Moodle 3.6 release notes
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Releases > Moodle 3.6 release notes
Release date: 3 December 2018
Here is the full list of fixed issues in 3.6.
See our New features page in the user documentation for an introduction to Moodle 3.6 with screenshots.
If you are upgrading from a previous version, please see Upgrading in the user docs. In particular, for sites using a custom theme or login form, from 3.6 onwards, the login form must include a new login token field. See Login token for details.
Note: You are recommended to use Moodle 3.6.1, as it includes a messaging regression fix. |
Server requirements
These are just the minimum supported versions. We recommend keeping all of your software and operating systems up-to-date.
- Moodle upgrade: Moodle 3.1 or later
- PHP version: minimum PHP 7.0.0 Note: minimum PHP version has increased since Moodle 3.3. PHP 7.1.x, 7.2.x and 7.3.x (since Moodle 3.6.4) are supported too. See Moodle and PHP for details.
- PHP extension intl is required since Moodle 3.4 (it was recommended in 2.0 onwards)
Database requirements
Moodle supports the following database servers. Again, version numbers are just the minimum supported version. We recommend running the latest stable version of any software.
Database | Minimum version | Recommended |
---|---|---|
PostgreSQL | 9.4 | 11.x - note that 12.x is not yet supported (MDL-67414) |
MySQL | 5.6 | Latest |
MariaDB | 5.5.31 | Latest |
Microsoft SQL Server | 2008 | Latest |
Oracle Database | 11.2 | Latest |
Client requirements
Browser support
Moodle is compatible with any standards compliant web browser. We regularly test Moodle with the following browsers:
Desktop:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge
- Internet Explorer
Mobile:
- MobileSafari
- Google Chrome
For the best experience and optimum security, we recommend that you keep your browser up to date. https://www.whatismybrowser.com/
Note: Legacy browsers with known compatibility issues with Moodle 3.6:
- Internet Explorer 10 and below
- Safari 7 and below
Major features
Dashboard and Course overview
- MDL-63044 and MDL-63337 - New Course overview and Timeline block
- MDL-63062 - New Recently accessed courses block
- MDL-63063 - New Recently accessed items block
- MDL-63457 - Option to hide courses in the course overview block
- MDL-63058 - Option to star/unstar courses in the course overview block
- MDL-63064 - New Starred courses block
- MDL-63352 - Dashboard retains user preferences for view options
- MDL-63793 - Course overview block retains user preferences for the number of courses to show
- MDL-61161 - Grace period when displaying "In progress" courses in course overview block
- MDL-63040 - Removal of Dashboard page header
GDPR and Privacy
Note that some of these GDPR improvements have also been backported to Moodle 3.5.3, 3.4.6 and 3.3.9.
- MDL-63116 - Data requests bulk actions
- MDL-62309 - Option to make site policies required or optional
- MDL-61652 - Capabilities for controlling who can download SAR data
- MDL-62563 - Data deletion of existing deleted users
- MDL-63897 - Pre-processing stage removed from data requests process
- MDL-62558 - Data retention summary (read-only)
- MDL-63726 - Option to remove the "Data retention summary" link in the footer
- MDL-62491 - HTML data request export format
- MDL-63401 - User expiry improvements
- MDL-63619 - Data purpose and category inheritance improvements
- MDL-62560 - Different data retention strategies for different roles in a purpose
- MDL-62554 - Ability to configure data registry to use module type defaults
- MDL-63009 - Site mentioned in email notifications of data requests
- MDL-6074 - Option to hide your name in the online users block
Messaging
- MDL-57272 and MDL-63280 - Group messaging
- MDL-63303 - New messaging UI with messaging drawer
- MDL-63279 - Option to disable site-wide messaging
- MDL-63214 - Privacy setting for restricting who can message you
- The new 'Allow site-wide messaging' setting is disabled by default for new installs but enabled for upgraded sites if $CFG->keepmessagingallusersenabled = true; is defined in config.php
- MDL-63213 - Option to star messaging conversations
- MDL-63283 - Notifications not sent for group conversations
- MDL-63281 - Group members synchronised with messaging conversations members
Assignment
- MDL-27520 - Assignment feedback can include media or other files
Quiz
- MDL-62610 - Improved quiz statistics report usability for randomized questions
- MDL-62708 - Option to add ID numbers to questions and question categories
- MDL-63738 - Single questions can be exported from the question bank
Workshop
- MDL-60820 - Teachers can specify workshop submission types
Repositories
- MDL-58943 - Nextcloud integration, with a Nextcloud repository and OAuth 2 Nextcloud service
Open Badges
- MDL-58454 - Support for Open Badges v2.0
Performance
- MDL-54035 - Performance improvements to cache flags
- MDL-47962 - Glossary auto-linking filter performance improvements
Usability improvements
- MDL-51177 - atto_htmlplus implemented to improve Atto editor HTML indenting
- MDL-45170 - Copy and paste of images from one WYSIWYG window to another
- MDL-61388 - Forum actions announced by screen reader when completed
- MDL-62899 - Global search displays a relevant icon next to link in results
- MDL-46415 - SVG/high resolution emoticons
- MDL-58000 - Larger badge images are used
Experimental
- MDL-53566 - Context freezing - setting read-only access for categories, courses, activities and their content
Other highlights
Functional changes
- MDL-17943 - 'Resend confirmation email' button on login page
- MDL-14274 - IF conditions in grade calculations
- MDL-37624 - Calendar entries location support
- MDL-36754 - Images are displayed in forum notification emails
- MDL-59259 - Course format options may be specified in upload courses CSV file
- MDL-41265 - Page resource option to show/hide "Last modified"
- MDL-61378 - Forum post HTML structure improvements
- MDL-59454 - Option to download the list of course participants
- MDL-60520 - Analytics models can use different machine learning backends
- MDL-61573 - User menu: customusermenuitems map Font Awesome icons for non pix/t folders
- MDL-62320 - JSON added to the default MIME types list
- MDL-63431 - Atto media plugin title global attribute support
- MDL-60435 - Shibboleth authentication identity providers
- MDL-59169 - Grader report saves after edit with multiple tabs
- MDL-62960 - Drag and drop of course events respects the course start date
Security issues
- MSA-18-0020 Login CSRF vulnerability in login form. Note that this fix has previously been disclosed following the release of Moodle 3.5.3, 3.4.6, 3.3.9 and 3.1.15.
For administrators
- MDL-62334 - 'Add a new course' link in Site administration
- MDL-63253 - Admin search results provide location of the found matching page
- MDL-63772 - Capability to control use of Atto Record RTC
- MDL-63708 - New blocks supported by the mobile app can be disabled
- MDL-52953 - Legacy log store deprecation
- MDL-59429 - Log changes to site administrators
- MDL-62651 - adhoc task runner
- MDL-62777 - Site upgrades via CLI display new default settings
- MDL-63603 - Indian Rupee added to PayPal enrolment currencies
- MDL-60514 - Set Path to PHP CLI in order to display 'Run now' for Scheduled tasks
- MDL-61041 - Assignment upgrade helper tool removed from core.
For developers
- MDL-55188 - Old Events API final deprecation
- MDL-54741 - Phase 2 of deprecation of functions in lib/deprecatedlib.php
- MDL-51803 - Reusable element for drag and drop sortable table or list
- MDL-63329 - memcache session handler removal
- MDL-63658 - New Favourites subsystem
- MDL-63729 - Badges web services return new fields and data added by the Open Badges v2.0 specification
- MDL-50812 - core_useragent::get_browser_version_classes distinguishes between different browsers
Privacy API update
In addition to existing requirements, any plugin which implements the plugin provider interface must also implement the \core_privacy\local\request\core_userlist_provider interface. Two new methods need to be implemented:
However, the two above methods are not required for plugins that implement the null_provider only (i.e. which do not store personal data).
Note that these changes are also required for latest Moodle 3.4.6 and 3.5.3 versions.
Behat scenario files
- MDL-57281 - The behat step has been deprecated and throws an exception with details on how to replace it. The recommended replacement steps work in all recent Moodle versions. The updated Behat will pass with Moodle 3.4 too.
I navigate to "ITEM" node in "MAINNODE > PATH"
Login token
If your plugin provides an alternative login form (e.g. it is a theme replacing the default login form template / renderer), the login form must include a new login token field. For details of required changes, see Login token. Note that this also affects latest stable branches too.
New core functions
- userdate_htmltime()
New callback hooking points in page layouts
- standard_after_main_region_html - A new general purpose callback hooking point in the page layout. Used for example by the new messaging drawer UI.
Component APIs upgrades
Please refer to the upgrade.txt files in the relevant component directory for changes in this particular Moodle release.
- admin/tool/log/upgrade.txt
- admin/tool/upgrade.txt
- auth/shibboleth/upgrade.txt
- auth/upgrade.txt
- badges/upgrade.txt
- blocks/upgrade.txt
- cache/upgrade.txt
- calendar/upgrade.txt
- course/format/upgrade.txt
- course/upgrade.txt
- enrol/upgrade.txt
- filter/upgrade.txt
- grade/grading/form/upgrade.txt
- grade/report/upgrade.txt
- grade/upgrade.txt
- lib/upgrade.txt
- media/upgrade.txt
- message/upgrade.txt
- mod/assign/upgrade.txt
- mod/feedback/upgrade.txt
- mod/forum/upgrade.txt
- mod/quiz/upgrade.txt
- mod/scorm/report/basic/upgrade.txt
- mod/scorm/upgrade.txt
- mod/upgrade.txt
- mod/workshop/upgrade.txt
- question/format/upgrade.txt
- report/upgrade.txt
- tag/upgrade.txt
- theme/upgrade.txt
- user/upgrade.txt
See also