List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1 (updated 1-23-2009)

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Posted by: mamlin 1/22/2009 10:50 AM

(Updated 2-17-2009) DNN 5.0 represents a good step forward on a number of fronts.  Unfortuantely, 5.0 was not exactly "ready for primetime".  The upcoming 5.0.1 "stabilization release" fixes a good number of 5.0's problems.  This post lists a number of more notable items both fixed AND not fixed in 5.0.1...
 
 
Good News, Bad News
First the bad news:   DNN5 has not been available long enough to discover and report all the potential compatability issues that exist with skins, modules, content, etc.  If you want to minimize fuss and administration issues you should stick with DNN 4.9.x while DNN5 gets sorted out over a few more version releases.  The good news is that 5.0.1 will address most of the known major issues and should be a fairly stable platform (though third-party module compatability will still be a concern).
 
UPDATE 2-17-2009:  DNN 5.0.1 is scheduled for release on 2-23-2009. 

UPDATE 1-23-2009:  Within one day of compiling and posting this list (on 1-22-2009), some "NOT FIXED" items have been addressed either on Gemini or through user comments in this blog.   Updates to individual items are marked with the date the update was made.
 
 
DNN 5.0 issues NOT fixed in 5.0.1
A little more bad news:  A few notable issues are not yet slated to be fixed in 5.0.1.  These are:

  • NOT FIXED:  FIXED!  USERNAMES can no longer contain special characters besides "_" and "-".
    What?!?  This is a real surprise considering how many websites use a person's email address (with "@" and "." characters) as login names.  Beyond that, these characters are allowed in DNN 4.x (so why not in 5.x)?

    Read about it here:   http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?ID=9156&PROJID=2
     
    UPDATE (1-23-2009):  This issue will be fixed in 5.0.1 by rolling back changes to USERNAME validation code.  Many thanks to Charles Nurse for looking into this item and rolling back the code change pending further review.
     
     
  • NOT FIXED:  Non-admin users must have "EDIT" rights on "File Admin" module in order to upload files.
    Ok, so we go two steps forward in 5.0 by allowing ADMIN modules to be shared with any user role.  Now take one step back by forcing admins to grant module EDIT rights (which includes module DELETE rights, module PERMISSIONS rights, etc) to those users of "File Admin" in order to allow users to upload files.  Huh?  We allow users to upload in Text/HTML without full edit rights to the module itself -- why not in "File Admin"?  This "Must grant module EDIT permissions to allow UPLOAD"  situation is not (yet) recognized by the core team as being an issue (i.e., it's not an item in Gemini).
     
    Read related info here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9147&PROJID=2 
     
    CLARIFICATION (1/23/2009):   DNN9147 (the issue linked above) actually IS fixed for 5.0.1 (thanks to Alex Shirley for his comments pointing out this distinction).  However, DNN9147 deals with presenting a non-functional UPLOAD link to users without EDIT permissions on the File Admin module.  DNN9147 does not address admins being required to grant module EDIT permissions to users just to allow file uploads.  I therefore maintain that the "Must grant module EDIT permisions to UPLOAD" scenario is an unresolved design flaw of File Manager.
     
     
  • NOT FIXED:  Installing many core modules at once causes Installation Wizard timeout.
    There are no lasting problems caused by a timed-out wizard so count this as an annoyance.  I don't see this as a big problem but it's one that newcomers to DNN should be aware of.   To avoid this, simply install modules one-at-a-time instead of selecting a group to install at once.
     
    Read about it here:   http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=8493&PROJID=2
    ...and here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9010&PROJID=2

 
DNN 5.0 issues FIXED in 5.0.1
Now for the good news:  a lot of issues have been corrected in 5.0.1.  These are:

  • FIXED:  Cannot have pages with “sitemap” as part of the name.
    Reserved filenames (names that represent actual standalone DNN files) cannot be used as page names.  The bug here is that, while "SiteMap" cannot be used, "MySiteMap" should be allowed (but currently isn't).  Also not allowed are any names that include "ErrorPage", "Default" or "LinkClick".
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9211&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Cannot browse server files when attempting to insert an image using FckEditor.
    This was one of the more widely-noticed issues in the DNN 5.0 release as it affected every module using the FckEditor.   A simple path error in the XML-based manifest of the DNN 5.0 version of the 2.0.2 FckEditor distribution package resulted in a required DLL being defined as residing in a directory one level higher than its actual location.  
    Or, in lay terms, "oops"...
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=8716&PROJID=2
     
  • FIXED:  New portals cannot have added alias(es).
    A bug confuses portal ID values and prevents new portals from being assigned alias values.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9173&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Non-admins cannot use “Users and Roles” module to admin a user’s roles.
    A non-admin may now be given rights to use the "Users and Roles" module (hooray!) but is not allowed to actually manage roles for users.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9067&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  DNN5 skin packaged using DNN4 method will not install.
    This was almost too minor to include on my list of notables.  In short, if a skin designer creates a DNN5 skin but choses to package the skin using the DNN4 skin format, an installation error occurs.  I decided to include this in my list mainly as a warning to any skin designers reading the blog...
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9152&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  STORE core module cannot be installed.
    This one falls into the category of "inexcusable".  I mean, really, didn't anyone try installing each and every core module before making DNN 5.0 available?  We're just talking installing -- not even adding to a page -- just installing.  Really.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9105&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Skin designer cannot display skin tokens.
    Meh.  Another relatively minor bug (for a major new DNN release) that I mentioned for the skin designers.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9100&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Using “Search Google” option of DNN Search breaks skin in IE7 and IE8.
    Just as the description says.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9095&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Content pane names in skins are case-sensitive (breaks many existing skins).
    If you like to swap skins a lot then this one will interest you.  In order to see the issue you must have two skins that use the same pane name (like "RightPane") but use different letter casing (like "RightPane" versus "rightpane").  DNN 5.0 pays attention to letter casing (it should not do so).  Therefore, If you use one skin, add content to "RightPane", then switch to the other skin, DNN looks for and cannot find "RightPane" since it doesn't recognize "rightpane" as being the same name.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9068&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  “Human Friendly URL” option doesn’t fully support use of querystrings.
    If you enable "Human Friendly URLs" in "web.config", DNN 5.0 will support querystring values for root pages but not for child pages.  Of course, if you've used the "Human Friendly URLs" option in 4.x you're probably already used to unexpected issues so I put this one in the "no real surprise" issue category...
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9056&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Case-sensitive filename check causes issues in skin/container installer.
    Just as the description says.  Another heads-up for the skin designers...
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9030&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  “Portal Aliases” issue when upgrading from 4.x to 5.0.0
    The portal alias module code was moved in the DNN core.  When upgrading, all the old code and DB references must be properly removed/updated or else error(s) occur.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=9025&PROJID=2 
     
  • FIXED:  Skin installer does not allow “.RESX” filetypes despite RESX support in DNN5 skins.
    Allowed filetype upload during skin installation does not include ".RESX".  A complete surprise considering that skin support for "RESX"  files was an advertised feature of DNN5.
     
    Read more here:  http://support.dotnetnuke.com/issue/ViewIssue.aspx?id=8955&PROJID=2
      

UPDATE 2-17-2009:  DNN 5.0.1 is scheduled for release on 2-23-2009.  
 
That's it.  There are many, many more DNN5-related items tracked on Gemini but these are some of the bigger ones dealing with 5.0.0 (Cambrian release) and 5.0.1.  Please comment below if you feel I've missed something worth mentioning.
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Comments (8)   Add Comment
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1    By Alex on 1/23/2009 11:18 AM
Actually DNN9147 IS fixed :). NB the other two issues - There is nothing to say that these issues will or will not be fixed either for 5.0.1 - Nobody knows until the final release comes out. Thanks.
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1    By Charles on 1/23/2009 2:25 PM
Also I have rolled back the Regex validation on usernames pending a review
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1    By mamlin on 1/23/2009 3:20 PM
Alex- Thanks for the comments. I've updated my post to reflect the new status of DNN9156 and to make a distinction between DNN9147 and my (perceived) issue with user rights. I realize that the issue detailed in DNN9147 deals with incorrectly showing the UPLOAD option when it is not actually available to users without File Admin module EDIT rights (and that this oversight will be fixed in 5.0.1). The issue I pointed out in this blog entry is -not- that particular issue (though I linked to DNN9147 to provide additional relevant info on the topic). My issue and associated comments refer to the problem of having to grant full File Admin module EDIT rights just to allow a user to upload files to folders the user already has edit permissions for. I know this is not a bug -- it works that way by design and was fine in 4.x when File Admin was an ADMIN-only module but now that File Admin is available to non-admins it translates to a poor design. You should not have to grant more rights than needed to accomplish a task (not to mention that the additional rights required are themselves unrelated to the task of File Management). Admins should be able to grant users access to upload files via File Manager without also granting access to delete the File Admin module from the page, reassign the module's permissions, etc. _____________________________ Thanks again for pointing out that DNN9147 itself is addressed in 5.0.1 -- I've updated my list to reflect this distinction between DNN9147 and my own perceived issue with the File Admin upload rights.
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1    By mamlin on 1/23/2009 3:03 PM
Charles- Hooray! Thanks for looking into DNN9156 and reverting the change to USERNAME validation pending more review. I've updated the post to make clear that, with the code rollback, this is no longer an issue for the pending 5.0.1 release.
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1 (updated 1-23-2009)    By Robert Shevlin on 2/13/2009 10:07 AM
xmod 5.0 definitely will not function in DNN 5.0 when using upgrade . I havent tried a new installation
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1 (updated 1-23-2009)    By mamlin on 2/13/2009 10:34 AM
Robert- Thanks for the tip -- I hope all is well with you in Florida. Are you considering upgrading the 'compulink-usa.com' site to DNN5? XMOD version 5.1 was released on 2/15/2008 and so far the XMOD product description on Snowcovered and on the DNNDev site has not been updated with any mention of DNN5. I have posted a question via Snowcovered to DNNDev regarding XMOD 5.x and DNN5 -- hopefully that will be enough to get DNNDev to update the product description with the info. I'll comment with an update if/when I get a response. There IS a response to the same question on the DNNDev forums that states that XMOD versions 5.1 and earlier are NOT compatable with DNN5.x -- see this link: http://dnndev.com/Forums/tabid/215/forumid/1/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/23864/Default.aspx#23864
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1 (updated 1-23-2009)    By Natyhan Cruse on 5/29/2009 4:38 PM
For some reason I cannot install skins after my new DNN 5.0 upgrade. Error I am receving:___ DotNetNuke.Services.Exceptions.PageLoadException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. ____ System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at DotNetNuke.Services.Installer.Packages.PackageController.CanDeletePackage(PackageInfo package, PortalSettings portalSettings) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Admin.Extensions.Extensions.grdPackages_ItemDataBound(Object sender, DataGridItemEventArgs e) at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.OnItemDataBound(DataGridItemEventArgs e) at System.Web.UI.WebControls.DataGrid.CreateItem(Int32 itemIndex, Int32 dataSourceIndex, ListItemType itemType, Boolean dataBind, Object dataItem, DataGridColumn[] columns, TableRowCollection rows, PagedDataSource pagedDataSource) at .... ______ Any ideas?
Re: List of DNN 5.0 problems fixed (and not fixed) in DNN 5.0.1 (updated 1-23-2009)    By mamlin on 5/29/2009 4:50 PM
Natyhan- I can't determine from the error output alone what the issue may be other than the skin parser is not finding something it expected to find. Then again, I also can't profess to have much experience troubleshooting DNN5 skinning issues, yet. I recommend you post for help in the "Make It Hot" section of the community forums at the dotnetnuke.com website. You will want to include the error output as well as the following pieces of information: (1) What DNN version did you upgrade from? (2) What DNN version did you upgrade to? (3) Are you unable to upload/parse ALL skins or just a certain skin? (4) If just a certain skin is having an issue, which skin is it? Is the problem skin packaged as a DNN4 skin or as a DNN5 skin? ____ Sorry I couldn't provide more insight -- hopefully one of the forum's DNN5 skinning gurus can point you in the right direction. Good luck!

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