Hotfixes and other updates

[mkane1]

I administer several Cold Fusion servers, most are at 8.0.1. A developer pointed me to a fix for a problem she was experiencing. That page is at http://www.adobe.com/go/kb403411 The title is "Patch for CFImage and Image functions in ColdFusion 8.0.1". The text repeatedly refers to this patch as a "hotfix", and the procedure to apply the patch is the same as for a hotfix. yet the patch is not listed or mentioned anywhere on the Cold Fusion updates page, at
http://www.adobe.com/support/coldfusion/downloads_updates.html

Why is this hotfix not listed on the COld Fusion updates page?

Most importantly, how can I stay on top of hotfixes, patches, etc.? Going to the updates website isn't a good plan, especially if all the updates are not listed.

Thanks!

[Newsgroup_User]

mkane1 wrote:
> the patch is not listed or mentioned anywhere on the Cold Fusion updates page,
> at
> http://www.adobe.com/support/coldfusion/downloads_updates.html
>
> Why is this hotfix not listed on the COld Fusion updates page?

Because it is listed on the hot fix page.

http://www.adobe.com/go/kb402604

>
> Most importantly, how can I stay on top of hotfixes, patches, etc.? Going to
> the updates website isn't a good plan, especially if all the updates are not
> listed.

I feel your pain. I have often been confused by ColdFusion patching and
updates.

As best as I can understand the process. Individual or small groups of
related fixes are first released as a hot fix. These are listed on the
page I linked for CF8. There are related pages for each version.

Periodically all released hot fixes are packaged up into a Cumulative
Hot Fix which is listed on the page you where looking at.

It has always been my understanding to the recommendation is to only
install hot fixes if one is experiencing the problem addressed by the
hot fixe.

If they every do an actual Update this is also listed on that page, but
this is a major fix and results in a different version number for the
product. And becomes what is downloaded into the future.

I am not finding the link at the moment, but in a previous job I would
receive e-mail notices when hot fixes, cumulative hot fixes and updates
where released.

[mkane1]

Thanks for the reply, Ian. I suppose I was fooled, to some extent, by the text at the top of the ColdFusion Updates page, that says "ColdFusion Updaters and hot fixes for the following versions are available on this page". And seeing the Cumulative Hotfixes on that page. And thinking it reasonable that the Updates page would at least address all things relating to updates. It doesn't even have a link to the hotfix page you provided. I thought that one had gone away, as it should.

I also love the first line under the "Release Terminology Guide" section near the top of the updates page: "Updater, point release, hot fix—find out what type of update you need". In that line, "find out" is a link to a full page, titled "Release Terminology Guidelines", that describes hot fixes and updates, but does not actually link to places to find any of them. Nice!

I'm not new to this pain. I bought Cold Fusion 1.0 (mailed to me on a 3.5 disk that I wish I could find!) in 1995, and have been running CF servers since then, more each year. Love Cold Fusion, but not some of the communication (or corporate) aspects.

Adobe, is there an email notification list that I can subscribe to? Or something?

[Newsgroup_User]

mkane1 wrote:
>
> Adobe, is there an email notification list that I can subscribe to? Or
> something?
>

I did some digging this morning and I found the Security bulletins and
advisories page.

There is a link in the top paragraph to sign up for e-mail notifications.

http://www.adobe.com/support/security/#coldfusion

[Charlie Arehart]

Mkane, I see what you mean. That is odd.

The updates page does have a link to the individual CF7 hotfixes (after the list of the cumulative hotfixes for 7), but there is not the same link to the same sort of page for 8 (which Ian offered) after the list of cumulative hotfixes for 8.

I don't know if anyone responsible will see this, but I'll drop a note to some insiders who may be able to help.

As for notification of hotfixes, I'm not aware of an email one, but there is a feed for both hotfixes and technotes. I discuss it, and others like it, in an entry at:

http://carehart.org/blog/client/index.cfm/2008/7/16/cf_technote_hotfix_security_article_feeds

Hope that helps.