iQuest Studios

From some of the emails I received from users, it seems that a few of you guys are confused over the many versions of Advanced Login System. Given my naming inconsistency, I suppose it is only expected. So here’s a post about the various versions of Advanced Login System that were released since I started the project.

ALS v0.01B aka First Beta Series
The very first release of Advanced Login System. Very buggy and a few incomplete features as it was released in a rush. I can’t find a copy of the file anywhere anymore. As far as I remember, this version was released in mid-late 2005 and there were no updates or patches to the first beta series. I no longer provide downloads and support for the first beta series.

ALS v0.02B aka Second Beta Series
The first build of the second Beta series was released in 2006. However, I don’t think there was a Build number given to it. The first build contains mainly configuration options for the site admin, brute force protection and the ability to for users to change and reset their passwords. Visible difference between the second beta series and the third beta series is that the background color of the CAPTCHA in v0.02 is always white and does not change, while that in the third Beta series is a dynamic one. Other main difference is the use of cookies for brute force protection, and the use of hidden form elements for CAPTCHA validation, both of which are highly insecure and replaced with better security in the third Beta series following a revamp of the core engine in that series.

There was a security patch for the second Beta, released on 20th July 2007, which fixes a critical security loophole where an unauthorized user can add new users when the site admin disabled user registration. This patch was released together with a similar patch for the third Beta series. Sometimes I refer to the patched version as v0.02.1.

Both the original build and the security patch can be downloaded from the products and services page.

ALS v0.03B aka the Third Beta Series
Preview 1
This is where the versions and release builds start to get complicated. I released the first preview of the third Beta series on 24th May 2007, following a core engine revamp. The revamp includes migration from cookies to database entries for brute force protection. The CAPTCHA image validation system has also been revamped, migrating from the use of hidden form elements to a more secure session cookies to store the CAPTCHA number. The build number given in the readme file is 20070524, and it says v0.03 Beta (Preview), though now I mostly refer to it as Preview 1, as it is the first Preview.

There was only 1 build, but there was also the security patch as mentioned under the second Beta series. Again, sometimes updated systems are sometimes referred to as v0.03.1

The first preview can also be downloaded off my products page. However, please patch the system before using.

Preview 2
The second Preview series currently includes 3 builds. The very first Build in the series is 20071010, as shown in the documentation. However, in the update file, it is known as 20071009. Apparently I forgot to update that file before releasing. Preview 2 Builds are very easy to tell apart. Firstly, they have encrypted code, a measure against copyright violation issues. Secondly, it is very easy to tell them apart from other releases of ALS as they have a completely different look, thanks to the new themes feature introduced in this Preview series. Other major changes include language files and development commands, though these features are not very well documented yet. The first release is also known as v0.03B Final Build 20071010, or v0.03B Preview 2 Build 20071010.

The second build of the series is given the Build number of 20071013. It includes a few minor bug and security fixes, as well as a new development feature, which is the dynamic theme switcher, which makes it easier for theme developers to preview their new themes. The build number can be found in the config file. (instead of the update file as with Build 20071010) This build is only downloadable as an update to the 20071010 build.

The third build of the series is given the Build number of 20071117, and is still under development. This build includes SQL injection protection, tweaking of the update file to improve loading times, usage of true md5 hashes for CAPTCHA image validation and a few minor new features. This is supposed to be the final build before the Final release of the third Beta series.

With the exception of the 20071117 build, which is still under development, the rest of the Preview 2 series can be downloaded from the products page. However, you would need Zend Optimizer installed on your server to run these scripts. If you cannot run these scripts, or you wish to take a look into the source code, the source code can be purchased for USD$20. Please contact me for details.

In conclusion, anything with a build number above 20071010 is part of the Preview 2 series. As for the other series, there should only be 1 build. (excluding any security patches). Well, I hope that clarifies some of your queries.

Off-topic: Holidays present a really good time to read some nice books. The latest Alex Rider book, the Snakehead, makes a good read. So does the Original Of Species by Charles Darwin. Freakonomics was also good.

Oh, and the bike company fixed my bike. Replaced the spoke and also changed the ball bearings. Great, now I can get into accidents again.

Till next time,
cheers

Tags: Advanced Login System, Alex Rider, ball bearings, Beta, Bike, books, Build 20071117, Charles Darwin, fixed, Freaknomics, free, login, Original of Species, PHP, scripts, Snakehead, spoke, wheel