current recommended version for Drupal 6 sites

[haro]

Hi, I was wondering what the current recommended version is of Civicrm for Drupal 6 sites.

It looks at first sight like the 4.2 LTS series are not so much used, but 4.4 is maybe a bit too much bleeding edge for Drupal 6, not sure about the 4.3 series. Really doubting to what version I should upgrade. I'm not interested in new features for this site, just need the most stable version that still supports Drupal 6 well.

[petednz]

we have a number of D6 clients still and have them on 4.4.6 without any specific d6 issues

[Eileen]

yep - we run a patched version of 4.4.6 but none of the patches are drupal specific and have a number of D6 sites on 4.2 LTS and 4.4.6

You should NOT run 4.3 because the security patches that have been released for the LTS and 4.4 have not been released for 4.3.

I encourage you to run 4.4.6

[Chris Burgess]

Since we have a makefile to build our patched version of CiviCRM, and it's on Github already, I took a couple of minutes to adjust it for 6.x which would let you use our edition. This is not supported! But we have a version with bugfixes, it's already available and it's good to share

(Requires working Git, Drush etc. If those are unfamiliar terms, stick to the official releases, or use another approach.)

If you have Drush make, create a stub makefile from the instructions at https://github.com/fuzionnz/fuzion/tree/6.x-1.x

Then run,

Code: [Select]

drush make stub.make example.org
Output will look like this.

Code: [Select]

➜ ~/Sites $ drush make --working-copy fuzion-6.make example.org
Beginning to build fuzion-6.make.                                                                                                                                     [ok]
drupal-6.32 downloaded.                                                                                                                                               [ok]
fuzion cloned from git@github.com:fuzionnz/fuzion.git.                                                                                                                [ok]
Checked out revision 6.x-1.x.                                                                                                                                         [ok]
Found makefile: fuzion.make                                                                                                                                           [ok]
civicrm-core cloned from git@github.com:fuzionnz/civicrm-core.git.                                                                                                    [ok]
civicrm-drupal cloned from git@github.com:fuzionnz/civicrm-drupal.git.                                                                                                [ok]
Checked out revision 6.x-4.4.                                                                                                                                         [ok]
admin_menu-6.x-1.8 downloaded.                                                                                                                                        [ok]
Project date contains 8 modules: date_tools, date_timezone, date_repeat, date_popup, date_php4, date_locale, date, date_api.
date-6.x-2.10 downloaded.                                                                                                                                             [ok]
Project environment contains 2 modules: environment_force, environment.
environment-6.x-1.0-alpha1 downloaded.                                                                                                                                [ok]
environment_indicator-6.x-1.2 downloaded.                                                                                                                             [ok]
features-6.x-1.2 downloaded.                                                                                                                                          [ok]
Project google_analytics contains a module named googleanalytics.
google_analytics-6.x-3.6 downloaded.                                                                                                                                  [ok]
imce-6.x-2.7 downloaded.                                                                                                                                              [ok]
libraries-6.x-1.0 downloaded.                                                                                                                                         [ok]
Project nodewords contains 4 modules: nodewords_og, nodewords_extra, nodewords_basic, nodewords.
nodewords-6.x-1.14 downloaded.                                                                                                                                        [ok]
pathauto-6.x-1.6 downloaded.                                                                                                                                          [ok]
Project token contains 3 modules: token, token_actions, tokenSTARTER.
token-6.x-1.19 downloaded.                                                                                                                                            [ok]
Project views contains 3 modules: views_export, views, views_ui.
views-6.x-2.16 downloaded.                                                                                                                                            [ok]
Project views_bulk_operations contains 2 modules: actions_permissions, views_bulk_operations.
views_bulk_operations-6.x-1.16 downloaded.                                                                                                                            [ok]
webform-6.x-3.20 downloaded.                                                                                                                                          [ok]
webform_civicrm-6.x-2.7 downloaded.                                                                                                                                   [ok]
wysiwyg-6.x-2.4 downloaded.                                                                                                                                           [ok]

You should then have a copy of a Drupal 6.32 site in "example.org", with Fuzion CiviCRM in sites/all/modules/civicrm. You're free to build on this or to simply copy out the CiviCRM module directory and upload it.

[Eileen]

NB - to clarify the fuzion version vs the stock version - mostly we have the patches in this list in the fuzion version
https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-14995?filter=15410

(it's not an exact match).

The only thing we have that is NOT a bug fix is a bit of code that creates a table & logs all IPNs & allows you to re-run them. This is partially in 4.5 - ie. there is a different table in 4.5 that logs all IPNs - the api to allow you to rerun them is not ported.

[haro]

Thanks a lot for all your replies! Good news that this way Drupal 6 is still fully supported with the latest version.

Maybe it is better not to provide a LTS version then because it's a bit confusing at the moment as 4.2 looks to be the more stable version on first sight but if nobody is using it, it will contain more bugs than the latest 4.4 version.

[Eileen]

I think we are still expecting there to be an LTS on 4.4 and for the 4.2 LTS to finish shortly

[Chris Burgess]

@haro - might be just that we need to clarify "Why LTS?".

Bugfixes are one thing, but "the devil you know" is another. As a Drupal user, you understand that you'd install Drupal 7 for a new site today - but you (/your clients) also may be benefitting from the support for Drupal 6 that is retained after the release of 7.

LTS allows sites which aren't ready to upgrade (for budget / devil-you-know / training / campaign-season / dont-fix-if-aint-broken / etc) purposes to stick with a familiar thing and know they will get security updates. It doesn't offer the five year LTS of something like Ubuntu, but it's a big improvement on having no alternative but to upgrade to every new release!

Not all updates are strictly required, but we take our customers data security seriously and want to ensure they can commit to customisations without finding themselves "out on a limb" at the next major release.

Can you expand on "4.2 looks to be the more stable version"? What gives that impression, and how could the right message be better conveyed (in your eyes)?