Who is Switching to Wordpress 5.0?

[JoyHawkins]

I don't think anyone has started a discussion on this yet so I wanted to. We had a client whose site automatically updated to Wordpress 5.0 and it completely screwed up the backend of his site. Basically half his content couldn't be edited on the backend for most of the pages I looked at. All the custom content blocks that normally were there in the editor just completely vanished. His hosting company said the update messed with his core and reverted it back to the previous version.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

 

[CodefixerCorey]

I've heard it mentioned quite a lot, as well as having a few small issues internally. The best way to manage this is to wait out the storm, allow all of your themes and plugins to get some updates in the meantime until they're compatible, then roll out the update.

Never want to be an early adopter in these kinds of things, you're very much the canary in the mine!

 

[djbaxter]

I have several sites (10 to 15) that automatically updated to WordPress 5, quickly followed by 5.01 and 5.02. No issues on any of them.

Maintenance and Security Releases

Version 5.0.1 addressed some security issues. For more information, see the release notes.

Version 5.0.2 addressed 73 bugs. For more information, see the release notes.

However, I already had installed one of the "anti-Gutenberg" plugins to keep the classic Wordpress editor.

My guess is that rather than reverting to pre-5.x, installing one of the plugins to revert to the classic editor would fix the issues.

1. Classic Editor
By WordPress Contributors

Classic Editor is an official plugin maintained by the WordPress team that restores the previous (“classic”) WordPress editor and the “Edit Post” screen. It makes it possible to use plugins that extend that screen, add old-style meta boxes, or otherwise depend on the previous editor.

Classic Editor is an official WordPress plugin, and will be fully supported and maintained until at least 2022, or as long as is necessary.

At a glance, this plugin adds the following:

• Administrators can select the default editor for all users.
• Administrators can allow users to change their default editor.
• When allowed, the users can choose which editor to use for each post.
• Each post opens in the last editor used regardless of who edited it last. This is important for maintaining a consistent experience when editing content.

In addition, the Classic Editor plugin includes several filters that let other plugins control the settings, and the editor choice per post and per post type.

By default, this plugin hides all functionality available in the new Block Editor (“Gutenberg”).

2. Disable Gutenberg
By Jeff Starr

This plugin disables the new Gutenberg Editor (aka Block Editor) and replaces it with the Classic Editor. You can disable Gutenberg completely, or selectively disable for posts, pages, roles, post types, and theme templates. Plus you can hide the Gutenberg nag, menu item, and more!

The all-in-one, COMPLETE solution for handling Gutenberg.​

Hide ALL traces of Gutenberg and replace with the Classic Editor. Restores the original Edit Post screen (TinyMCE, meta boxes, et al).​

The Disable Gutenberg plugin restores the classic (original) WordPress editor and the “Edit Post” screen. So you can continue using plugins and theme functions that extend the Classic Editor. Supports awesome features like Meta Boxes, Quicktags, Custom Fields, and everything else the Classic Editor can do. Does not “expire” in 2022!

Easy to Use
Just activate and done! The default plugin settings are configured to hide all traces of the Gutenberg Block Editor, and fully restore the original Classic Editor. Further options for customizing when/where Gutenberg is enabled are available in the plugin settings.

Options

• Disable Gutenberg completely (all post types)
• Disable Gutenberg for any post type
• Disable Gutenberg for any user role
• Disable Gutenberg for any theme template
• Disable Gutenberg for any post/page IDs
• Disable Gutenberg admin notice (nag)
• Option to hide the plugin menu item
• Option to hide the Gutenberg plugin menu item (settings link)
• Adds “Classic Editor” link to each post on the Posts screen
• Adds item to the WP sidebar menu: “Add New (Classic)”
• NEW! Option to enable Custom Fields Meta Box for ACF
• NEW! Choose which editor to use for each post
• NEW! Whitelist any post title, slug, or ID
• NEW! Option to disables frontend Gutenberg stylesheet

Works same way as Classic Editor plugin, but can do a LOT more!
Lightweight and super fast, built with the WP API

Fully configurable, enable or disable Gutenberg and restore the Classic Editor wherever is necessary.

Automatically replaces Gutenberg with the Classic Editor.

Features

• Super simple
• Clean, secure code
• Built with the WordPress API
• Lightweight, fast and flexible
• Regularly updated and “future proof”
• Works great with other WordPress plugins
• Plugin options configurable via settings screen
• Focused on flexibility, performance, and security
• One-click restore plugin default options
• Translation ready

Super light & fast plugin, super easy on server resources!

 

[Phil Rozek]

@JoyHawkins, my experience has been similar to that of @CodefixerCorey and @djbaxter. I've had no issues in upgrading to 5.0 and subsequent versions, other than the horrendous Gutenberg editor. The Classic Editor plugin has been excellent, though, in cases where we've installed it. As (I'm sure you know, that allows you to use WP 5.0 versions, but not have to use God-awful Gutenberg.)

 

[Tim Colling]

Never want to be an early adopter in these kinds of things, you're very much the canary in the mine!

Somewhat like one of my favorite sayings, that there is no way I want to be a pioneer with new versions because you know what happens to pioneers in the movies: they end up face down dead in the mud with arrows in their backs.

 

[Tim Colling]

Here's my answer to the question.

I have almost all of my clients' websites hosted and managed by us at WPEngine. I have marked all of them as "do not update" there. I would never take the "point oh" release of a new version anyway, I would always wait until two ore more point releases have been issued to address the bugs that are always present in new releases.

I am very slowly, carefully, updating my sites and my clients' sites over to 5.02 now, but only doing it manually and testing manually afterward. In all cases we are ignoring Gutenberg but we're not

We charge clients monthly for maintenance and this sort of thing is how we earn those fees.

So far we have not found any client sites that cannot handle the change to 5.0.2, but we install and activate the "classic" editor on them, so that may be protecting us from problems. Also, most of our clients are running sites that we built for them, and most of the sites that we build are built on top of the Genesis framework. That might also be helping to keep us out of trouble.

Does that help?

 

[djbaxter]

The problem is not WordPress 5.x (unless you're using very outdated plgins or themes). The problem is Gutenberg.

 

[Rich Owings]

This is from a developer pal of mine:

It has been two weeks of hell since 5.0 came out. My life has been slipping away with more than 5000% increase in support time on plugins that are breaking everything with their updates that don't work on 4.9.9.

 

[djbaxter]

It has been two weeks of hell since 5.0 came out. My life has been slipping away with more than 5000% increase in support time on plugins that are breaking everything with their updates that don't work on 4.9.9.

I sympathize but all that could have been avoided had he just kept his plugins up to date. All developers should have known that 5.0 was coming for months (indeed the official release date was delayed twice at least; it would originally have been a couple of months ago if memory serves) and he could have had access to multiple alpha and beta versions to prepare for this. Most WordPress plugin coders did that and avoided what your friend is facing now,

When the Xenforo forum software is working on version 2, and again now that's it's working on 2.1, add-on developers have already released new versions for 2.1 compatibility.

Bottom line: pay attention to product news if you're a developer and don't put it off until the last moment.

 

[Rich Owings]

That probably wasn't clear. What she was saying was that plugins that were updated to work on 5.0 broke on sites running 4.9.9. I don't know if these were sites she hadn't updated to 5.0 for some reason, or if she had to revert to 4.9.9.

 

[mschaler]

I have a client who I could not edit any content on his site. After a short freak out I found this from a quick how to disable gutenberg search...

I put this code in the functions.php file of the child theme:

// disable for posts
add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false', 10);

Worked perfectly now I can go back and edit the site just like before the site was auto updated to the big G!

 

[djbaxter]

One of the plugins I mentioned above will do the same thing without any file edits.

 

[mschaler]

One of the plugins I mentioned above will do the same thing without any file edits.

Yep I saw some plugin options but didn't want to add any more plugins. Been having some issues with plugins lately and wanted to keep them down to the minimum.

 

[MirageLimo]

We went Gutenberg manually, no problem. My theme creator, generatepress, has been very proactive. He had created sections which are like the new blocks, sorta. So he's worked closely with WP. Great developer.
Yes the back-end looks horrendous but everything still works.
We are only one site but thought I'd chime in.
Merry Christmas and all.