The Lazarus team is glad to announce the first release candidate of Lazarus 4.0.
This release was built with FPC 3.2.2.
Here is the list of changes for Lazarus and Free Pascal: http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_4.0_release_notes http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/User_Changes_3.2.2
Here is the list of fixes for Lazarus 4.x:
https://gitlab.com/freepascal.org/lazarus/lazarus/-/commits/fixes_4/
The release is available for download on SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/lazarus/files/
Choose your CPU, OS, distro and then the "Lazarus 4.0RC1" directory.
Checksums for the SourceForge files:
https://www.lazarus-ide.org/index.php?page=checksums#4_0RC1
Minimum requirements:
Windows:
2k, 32 or 64bit, Qt, Qt5, Qt6 (64bit only)
FreeBSD/Linux:
gtk 2.24 for gtk2, qt4.5 for qt, qt5.6 for qt5, Qt6.2 for qt6, 32 or 64bit.
Mac OS X:
Cocoa (64bit) 10.12, Carbon (32bit) 10.5 to 10.14, Qt and Qt5 (32 or 64bit), Qt6 (64bit only).
The gitlab page:
https://gitlab.com/freepascal.org/lazarus/lazarus/-/tree/lazarus_4_0_RC_1
For people who are blocked by SF, the Lazarus releases from SourceForge are mirrored at:
https://download.lazarus-ide.org/
ftp://ftp.freepascal.org/pub/lazarus/releases/
== Why should everybody (including you) test the release candidate? ==
In the past weeks the Lazarus team has stabilized the 4.0 fixes branch. The resulting 4.0RC1 is now stable enough to be used by any one for test purposes.
While we have tested those ourselves, there may still be problems that only occur with very specific configurations or one project in a million.
Yes, it may be that you are the only person with a project, that will not work in the new IDE. So if you do not test, we can not fix it.
Please do not wait for the final release, in order to test. It may be too late. Once the release is out we will have to be more selective about which fixes can be merged for further 3.x releases. So it may be, that we can not merge the fix you require. And then you will miss out on all the new features.
== How to test ==
Download and install the 4.0 RC1.
- On Windows you can install as a 2ndary install, that will not affect your current install:
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Multiple_Lazarus#Installation_of_multiple_Lazarus
- On other platforms, if you install to a new location you need to use --primary-config-path
In either case you should make backups. (including your primary config)
Open your project in the current Lazarus (4.0), and use "Publish Project" from the project menu. This creates a clean copy of your project.
You can then open that copy in the RC1. Please test:
- If you can edit forms in the designer
- rename components / change properties in Object inspector / Add new events
- Add components to form / Move components on form
- Frames, if you use them
- If you can navigate the source code (e.g. jump to implementation)
- Auto completion in source code
- Compile, debug and run
- Anything else you use in your daily work
Mattias