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By NToronto on
When companies like Microsoft or Apple plan to release a new version of their software, they give developers plenty of advance notice so that they have time to update their code and plan for the new release.
Drupal of course also provides advance notice, and Drupal 6 is currently at RC1 which gives developers and users a chance to try out the new features and become familiar with it. However, Drupal does not offer any set development dates:
"When will Drupal 6 be released? Drupal 6.0 final will be released after (a) there are no more critical bugs and (b) we've had at least one release candidate without adding any more to the list. When will that be? Well, it depends entirely on you!..."
I am in the process of building a new web site and I am completely in the dark as to if I should build on Drupal 5.6 or Drupal 6.0?
Can anyone in a similar situation offer some advice? What platform are you building for? Historically how much time passes between a Drupal RC1 release and a .0 release?
Thank you.
Comments
I was asking myself the same
I was asking myself the same question ...
I've decided to stick with D5.6 as the choice and stability of the contributed modules is more suitable for my needs. D6 is a long way off having a decent selection of stable modules.
Despite this, I'm messing about with a test install of D6 and the core has no obvious holes in it, I just don't have much choice for modules.
Considering D5.6 will have a clear upgrade path to D6, I think using D5.6 now is a good idea.
Drupal 5 will be maintained
Drupal 5 will be maintained (bugfixes, security patches etc.) until the first stable version of Drupal 7 is released. That will give you the freedom to upgrade when you are ready. If you choose now, see if the modules you need are already converted to D6. If so, go with D6. If not, you have 2 choices: stick with D5 for a while, of give the module developers a hand and help them do the work.
Money
The reason Microsoft and other companies can put a date on a release is because they are paid to do so. Drupal is developed by volunteers.
At this point in time, new sites (especially if you are new to drupal) should still be developed in 5. I do not see myself working on production sites in 6 until at least 6 months from now (maybe even a year). The module base has been set too high, and developers are working hard to port modules over to 6, but sites with unique modules or sites which use modules in unique ways will have to wait to upgrade.
--matt
http://www.monarch-digital.com
-- matt tucker