WordPress 3.2 Release Candidate 3

The third and possibly final release candidate of WordPress 3.2 is here. The release note hints that everything is now ready. This version 3.2 RC3 includes all the security hardening and other changes that were pushed out in WordPress 3.1.4 this week

If you haven’t started testing WordPress 3.2, then now is the time to check plugins, themes and familiarise yourself.

WordPress 3.2 what you can expect

WordPress 3.2 has already had 2 other release candidates and 2 beta releases. The key features you can find in the next release are:

• Improved look n feel / user experience to the Admin pages (after many years)
• Integrated the admin homepage header (with the WordPress Logo) with the left hand menu
• Admin bar has changed for single install and network admins
• Admin left hand menu has changed with big text to collapse / hide
• Network / Admin menu has been integrated in User menu / dropdown on the top right

The 3.2RC release note talks about 350+ bugs / tracs closed

Should I update to this release candidate?

As this is a release candidate you shouldn’t use this on a really important live site - but it does mean it’s pretty stable and useful. You should find that most popular plugins and themes have no issues as developers have been working since RC1.

To install the release candidate you need the WordPress beta updates plugin and then just go to your updates sections.

Before you update any live site - backup

This is very easy to do from any logged-in wp-admin page - but you should always follow a simple process like this:

1. Make sure you have a current WordPress database
2. Enable your Maintenance mode page.
3. Disable any / all plugins
4. Run Backup
5. Run update
6. Update any plugins that also got updated
7. Enable all plugins that you need
8. Check for any bugs or other issues
9. Disable your Maintenance Mode.

Meet the author

Damien Saunders
An experienced management consultant and business leader interested in digital transformation, product centred design and scaled agile. If I'm not writing about living with UCTD (an autoimmune disease), I'm probably listening to music, reading a book or learning more about wine.