[Lazarus] Release Candidate 2 of Lazarus 1.4

[Mattias Gaertner]

The Lazarus team would like to announce the second release candidate for the upcoming Version 1.4.

We would like to invite all users to test this release candidate.
Please read below why everybody really should join the testing now.

New in this Version
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_1.4.0_release_notes

On Windows the installer now allows two independent installations.
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Multiple_Lazarus#Installation_of_multiple_Lazarus
  
About the release process:
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_1.4_fixes_branch#Roadmap_to_1.4


The 1.4RC2 is built with fpc 2.6.4.

The release candidate is available for download on SourceForge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/lazarus/files/

Choose your CPU, OS, distro and then the "Lazarus 1.4RC2" directory.

Minimum requirements:
Windows:       98, 2k, XP, Vista, 7, 32 or 64bit.
               On 64bit it is recommended to use the 32bit IDE.
               Win98 IDE needs building with flag -dWIN9XPLATFORM.
FreeBSD/Linux: gtk 2.8 or qt4.5, 32 or 64bit.
Mac OS X:      10.5 to 10.10, 10.9+ debugging requires -gw,
               LCL only 32bit, non LCL apps can be 64bit.


== Why should everybody (including you) test the release candidate? ==

In the past weeks the Lazarus team has stabilized the 1.4 fixes branch. The resulting 1.4RC2 is now stable enough to be used by any one for test purposes.

However many of the fixes and new features that where committed since the release of 1.2 required changes to the code of existing features too. While we have tested those ourself, 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 1.4.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 1.4RC2.
- 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 (1.2.6), 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