Ghost Release: 2.18.0

TL;DR

Ghost 2.18.0 Release

What's New: Ghost 2.18.0 introduces improved backup handling during migrations by adding timestamps to backup filenames, preventing overwrites when multiple migrations are run on the same day. It also fixes a critical bug from the 2.17 migration that incorrectly disabled private blogging features.

Why It Matters: The backup improvements ensure you'll never lose migration data, while the private blogging fix restores functionality for sites using this feature. Error handling for migrations has also been enhanced to provide clearer guidance when issues occur.

Who Should Care: This release is particularly important for Ghost site administrators who use private blogging features or perform frequent migrations/updates.

Highlight of the Release

• Added timestamps to backup filenames to prevent overwrites during migrations
• Fixed critical bug that disabled private blogging after 2.17 migration
• Improved error messages and handling for migrations

Migration Guide

Migration Notes

If you experienced issues with private blogging being disabled after updating to Ghost 2.17, this release will automatically fix the problem by:

1. Reading your most recent backup file
2. Restoring the is_private, amp, and force_i18n settings to 'true' if they were previously set to 'true' but are currently 'false'

No manual intervention is required to recover these settings.

Note: The Ghost team recommends using version 2.18.1 instead of 2.18.0 as indicated in the release description.

Upgrade Recommendations

Important: The Ghost team recommends upgrading directly to version 2.18.1 instead of this release (2.18.0).

For users currently on version 2.17.x, especially those using private blogging features, upgrading is highly recommended to restore any disabled functionality.

The upgrade process follows the standard Ghost update procedure:

1. Back up your Ghost installation
2. Follow the standard update process for your installation method (Ghost CLI, Docker, etc.)
3. Verify that private blogging and other settings are correctly restored after the update

Bug Fixes

Critical Bug Fixes

• Private Blogging Fix: Corrected an issue where the 2.17 migration incorrectly set is_private, amp, and force_i18n settings to 'false' when they should have been 'true'
• Automatic Recovery: The system now reads the most recent backup file and restores these settings to 'true' if they were incorrectly changed
• Migration Correction: The problematic migration has been amended to prevent this issue in future installations

New Features

Improved Backup System

• Timestamped Backup Files: Backup files now include timestamps in the format HH-mm-ss, ensuring each migration creates a unique backup file
• Prevents Data Loss: Multiple migrations run on the same day will no longer overwrite previous backup files

Enhanced Migration Error Handling

• Clearer Error Messages: Improved feedback during migrations to help troubleshoot issues
• Better Edge Case Handling: Instead of throwing errors for edge cases, the system now logs messages advising users to check their settings

Security Updates

No security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were mentioned in this release.

Impact Summary

This release addresses a significant bug that affected private blogging functionality in Ghost 2.17. Sites using private blogging features may have had this functionality unexpectedly disabled after the 2.17 migration. Ghost 2.18.0 automatically restores these settings by checking backup files and correcting the values.

Additionally, the improved backup system with timestamped filenames ensures that administrators can run multiple migrations without losing previous backup data, which is particularly valuable for troubleshooting and recovery scenarios.

The enhanced error handling during migrations provides clearer guidance when issues occur, reducing frustration and improving the update experience.

However, as noted in the release description, users should consider upgrading directly to version 2.18.1 instead of 2.18.0.

Full Release Notes