Navigating the Choppy Waters of WordPress 6.4: and why you may want to revert it back to 6.3

Today was a day for the books – the kind of day that serves as a stark reminder that in the digital world, not all updates come bearing gifts. If you’re part of the WordPress community, you might want to buckle up because version 6.4 has hit a snag—a bug, to be precise. Before you hit that update button, let’s talk about why 6.4 might be a version to skip for now.

It seems that 6.4 has a penchant for breaking PHP cURL, an essential feature for WordPress sites that allows them to communicate with other servers. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re looking to install new themes or update your existing plugins, you might find yourself at a dead end.

The WordPress core team is not only aware but also already on deck, working hard to patch things up. In the digital seas, it’s not about avoiding all storms—it’s about weathering them with grace. And the community’s response? Nothing short of nimble.

For those interested in the nitty-gritty, or if you’re feeling particularly tech-savvy today, dive into the depths of the issue on GitHub (https://github.com/WordPress/Requests/issues/838) or float over to the WordPress support forums (https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/). Here, you’ll find fellow navigators of the web discussing workarounds and sharing updates in real-time.

If your site has already set sail with 6.4, it’s time to turn the ship around. Rolling back to the safe harbor of 6.3 is your best bet until the storm passes. And while you’re at it, make sure to drop anchor by disabling core updates in your wp-config.php file—just to ensure you don’t get caught in the squall again.

But fear not, intrepid web wanderers, for this tale has a silver lining. The problem has been identified and fixed in the upcoming WordPress 6.4.1. The core team has even made adjustments to the WordPress.org mothership to help afflicted sites update smoothly, despite the troubled waters.

Interestingly, this digital tempest seems to have only rocked a subset of sites, with many of the larger hosting providers bearing the brunt of it. It’s a reminder that sometimes, size does matter—especially when navigating the high seas of the internet.

So, what’s the moral of this story? Stay vigilant, keep your site’s lifejackets close (backups, folks!), and remember that in the world of updates, sometimes patience is more than just a virtue—it’s a necessity. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for WordPress 6.4.1, and until then, happy sailing!

Curious about what people are saying about this on Reddit and other WordPress Community Forums?

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