vBulletin LTS

Q. Does vBulletin LTS contain any changes or new features?
A. vBulletin LTS only fixes bugs and incompatibilities with the current environment. No changes are made to the standard functionality of vBulletin. No new features are added. It's absolutely the same vBulletin, but it works with the latest versions of PHP and databases.

Q. What is the difference between vBulletin LTS updates and other updates "vBulletin with php 8"?
A. vBulletin LTS updates are very different from other updates. In fact, the difference is huge. I actually fix all the bugs and incompatibilities between vBulletin and current versions of PHP and databases, not just hide some warnings displayed on the main forum pages.
And most importantly: I don't introduce new bugs into the vBulletin source code, which, unfortunately, is often the case with updates made by enthusiasts.

В. When will the next version of vBulletin LTS be released?
О. Usually the next vBulletin LTS release comes after a major php update. There is no version race “added a letter in the code and released a new release” in the LTS project and will not happen. The absolute priority is only the safety and quality of the code. Stay tuned for more news.

В. Did you use "artificial intelligence" ("AI") while working on the LTS version?
О. No. All testing and code fixes are (and will continue to be) performed solely by human. There will never be any "AI" generated code in vBulletin LTS.

В. Did you use any specialized tools for analyzing and refactoring php code while working on the LTS version?
О. No. However, at the request of a client, I conducted a special test of vBulletin LTS using a popular php code refactoring system. The automated system failed to detect any php 8 compatibility issues in a couple of vBulletin php files from which 40 fixes, originally implemented as part of the LTS project, had been intentionally removed for the sake of the test. That is all you need to know about automated php refactoring systems.

Q. What is the plan for upgrading my forum to vBulletin LTS?
A. A detailed upgrade plan is developed after a preliminary review of your site and forum. In general, a forum upgrade plan includes the following main stages:

1. Study your forum environment: server configuration, PHP version, forum version, presence and assessment of the volume of custom modifications to the forum source code, presence and number of third-party plugins, assessment of the plugin code size and its state, presence and volume of modified styles (templates), etc.
2. Prepare a special vBulletin LTS update for your forum, incorporating all changes to your forum source code.
3. Deploy a full copy of the forum on your dedicated test/debug server, where all non-standard elements of your forum (custom modifications, plugins, styles, languages, etc.) will be tested and fixed for compatibility with the last version of PHP.
4. Update the forum on the test server to the current version of vBulletin LTS.
5. Test and debug all custom elements of your forum at the test server with last PHP version: changes to vBulletin source files, styles (templates), languages, and third-party plugins.
6. Installing the latest vBulletin LTS update on the main production forum and updating the fixed plugins, styles, and languages ​​on the main forum. Finishing debugging the main forum in the production environment.

Q. Can I get the latest official releases of vBulletin 3.8.11 and 4.2.5 here?
A. No. I do not distrubute any official vBulletin releases. I provide LTS support for the vBulletin forums.

Q. I have a vBulletin with heavily modified source files. Is it possible to apply the vBulletin LTS update to my forum?
A. Yes, it is possible. See the answer to the question about the upgrade plan.

Q. Is there a demo of the vBulletin LTS forum?
A. Yes, see Demo section.

Q. Are the vBulletin plugins featured on the site compatible with PHP 8?
A. The PHP 8 support status is indicated on each plugin's page.

Q. Do I need to have a vBulletin license to get LTS updates?
A. I welcome the using of licensed software, but I cannot verify that you have a valid vBulletin license.

Q. What vBulletin versions is supported by LTS?
A. LTS support can be provided for the latest official releases of vBulletin 3 (3.8.11) and vBulletin 4 (4.2.5). If you are using any of the previous versions, you have to upgrade the forum to the latest official release. LTS support can also be provided for the forums with unofficial updates installed over the last official releases.

В. Is it possible to apply the LTS update to a forum that already has some other third-party vBulletin update installed?
О. Yes. But we need to first check the compatibility of LTS update with your forum.

Q. Are LTS updates enough for my forum to work on new php versions?
A. Yes. But If your forum has installed third party plugins for vBulletin and/or has changes to the standard vBulletin templates, it may be necessary to fix third party plugins or modified templates. A list of installed plugins and modified default templates can be viewed in the vBulletin admin console.

Q. Can I get the fixes from LTS for my forum templates and third party plugins that are incompatible with the version of php/database installed?
A. Yes.

Q. How do you develop vBulletin LTS for new php versions?
A. I test all the forum functions in all modes (there are a lot of them) using the latest version of PHP. Then I fix all levels' errors and warnings. And then I perform regression testing to verify the changes.

В. I found a bug in vBulletin LTS, what should I do?
О. Write me email. Bugs are usually fixed within a few minutes or hours.

Q. How can I get vBulletin LTS support?
A. Write me the email with url of your forum.