Announcing eZ Publish Basic: Revitalizing a Classic Open-Source CMS with Full PHP 8 Compatibility

We are thrilled to announce a new project to breathe new life into eZ Publish 2.x, the community-supported CMS that served users for nearly a decade. With PHP’s evolution over the years, the original eZ Publish has faced compatibility issues. But now, 7x is leading an open-source initiative to bring eZ Publish 2 into 2025 with full PHP 8 support.

Introducing: eZ Publish Basic (Version 2.4.0.0-preview1).

“eZ Publish Basic” marks the first step in our mission to modernize this reliable content management system. Our goal is to retain its core functionality while updating the codebase to work seamlessly with PHP 8. By addressing major changes, such as replacing the outdated “register globals” setting, we aim to ensure that developers and community sites can continue to use and customize eZ Publish Basic with confidence.

A Fresh Start for New Developers and PHP Enthusiasts

eZ Publish Basic is designed to be more than just a CMS upgrade—it’s an invitation for new end users or developers to experience the capabilities of a powerful, well-structured CMS that offers a breath of fresh air compared to writing vanilla PHP. This project provides a unique entry point for aspiring developers, where they can learn core CMS concepts that make eZ Publish worth using and adapting in 2025. By working with eZ Publish Basic, developers can gain foundational skills and insight into a robust CMS structure that emphasizes freedom, scalability, and practical solutions.

An Educational Tool for Students and New Developers

This project is intentionally educational, crafted with students and beginner developers in mind, even as it retains the power for production-grade tasks. eZ Publish Basic allows newer developers to learn the fundamentals of PHP and CMS design in an open-source, collaborative setting. While it’s accessible to those still learning PHP, it remains fully functional and ready for any production environment. This approach empowers emerging developers to build real-world skills while contributing to a larger, impactful project and experiencing the value of community-driven software.

Why Join the eZ Publish Basic Project?

For developers, historians of the open-source world, or anyone who used eZ Publish 2 or subsequent versions (eZ Publish 3, 4, 5, and the Netgen or Ibexa OSS adaptations), this project is a chance to support and preserve a piece of open-source history. The open-source community has always been a critical part of eZ Publish’s journey, and we are inviting contributors to help complete this PHP 8 migration.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer, an advocate for free software, or someone who used eZ Publish 2 in its early days, we invite you to join us. Your contributions—whether in code, testing, feedback, or ideas—will help. Together, let’s keep the spirit of free software alive and well in eZ Publish Basic!