Drupal Release: 8.7.13

TL;DR

Drupal 8.7.13: Critical Update for Entity Revision and Update Path Fixes

This maintenance release addresses several critical issues affecting update paths from Drupal 8.6 to 8.7, particularly focusing on entity revision handling and compatibility fixes. The release resolves problems with taxonomy terms and menu link content entities during updates, fixes issues with non-revisionable to revisionable entity type conversions, and repairs a critical bug in the update compatibility function that could leave sites in an unrecoverable state. This is an important update for all Drupal 8.7.x sites, especially those planning to upgrade from earlier versions.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed critical update path from Drupal 8.6 to 8.7 that previously failed due to corrupt menu_link_content or taxonomy_term entity data
• Resolved issue with update_fix_compatibility() function that could leave sites in an unrecoverable state
• Fixed problems with converting non-revisionable entity types to revisionable when they have fields in dedicated tables
• Improved handling of taxonomy terms and menu link content without default translations during updates

Migration Guide

No specific migration steps are required for this maintenance release. However, site administrators should note:

1. If you've been holding off on updating from Drupal 8.6 to 8.7 due to the known issues with taxonomy terms or menu link content, you can now proceed with the update.

2. If you've implemented workarounds for any of the fixed issues, you may want to review and potentially remove those workarounds after updating to 8.7.13.

3. As with any update, it's recommended to:

   • Back up your database and files before updating
   • Run update.php after updating code
   • Clear caches and test your site thoroughly after the update

Upgrade Recommendations

This is a highly recommended update for all sites running Drupal 8.7.x, especially for:

• Sites still running Drupal 8.6.x that have been unable to update due to the fixed issues
• Sites that have experienced or are concerned about entity revision handling problems
• Sites with multilingual content using taxonomy terms or menu link content

The fixes in this release address critical issues that could prevent successful updates or leave sites in an unrecoverable state. As these are stability and compatibility fixes rather than new features, the update should be relatively low-risk for most sites.

For sites already on Drupal 8.7.12 or earlier in the 8.7.x branch, updating to 8.7.13 is straightforward and should be performed during your next maintenance window.

Bug Fixes

Critical Bug Fixes

• Update Path Corruption Fix: Resolved issue #3052318 where updates from Drupal 8.6 to 8.7 would fail due to corrupt menu_link_content or taxonomy_term entity data.

• Entity Revision Handling: Fixed issue #3056539 where updating an entity type from non-revisionable to revisionable would fail if it had non-revisionable fields stored in dedicated tables.

• Multilingual Entity Updates: Addressed issue #3056543 where taxonomy_post_update_make_taxonomy_term_revisionable() and the menu link content equivalent would fail when entities had no default translation.

• Update Compatibility Function: Fixed issue #2917600 with update_fix_compatibility() function that could put sites into an unrecoverable state during updates.

• Testing Environment: Resolved issue #3101720 where HEAD was broken due to required updates for Prophecy 1.10.0.

• PHP 5 Compatibility: Fixed issue #3122742 to ensure PHP 5 tests work correctly on the 8.7.x branch.

New Features

No significant new features were added in this maintenance release. Drupal 8.7.13 focuses on bug fixes and stability improvements to address critical issues affecting update paths and entity handling.

Security Updates

While not explicitly labeled as security fixes, this release addresses several critical issues that could potentially leave sites in an unrecoverable state or cause data corruption during updates. These fixes help maintain the integrity and stability of Drupal sites, which indirectly improves security by ensuring systems remain updatable and maintainable.

Performance Improvements

This maintenance release does not include specific performance improvements. The focus was on fixing critical bugs related to update paths and entity handling rather than performance enhancements.

Impact Summary

Drupal 8.7.13 is a maintenance release that addresses several critical issues affecting update paths and entity handling. The most significant impact is for sites upgrading from Drupal 8.6 to 8.7, which previously could encounter failures due to corrupt entity data or problems with revisionable entities.

The fixes for entity revision handling improve stability when working with taxonomy terms and menu link content, particularly in multilingual sites. The update_fix_compatibility() function fix prevents sites from entering an unrecoverable state during updates.

This release doesn't introduce new features or change existing functionality, so the risk of regressions is minimal. The primary benefit is increased stability and reliability of update paths, which is crucial for maintaining secure and up-to-date Drupal installations.

For developers, the fixes related to Prophecy 1.10.0 compatibility and PHP 5 testing environments improve the development experience and ensure better code quality through more reliable testing.