downgrade from 2.5.1 to 2.3.3 without DB backup?

What “bugs” are you actually encountering? Having to log into your blog?

Given that 2.3.3 will get your blog exploited and compromised, wouldn’t it be easier to identify what your blog’s problem is?

is it possible????

lyerx,

Yes, it’s possible; I’ve done it. Be advised, however, that you WILL have to reset passwords for all users that logged into WordPress since you upgraded to 2.5.

jdembowski,

What “bugs” are you actually encountering?

Some plugins that worked with 2.3.3 stop working when you upgrade to 2.5. The new Write page is a complete mess (not only are controls placed inconveniently, they are no longer draggable, so you can’t customize author’s workspace to fit your needs). Media Library… why is it even necessary?

Oh, and try producing nested blockquotes in the 2.5 visual editor…

Given that 2.3.3 will get your blog exploited and compromised, wouldn’t it be easier to identify what your blog’s problem is?

The problem is, your productivity goes down the drain when you “upgrade” from 2.3 to 2.5. Nothing is where it used to be, indent/unindent buttons all of a sudden increase/decrease left margin instead of creating/deleting <blockquote> tags…

As to the supposedly enhanced security, there is absolutely no hard evidence that 2.5 brought about a significant improvement; people still get hacked…

NC@WP,

(Jan steps into the water basin and gingerly reaches for the electric lamp still plugged into the outlet…)

Some plugins that worked with 2.3.3 stop working when you upgrade to 2.5. The new Write page is a complete mess (not only are controls placed inconveniently, they are no longer draggable, so you can’t customize author’s workspace to fit your needs). Media Library… why is it even necessary?

I can sympathize regarding the plugin issue but to me the issue is that the plugins need updating pronto. If keeping a plugin means you will get compromised then I would lose that plugin and re-edit my posts/pages to eliminate that dependency. A lot of work sure but so is fixing a blog that has been compromised.

The write page and and media uploader: I had issues with that too but once I switched I quickly adjusted. Might be a brain workig with what it has issue. Also we all that real bloggers dream in XHTML code, lose the visual editor ??

As to the supposedly enhanced security, there is absolutely no hard evidence that 2.5 brought about a significant improvement; people still get hacked…

With all software there is always a possibility of something being missed and an exploit existing. Writing secure code while introducing improved or new functionality is a real challenge and there are some very talented bad guys out there.

But deliberately choosing to use a version that does contain exploitable code, that’s like standing in a shallow wash basin and repairing a broken lamp while it’s still plugged in. You can do what you want but don’t complain when the bad thing happens.

And actually it is the other way around. There is no doubt that older WP versions are exploitable, but no evidence that a 2.5.1 install has evern been hacked.

But of course, this is off-topic.

Given that it’s possible to do this, what is the procedure? Do I just re-upload the original 2.3.3 files, overwriting the 2.5.1 files?

And to answer a question posed to the OP:

Given that 2.3.3 will get your blog exploited and compromised, wouldn’t it be easier to identify what your blog’s problem is?

HOW will it get my blog exploited?

The problems I’m having with WordPress 2.5.1 is that I fargin HATE what has been done to the Admin panels! Their layout is all completely totally utterly absolutely hopelessly wrong beyond hope of redemption, having been changed without any really decent reason that I can even think about imagining.

I also have to say that I utterly despise what’s been done to the mechanism for uploading and including graphics in posts. The prior system worked just fine, the nightmare in place now has done nothing but make a previously easy task take longer and still not come out looking right or aligned the way I went to the trouble of fixing my theme’s CSS to get just the way I wanted it.

But deliberately choosing to use a version that does contain exploitable code, that’s like standing in a shallow wash basin and repairing a broken lamp while it’s still plugged in.

What choice is there when the electrician decided that the lamp needed a completely different design when the old one looked and worked just fine. Maybe it needed work ‘under the hood’, but there was no reason to change the appearance of it… nor to “fix” things that were working just fine.

Pardon me for sounding bitter. I don’t like change, in fact I hate it. Especially when the former version works.

Failing a successful downgrade or given a VERY good reason not to do so, what are the chances of getting a 2.5.x that has the same look, feel, layout and basic functionality of 2.3.3?

HOW will it get my blog exploited?

you know, the neat thing is that if someone to answer that question, and if they answered that question here .. everyone could just run around and exploit the blogs of people that hate change, couldnt they?

Heres what you need to know, and its pointed out in the post on the wordpress blog right here:

https://www.ads-software.com/development/2008/03/wordpress-25-brecker/

Upgrade Notes

2.5 does include security fixes so it is recommended for all users, the 2.3 branch will no longer be updated.

Pardon me for sounding bitter, but choosing to run exploited code simply because you dont like something is stupid, and irresponsible. Its also a shitty thing to do to the people that you might be on shared hosting with (if in fact you are) and makes YOUR site a potential jumping point for attacks on other sites all across the web. That includes MY site. Did you know that? I am YOUR neighbor on the web.

But thats okay, right.

IF you want to downgrade, why dont you atleast downgrade to the 2.0.11 release, which is relatively secure minus a few cookie issues, and supported.

HOW will it get my blog exploited?

The problems I’m having with WordPress 2.5.1 is that I fargin HATE what has been done to the Admin panels!

Sigh. If you want to join the huge crowd of people who’s dated WordPress install is compromised, exploited, and used as a haven for spam links and other badness, that’s your call.

But Whoo’s right and to the point: that is an irresponsible thing to do. Why would you hand your blog over to other people to insert spam links?

Learn to deal with the Admin panels, 2.3.x is dead code.

Ive argued before that hosts ought to set up scripts to check versions and just shut down the sites of ppl that cant manage to be responsible. Its been done with phpBB, it ought to be done with WP installs.

2.5 does include security fixes so it is recommended for all users, the 2.3 branch will no longer be updated.

Pardon me for sounding bitter, but choosing to run exploited code simply because you dont like something is stupid, and irresponsible. Its also a shitty thing to do to the people that you might be on shared hosting with (if in fact you are) and makes YOUR site a potential jumping point for attacks on other sites all across the web. That includes MY site. Did you know that? I am YOUR neighbor on the web.

Ok, I get it. There’s security issues and possible code exploits. Good reasons to upgrade to (or stay with) the current version.

However …

Learn to deal with the Admin panels, 2.3.x is dead code.

Why? Isn’t one of the big things that WordPress is famous for is the fact that it can be customized to suit the user?

I’ve seen review after review where people rave about how much they love the 2.5.x dashboard. I don’t like it, I don’t like that flash uploader thing and I don’t care for the overall change in the way images are uploaded and inserted into posts.

I’ve asked before about ways to make the 2.5.x dashboard look and work like the one in 2.3.3 and the only answer I’ve ever gotten is that each user has the option of customizing which four colors are used.

Frankly, while I don’t like the new color scheme, I could get used to it (and maybe learn to customize it) as long as the layout can be customized to look and work like 2.3.3 and the image upload & insert functions could be replaced with the ones from 2.3.3

What I really want from WordPress has always been one of it’s strong points, ability to be customized.

I keep looking for this to be done by somebody that knows the WP code well enough to do it without breaking things. I’d try it myself but I’m honestly not up to that kind of coding work and don’t have the time anyway.

In this long thread about the new write panel, some users offered some possible solutions to customizing the 2.5 panel that you may find useful. Take a look through the thread and see….

https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/169595/page/2