Updates and Version Management

Flatboard Team • 08/12/2025 • 6 min de lecture

Updates and Version Management

Version Information

Current Status

Flatboard 5 is a stable release.

Version numbering:

5.x.y — stable releases
Minor updates (5.0.x) contain bug fixes and small improvements
No data migration is required between minor versions of Flatboard 5

Compatibility Notice

Major Breaking Change

Flatboard 5 is a completely new major version and is not compatible with previous versions (Flatboard 3 and 4).

There is no backward compatibility
Existing v3/v4 installations cannot be upgraded directly
Plugins and themes from earlier versions will not work

Flatboard 5 must be treated as a standalone release and requires a fresh installation.

Architecture Information

Flatboard 5 is a complete refactoring of the forum software with a new architecture:

New MVC Architecture — Completely rewritten codebase
Different Storage Structure — New JSON/SQLite storage format
Incompatible Plugins — Plugins from v3/v4 don't work
Incompatible Themes — Themes from v3/v4 don't work

Edition Information

Community and Pro Editions

Flatboard 5 is available in two editions:

Community Edition — Free, includes JSON storage and core features
Pro Edition — €49 one-time payment, includes SQLite storage, premium plugins, premium themes, and priority support

Both editions are open source under GPL3.

Updating Flatboard 5

Local Update System (since 5.2.1) — Recommended

Recommended Update Method

The local update system is the recommended way to update Flatboard. It is fast, requires no FTP or shell access, automatically backs up your data before applying any changes, and intelligently merges configuration files — preserving your existing settings while introducing new keys added in the new version.

Starting with Flatboard 5.2.1, you can update Flatboard directly from the admin panel without FTP or shell access:

Download the update archive from the resource manager (Community or Pro edition)
Upload the archive via Admin Panel > Tools > Backups — the system automatically detects update archives and routes them to admin/updates
Apply the update from Admin Panel > Tools > Updates — click the Update button on the available archive card

Automatic Backup Before Update

The local update system automatically creates a full backup of your installation before applying any file changes. You do not need to create a manual backup first — the process is safe by design. The backup is stored in stockage/backups/ and can be restored from Admin Panel > Tools > Backups if needed.

The update is applied in 5 steps (verify → backup → extract → deploy → cleanup). Protected paths (stockage/, uploads/, .env, .htaccess) are never overwritten during deployment.

Updating Plugins and Themes (since 5.3.7)

Starting with 5.3.7, Flatboard checks for available updates on all plugins and themes that declare an update_url in their plugin.json / theme.json. Results are cached for 1 hour.

Available plugin and theme updates are listed directly in Admin Panel > Tools > Updates, alongside the core update — with the current version, the latest available version, and a link to the changelog. The sidebar badge shows the total count of pending updates (core + plugins + themes).

Third-party resources

Plugins and themes from unofficial (third-party) sources display a prominent warning in the updates page. Only install updates from sources you trust.

Official plugins (EasyMDE, Logger, FlatHome, FlatModerationExtend, FlatSEO, ForumMonitoring, PrivateMessaging, StorageMigrator, TUIEditor) and the Premium theme are covered automatically — no configuration required.

To apply a plugin or theme update, download the archive from the resource page and use the local update system (upload via Backups, then apply from Updates).

Manual Update

For minor version updates (e.g., 5.2.3 to 5.2.4):

Backup — Create a backup before updating
Download — Get latest version
Replace Files — Replace files (keep stockage/ and uploads/)
Clear Cache — Clear cache after update
Test — Test functionality

Always Backup Before Updating

Before updating Flatboard 5, always create a backup using the built-in backup feature. This ensures you can restore your data if something goes wrong during the update.

Creating a Backup Before Update:

Go to Admin Panel > Tools > Backups
Click "Create Backup"
Select what to include (recommended: select all options for a full backup):
- ✅ Configuration — System settings
- ✅ Data — All user data (users, discussions, posts, etc.)
- ✅ Uploads — User-uploaded files (avatars, attachments, images)
- ⬜ Logs — System logs (optional)
- ⬜ Cache — Cache files (optional, can be regenerated)
- ⬜ Plugins — Installed plugins (optional, can be reinstalled)
- ⬜ Themes — Installed themes (optional, can be reinstalled)
Click "Create" and wait for the backup to complete
Download the backup file by clicking the download icon (⬇️) next to the backup
Save the backup file (backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.zip) to a safe location on your computer

This backup can be restored after updating files if needed. See the Backup Guide for more details.

Update Process

Step 1: Create Backup

Using Admin Panel (Recommended):

Navigate to Admin Panel > Tools > Backups
Click "Create Backup"
Select backup options (recommended: select all for full backup)
Wait for backup to complete
Download the backup file by clicking the download icon (⬇️) next to the backup
Save the backup file (backup_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.zip) to your computer

Step 2: Download Latest Version

Download the latest version from the official resources page:

Download Page: https://flatboard.org/resources/flatboard
Pro Edition: Download Flatboard_Pro.zip
Community Edition: Download Flatboard_Community.zip

Step 3: Replace Files

Replace application files while preserving your data:

# Backup current installation (if not done via admin panel)
tar -czf backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz .

# Extract new version to temporary directory
unzip Flatboard_Pro.zip -d flatboard-new/  # or Flatboard_Community.zip

# Replace files (keep data directories)
cp -r flatboard-new/app/* app/
cp -r flatboard-new/public/* public/
cp -r flatboard-new/themes/* themes/
cp -r flatboard-new/plugins/* plugins/
cp -r flatboard-new/vendor/* vendor/ 2>/dev/null || true

# DO NOT overwrite these directories:
# - stockage/ (contains your data and configuration)
# - uploads/ (contains user uploads)

# Clean up
rm -rf flatboard-new/

Step 4: Clear Cache

After updating, clear the cache:

# Clear cache via CLI
php app/Cli/console.php cache:clear

# Or via Admin Panel
# Go to Admin Panel > Tools > Cache > Clear Cache

Step 5: Verify Update

Check Version — Verify version in Admin Panel
Test Functionality — Test key features
Check Logs — Review error logs for issues
Test Plugins — Verify plugins still work
Test Themes — Verify themes still work

Future Migration Support

Migration tools and detailed procedures will be provided when Flatboard 5 reaches stable release. For now:

Flatboard 5 requires a fresh installation
Data migration will be supported in future releases
Both Community and Pro editions are available for new installations

Resources

Installation Guide — Fresh installation
Getting Started — Setup guide
Backup Guide — Backup and restore procedures
Troubleshooting — Common issues
Official Support — Get help

Last updated: March 28, 2026