What does LTS mean?
LTS stands for Long Term Support. This in turn means that LTS versions are supported longer than normal versions with security updates and bug fixes. Version 4.5 was the first LTS version and was released in January 2011. While earlier TYPO3 versions such as 4.6, 4.7, 6.0 or 6.1 are usually only supported with security updates and bug fixes for 1-1.5 years, the period for an LTS version is at least 3 years.
During this time, only a limited number of new functions have been incorporated into 4.5, but bugs and security gaps have always been fixed promptly. The current Extended Long Term Support version is 11.5.43, 10.4.49 und 9.5.50, which means that 41 updates have already been published since the release of 4.5.0.
The LTS concept is also known from certain Linux distributions such as Ubuntu.
What are the benefits of an LTS version?
Users who value stability and security benefit from an LTS version. LTS is used to a large extent in the corporate environment, where the stability of the website is an important factor. Updates are usually possible without any problems and in a short time, and the website is built on a robust foundation.
Users who value the latest versions and features, on the other hand, are less likely to opt for an LTS version or will not stay with the LTS version for the full 3 years.
Why should you upgrade?
You may be wondering why you should carry out this upgrade, even though your website has been running for years without any problems.
As mentioned above, support for version 4.5 ends in March 2015, after which there will be no more updates. This means that bugs and security vulnerabilities that are discovered after this date will no longer be fixed. And this in turn can be a crucial problem for the security of your website. Websites are constantly under attack from hackers.
And this doesn't just affect large companies.
As many of these attacks are completely automated, even the small website of the master baker Mustermann from Buxtehude can be the target of an attack.
And if, for example, the website of an online store is unavailable for several days because it has been hacked, this can mean enormous financial damage for the operator!
Another point is the further development of web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. New versions of these programs are also constantly being released. The new versions bring new features, but outdated technologies are also constantly being removed. This can lead to the backend of TYPO3 4.5 no longer being usable with modern browsers at some point.
It is therefore important to always keep the software up to date.
What distinguishes the upgrade from 4.5 to 6.2 from other upgrades?
TYPO3 4.5 was released in January 2011 and a lot has changed in TYPO3 since then. These changes are not even necessarily all visible in the daily work with TYPO3. The front end of the site, i.e. what visitors to the website see, has not changed. The changes in the backend of TYPO3 are also minor at first glance. This means that anyone who has worked with TYPO3 4.5 will immediately find their way around TYPO3 6.2.
However, a lot has changed "under the hood". Programming techniques have evolved in recent years, and this development has also been incorporated into the programming of the TYPO3 core. Much of the code has changed fundamentally.
These changes mean, for example, that many TYPO3 extensions used in version 4.5 do not (yet) work with the new version 6.2. Most extensions have to be adapted for 6.2. And for the most popular extensions, this has already been done or will be done soon.
The problem here are extensions that are no longer being developed further. There is always the situation that the further development of an extension is discontinued for various reasons. And if such an extension is used in TYPO 4.5, it may no longer work with 6.2.
Extensions that you have written yourself can also become a problem. Suppose you have programmed an extension yourself or have had a special extension programmed by an agency/freelancer. Then you or the agency must ensure that this extension still works with TYPO3 6.2.
It is also relatively common for extensions from the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER) to have been adapted, i.e. the original code has been changed. With a simple update of the extension, these changes would of course be lost. In this case, the person who made these changes must also ensure compatibility with TYPO3 6.2.
In TYPO3 4.5, for example, it was also relatively easy to integrate your own PHP code into TYPO3. This is no longer possible with 6.2. So if you use special PHP scripts, you basically have to "convert" them into a TYPO3 extension. This may also involve a great deal of effort.
When you see all these points, you inevitably come to the conclusion that perhaps not every website can be updated. You have to be aware of this.
If it's all so complicated, what has LTS done for me?
Some people may be asking themselves this question now. However, you should bear in mind that you have had relatively little work to do with website maintenance for 3-4 years. Now it's time for a major maintenance check. It's similar to a car that hasn't been in the garage for 3 years. At some point you can no longer avoid repairing things or replacing wearing parts. Which is of course associated with costs.
How should I perform the upgrade?
The first and most important tip: never perform the upgrade on the original site!
Always create a copy of the complete website and carry out the upgrade on this copy. After a successful upgrade, you can then continue to use the copy. We have described how to create a copy in a video tutorial.
All subsequent work is then carried out on the copy. The original website will continue to run unaffected during this time, and visitors to your website will not notice anything.
The first step, however, is a website check.
Check all extensions used. Are there updated versions compatible with 6.2? Do you use extensions that you have programmed yourself? Have extensions from the repository been modified by you or an agency? Can you or the programmer/agency adapt these extensions to TYPO3 6.2?
Uninstall and delete extensions that you no longer need. For the other extensions, check in the TER whether a TYPO3 6.2-compatible extension already exists. You can update these.
To check the remaining extensions, you can install the Smooth Migration extension. This checks all installed extensions and provides information on where and what needs to be changed in the extensions. Sometimes it is only a few lines of code, but sometimes it can also be extensive changes.
Then you can try to replace the TYPO3 core and run the upgrade wizard. You can then update all extensions in TYPO3 6.2 to the latest version, if necessary.
If you use the Digital Asset Management (DAM) extensions, you must migrate the data from DAM to the new file management of TYPO3 6.2 using the additional extension dam_falmigration. DAM will no longer be developed further and will be replaced by the FAL system extension in TYPO3 6.2. This means that additional functions that were previously retrofitted with DAM will be an integral part of TYPO3's internal functions from 6.2 onwards.
At TYPO3camp Berlin 2014, we showed in a session how to carry out the upgrade and what needs to be considered. You can download the slides as a PDF here.