Drupal Release: 4.6.4

TL;DR

Drupal 4.6.4 is a maintenance release that addresses numerous bugs and compatibility issues, particularly focusing on PostgreSQL database support, XML-RPC functionality, and various module fixes. This release improves stability and security without introducing new features, making it an important update for all Drupal 4.6.x sites.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed PostgreSQL compatibility issues across multiple versions including PostgreSQL 8.x
• Improved XML-RPC functionality and BlogAPI module for better third-party integration
• Enhanced security by properly cleaning up user sessions when users are deleted
• Fixed forum topic preservation when vocabularies are deleted
• Improved RSS enclosures with absolute URLs for better compatibility

Migration Guide

No specific migration steps are required for this maintenance release. Simply update your Drupal 4.6.3 installation to 4.6.4 following the standard Drupal update procedure:

1. Back up your database and site files
2. Put your site into maintenance mode
3. Replace the existing files with the new 4.6.4 files
4. Run the update script by visiting update.php in your browser
5. Take your site out of maintenance mode

No database schema changes are included in this release, making it a straightforward update.

Upgrade Recommendations

This release is highly recommended for all Drupal 4.6.x sites, especially those:

• Running on PostgreSQL databases
• Using XML-RPC or BlogAPI functionality
• With active forum communities
• Concerned about security best practices

The fixes in this release address important compatibility issues and security improvements. Since this is a maintenance release with no new features or API changes, the upgrade process should be straightforward with minimal risk of breaking existing functionality.

Bug Fixes

Database Fixes

• Fixed incorrect order of PostgreSQL statements (#28986)
• Fixed bug in PostgreSQL upgrade path (#14928)
• Fixed SQL query problem on PostgreSQL 8 (#35061)
• Made prefix.sh work with PostgreSQL by properly prefixing indices (#37589)
• Fixed SQL query that was not compatible with PostgreSQL (#12071)
• Fixed clash between greatest() functions from Drupal and PostgreSQL 8.1 (#37383)
• Fixed non-PostgreSQL compliant ORDER BY queries

Module Fixes

• Fixed broken link in contact module help (#28728)
• Fixed issue where forum topics would be lost when vocabulary is deleted (#29133)
• Fixed broken link in help text (#21658)
• Fixed comment form display issues (#39494)
• Respected weighting in profile browse pages (#37956)

XML-RPC and BlogAPI Fixes

• Fixed typo in XML-RPC backend (#33555)
• Made BlogAPI autodiscovery (RSD) work with Flock (#34749)
• Fixed xmlrpc_value_calculate_type() for empty arrays (#34214)
• Various BlogAPI module fixes (#36079)
• Fixed problem with methodHelp in XML-RPC (#37400)

Other Fixes

• Added missing quotes (#28871)
• Added $ tags to all files (#28482)
• Fixed PHP5 warnings (#26033)
• Made RSS enclosures use absolute URLs to work around broken RSS parsers (#21924)
• Fixed incorrect use of drupal_goto() (#36727)
• Fixed mbstring clash (#11758)
• Fixed code warnings in filter.module (#39362)
• Removed valid_input_check()
• Fixed bug with checking for .txt files
• Improved protocol whitelist code

New Features

No new features were introduced in this maintenance release. Drupal 4.6.4 focuses entirely on bug fixes, security improvements, and compatibility enhancements to the existing 4.6.x codebase.

Security Updates

Security Improvements

• Properly deleting user sessions when users are deleted (#31341), preventing potential session hijacking
• Improved protocol whitelist code to better validate URLs
• HTTP header fixes backported from newer versions
• Removed valid_input_check() function in favor of more secure validation methods
• Better input sanitization in various modules

Performance Improvements

While this release doesn't include specific performance-focused improvements, several of the bug fixes may indirectly improve performance:

• Fixed PostgreSQL query issues that could cause inefficient database operations
• Improved code quality by fixing PHP5 warnings and removing unnecessary functions
• Better handling of sessions with proper cleanup when users are deleted, reducing database bloat

Impact Summary

Drupal 4.6.4 is primarily a bugfix and compatibility release that addresses numerous issues across the codebase. The most significant improvements are in PostgreSQL database support, fixing several queries that were causing problems with PostgreSQL 8.x. XML-RPC and BlogAPI functionality also received substantial attention, improving integration with external publishing tools like Flock.

Security is enhanced through proper session cleanup when users are deleted and improved URL validation. Forum administrators will benefit from the fix preventing forum topics from being lost when vocabularies are deleted.

While this release doesn't introduce new features, it significantly improves the stability and reliability of Drupal 4.6.x installations, particularly for sites using PostgreSQL databases or relying on external content publishing tools.