Hi all,
I'm glad to announce that Icy Phoenix 2.0 RC 1 is available for downloads.

What's New Respect To Latest Stable Release

• CMS recoded with many AJAX features
  
• Plugins System with ACP modules and specific permissions that could be managed through CMS
  
• Cache Functions ported from phpBB 3
  
• DB Class ported from phpBB 3
  
• User Class ported from phpBB 3
  
• Auth System ported from phpBB 3 and integrated into CMS and Plugins
  
• Many Core Functions ported from phpBB 3
  
• Almost all core SQL checked and rewritten
  
• New classes coded to improve useability and simplify coding and modding
  
• Optimized templates parsing
  
• New Mobile style (automatically detected)
  
• Improved SEO functions
  
• Revamped AJAX Chat with Private Rooms
  
• Brand new Tags, Share and Likes features
  
• Custom BBCodes in ACP
  
• Multiple Vote Polls
  
• Many smaller updates and features... install the latest version to enjoy them all!

Old templates: please note that the template system has been totally revamped, so templates designed for Icy Phoenix 1.3.0.53 or below won't work at all with this version. At the moment apart of the styles included in the installation package only proSilver is available over GIT: Icy Phoenix Styles @ GIT.


Translations: please note that lang packs for Icy Phoenix 1.3.0.53 won't work with this version. Lang packs need to be updated before you can use them on your site. I will update all lang files in download section as soon as translators will send me their latest release. You can find latest development translations here: Icy Phoenix Languages @ GIT.


Customizations And Mods: please note that this version has many core code differences from the previous one, so it is really unlikely that old customizations and mods will work on this beta release. If you currently have some mods installed and you cannot update them on your own, you should be aware that you will not able to use those old mods until someone is going to update them.


Requirements
Before trying to install Icy Phoenix make sure you have the following STRICTLY NEEDED requirements:

• At least 20 MB of free space in the folder you would like to install the package
  
• Web server with PHP (5.2 or higher) installed and running (works best on Linux + Apache)
  
• MySQL (5 or higher) database with at least 5MB of free space (of course the space needed depends on how big your site will be... 5MB is enough for a basic empty setup)
  
• Ability to set CHMOD permissions

These other requirements (even if not strictly needed) are suggested for optimal performance of Icy Phoenix:

• Webserver with .htaccess capability
  
• Apache Rewrite Mod installed and running
  
• GD Libraries (at least 2.0.28) installed and running
  
• Register Globals set to OFF

Fresh Installation

1. Unpack Icy Phoenix package to one folder on your HD.
   
2. Copy all Icy Phoenix files in one folder on your webserver (i.e. /icyphoenix/)
   
3. Set the permissions to CHMOD 777 to the following files and folders (please note that you may not have all of them in your setup):
   
   • backup/
     
   • cache/
     
   • cache/cms/
     
   • cache/forums/
     
   • cache/posts/
     
   • cache/sql/
     
   • cache/topics/
     
   • cache/users/
     
   • downloads/
     
   • files/
     
   • files/album/
     
   • files/album/cache/
     
   • files/album/med_cache/
     
   • files/album/users/
     
   • files/album/wm_cache/
     
   • files/posted_images/
     
   • files/screenshots/
     
   • files/thumbs/
     
   • images/avatars/
     
   • logs/
     
   • logs/logfile_attempt_counter.txt
     
   • logs/logfile_blocklist.txt
     
   • logs/logfile_debug_mode.txt
     
   • logs/logfile_malformed_logins.txt
     
   • logs/logfile_spammer.txt
     
   • logs/logfile_worms.txt
   
   
4. Launch the setup from the install folder: install/install.php (i.e. http://www.mysite.com/forum/install/install.php)
   
5. Follow all the instructions on the screen, fill all requested data and complete the setup
   
6. Delete or rename install folder
   
7. Customize what needs to be customized in files and db (some files needs to be edited manually, while most of the options may be set in ACP and CMS)
   
8. Enjoy your New Site

How To Upgrade From Older Icy Phoenix Versions

1. Lock the site from ACP
   
2. Make a full backup of your website (both files and DB)
   
3. Remove all old Icy Phoenix files, but make sure you are not deleting other stuff you may need!
   
4. When deleting files, pay particular attention to custom files and folders like these:
   • config.php
     
   • backup/
     
   • downloads/
     
   • images/
     
   • files/
     
   • logs/
   
   
5. Copy all new Icy Phoenix files into your root
   
6. Make sure you apply the right CHMOD permissions as listed in the Fresh Installation section above
   
7. Copy install/convert_utf8_nodbal.php to your website root and launch it (this is needed to convert your old DB to UTF-8)
   
8. Delete convert_utf8_nodbal.php from your root
   
9. Launch install/database_update.php and update your DB
   
10. Delete or rename install folder
    
11. Customize what needs to be customized in files and db (some files needs to be edited manually, while most of the options may be set in ACP and CMS)
    
12. Enjoy your New Site

Available Packages




Support

We will offer basic support to this version, aimed to fix main bugs and setup procedure before final release. You should not use this version on any live site (unless you really understand the risks in doing that!).

Please use the Bugs Tracker to report any bug you find.





Enjoy Icy Phoenix!
Luca Libralato

Hi all,
tonight I have updated the website with the latest dev release of Icy Phoenix, which I hope I'm going to release as a beta in few days (after I have fixed at least the first bugs that will be spotted).

Please, let me know if you are having any kind of issue on this website.

I also would like to let you know that I have added some extra antispam measures, which unfortunately are going to affect even "trusted" users. In particular every user having less than X (I'm not disclosing the exact amount...) messages will not be allowed to insert urls in posts (will be masked) and its personal informations will remain hidden until he/she will reach X numbers of posts. I'm really sorry for this measure, but we need to fight spammers with a more strong approach. I hope you understand.

Thanks,
Luca

Hi all,
I'm very glad to announce that Icy Phoenix has now a new style which is optimized for mobile devices.

The new style has been developed by CyberAlien owner of the great project ColorizeIt!

The style is still in beta testing phase, and if you want to help in debugging, you can have a try with the latest development version of Icy Phoenix that you can find on GIT:

Icy Phoenix Latest Development Version

Here you will find the Mobile style:

Icy Phoenix Mobile Style

To use it, just download and install Icy Phoenix (from GIT) and then navigate it with a mobile device (iPhone, Android, Blackberry...).

If you are willing to see the style with a "normal" pc you can install it as you would do for any other style and activate it... otherwise you can manually change includes/sessions.php:

FIND

REPLACE WITH


Let me know what do you think and if you find any bug.

I also would like to thank CyberAlien for the precious help in developing such a style.

Thanks,
Luca

Hi all,
I have just updated GIT repository with the latest dev version of Icy Phoenix:

Icy Phoenix Dev Version

I have been helped by a professional coder in improving the CMS experience by adding some AJAX in pages and blocks management, now CMS should be almost complete, just the new AUTH System still missing.

Here are some screenshots (unfortunately a couple of the screenshots are not perfect because of the system I used to get them):








I still need to clean up the code and the DB, which is the next step before integrating the AUTH System... but CMS should work fine if you want to test it.

I would need help in writing the tip and help code in the various CMS pages, if someone is willing to help, just let me know.

Please also report bugs in CMS if you find, so I can fix them.

I still don't have a final release date, but now most of the job is done...

Hi all,
I wanted to announce that starting from today the old Icy Phoenix Repository on SVN will be discontinued.

All Icy Phoenix code repositories have been moved to GIT for many reasons (mainly because of SVN limitations in fork/merge features).

Here are the new URIs for the Repositories:

Icy Phoenix GIT Repository
Icy Phoenix - Languages GIT Repository
Icy Phoenix - Styles GIT Repository
Icy Phoenix - Plugins GIT Repository

I will only keep tags release on the old SVN repository, I will remove everything else in some months (just to make sure that everything is working fine).

If you want to start to contributing to Icy Phoenix code, is now easier than before:

• Create a GIT account and then Login!
  
• Fork Icy Phoenix project
  
• Code what you need... and then push to your repo
  
• Finally make a Pull Request to show me the code, I will then review it, and maybe integrate to Icy Phoenix

Happy Coding Icy Phoenix!

Hi,
it's been a while I'm not writing news about Icy Phoenix development. The main reason it is that we are lacking of developers, and development slowed down a bit.

I'm currently working on the users/sessions system, trying to improve the way both sessions and users are working in Icy Phoenix. To this purpose I have ported part of phpBB 3 Users Class into Icy Phoenix, recoding some parts and adding some extra code where needed. I've almost finished the integation, but since this modification regards so many files and functions, I'm sure that many bugs have been introduced, and we need to spot them.

Tonight I've just updated both GIT and SVN repository with the latest development version, you can find some more details here:
https://github.com/MightyGorgon/icy...67265e73a7e0995
Showing 340 changed files with 6,242 additions and 4,567 deletions.

As you can see changes are many, and updating from latest dev release could be tough (due to the change into the session system/db).

If you want to help in the development, you can try to install on a local server (I would not suggest to use this development version online!) and report the bugs you find.

Next step in development is improving the permissions system and the CMS, I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,
Luca

Hi all,
here is the second patch of Icy Phoenix 1.3.0.53 which will upgrade your version to 1.3.0.53b.

The purpose of this patch is mainly to fix an XSS vulnerability kindly reported by Saif El-Sherei and also to fix a couple of bugs reported by users on CMS and KB.

How to install this patch:

1. Make a full backup, both files and DB
   
2. Download the patch from the link below
   
3. Extract the package on your hard disk
   
4. Copy the install folder in the root of your website
   
5. Launch install/database_update.php
   
6. Upload all files into your website by replacing old ones (please note that you may have customized some files like constants.php or lang_main_settings.php, and you may want to update them before uploading)
   
7. Enjoy your updated website!

There are two different downloads, one with only changed files since version 1.3.0.53a (first link below) and one with changed files since version 1.3.0.53 (second link below).





Should you experience any kind of error, please report in the support forum.

Thanks.

Hi all,
I would like to keep you updated on some of the recent developments about Icy Phoenix.

Me and all developers are working on the whole package trying to improve some existing aspects but also implementing some new features.

Mainly we are focusing on performances and code optimization: trying to reduce the number of files and inclusions and creating classes for higher scalability and performances.

Regarding these aspects I would like you to know that I have decided to invest most part of donations received so far for a paid code audit by an external professional coder: this means that a specialized PHP coder will go through the code of the core files mainly trying to catch security holes and bugs, but also trying to improve the overall code by writing new code which helps with performance.

As you may imagine this kind of job is time consuming, and professional coders are not that cheap. This is why I'm also starting a new initiative here.

Starting from today, 90% of all the donations received until the end of February will be re-invested into code audit, while 10% will be donated to Haiti Cause.

Keep in mind that this project is open source, nobody has been charged for using it so far, and never will be. The amount you are willing to donate will be almost interely re-invested (apart of a small percentage that will go to charity) for improving the platform and your sites performances and security. I guess it is a great opportunity for us all to do something good for ourselves and the whole community.


How much should I donate?

Well that depends on how much you trust Open Source and how much your site is depending upon Icy Phoenix. Let me try to help you with some numbers / suggestions:

• Icy Phoenix is open source, you have never been charged for using it, and you will never be.
  
• Professional CMS platforms usually require a one time fee for the license plus an annual fee for supports and updates: on average pricing for the license is around 200 euros while about 100 euros are required for annual support fee (these amounts may also be really high for some kinds of products).
  
• If your site is based upon Icy Phoenix, you have a good ratio of visits per day, and you are generating some revenues from your site, then you should really consider donating at least 30 euros to this initiative.
  
• If you come regularly here (on this website) to get helped or styles or customization, and you think you found what you needed, maybe you should consider donating starting from 20 euros.
  
• If your site is based upon Icy Phoenix, your community is quite big, but you are not generating income from your site, then a donation of 10 euros will be highly appreciated.
  
• If your site is based upone Icy Phoenix, your site is amatorial and you don't mind about futures developments, well, then you don't need to donate unless you are feeling happy today!

Please keep in mind that I'm not forcing anyone to donate, feel free to donate or not, and please donate only if you trust this project and the open source world.


Also I would like to remind you that all donators who donate at least 10 euros will become part of a Special Group which have access to a special section where special content and informations are provided.


I will keep you updated about the total amount received and how those money will be used to improve Icy Phoenix.

Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance to all those who will donate.

Also a big thank you to all users that donated so far and allowed me to upgrade to a new server with higher performances.



Link to donation pages: Donations - Donate