Melbourne Drupal Meetups — March 2023

The main focus for this month's Melbourne Drupal Meetup was a presentation by Greg Netsas on the new Drupal 7 Soft Landing Initiative. Greg introduced this very new initiative and also covered the option of Backdrop for Drupal 7 site owners.

Empowering Drupal 7 site owners: Navigating the End-of-Life transition with the Drupal 7 Soft Landing Initiative

The presentation begins with the speaker, Greg Netsas, introducing a new initiative related to Drupal 7's End-of-Life. He mentions that the initiative is community-driven and intended to provide support for Drupal 7 site owners as they face the approaching End-of-Life for Drupal 7.

Initiative overview

Greg explains that the initiative is called the "Drupal 7 Soft Landing" or "Drupal 7 End of Life Soft Landing" initiative. He emphasises that it relies on community feedback and is designed to help Drupal 7 site owners transition to newer versions of Drupal or alternative solutions. The main objective is to ensure that the Drupal 7 community is supported and not left behind after the official End-of-Life for Drupal 7.

Initiative contributors

Greg introduces the key contributors to the initiative, including Irina Zax, the founder of Fibonacci Web Studio, and Tim, who runs Triplo. Both contributors have extensive experience in the Drupal community and are actively involved in the initiative. Greg also notes his own involvement as a co-maintainer and his association with Backdrop CMS, one of the suggested solutions for Drupal 7 site owners.

Drupal 7 usage stats and End-of-Life

Greg highlights the significant number of websites still running on Drupal 7, approximately 400,000. He explains that Drupal 7 is reaching its End-of-Life and it will no longer receive bug fixes or security updates.

Backdrop CMS as a solution

Greg introduces Backdrop CMS as a potential solution for Drupal 7 site owners. He mentions that Backdrop CMS is designed to be a continuation of Drupal 7 and offers familiarity to those who use Drupal 7. He explains that while there will be some differences, the learning curve is not steep for developers and content editors. Greg emphasises that Backdrop CMS could provide a soft landing for those not ready to upgrade to Drupal 9 or 10 immediately.

Initiative goals and future plans

Greg discusses the goals of the initiative, which include raising awareness about the Drupal 7 End-of-Life, providing options for site owners, and fostering a supportive community. He mentions that the initiative will continue to evolve and grow, with additional pages and resources being added. The primary focus is on helping Drupal 7 site owners understand their options and make informed decisions.

Q&A session

Module compatibility, fragmentation, and next steps: During the Q&A session, Greg addresses various questions. He explains that simpler Drupal 7 modules can be easily ported to Backdrop CMS with minimal changes. He also addresses concerns about the initiative causing fragmentation in the Drupal community and clarifies that the goal is to offer options and support, not fragment the community. Greg also discusses the next steps, including creating a regular meeting schedule, developing resources, and establishing communication channels like a dedicated Slack channel.

Supporting site owners in transition

Greg emphasises that the initiative's purpose is to help Drupal 7 site owners make informed decisions about their next steps. The initiative will offer guidance through documentation, discussions and providing tools to help with the transition. He reiterates that the primary goal is to support the Drupal 7 community and ensure that site owners are not left behind.

Conclusion and call for participation

The presentation concludes with a call for participation from the community. Greg encourages interested individuals to join the initiative's efforts, contribute to discussions, and provide suggestions. He expresses his intention to provide more structured information and resources in future presentations, enhancing the initiative's effectiveness.

Overall, the presentation introduces the Drupal 7 Soft Landing initiative, its goals, contributors, and focus on helping Drupal 7 site owners make informed decisions about transitioning to newer versions of Drupal or alternative solutions like Backdrop CMS. The Q&A session addresses concerns and outlines the next steps for the initiative. Greg emphasises the importance of community involvement and support for those facing the Drupal 7 End-of-Life challenge.