There’s a new WordPress now, confirming my suspicions that the dust hasn’t settled on WP 2.5 yet. The new version, WP 2.5.1, includes one important security fix, and (according to the WordPress announcement) “over 70 other fixes.”

If you’ve already installed WordPress 2.5 — but only if you’ve already installed it — you may want to install 2.5.1 due to the security issue. That’s what I’m doing.

WordPress has a good, expanded list of instructions for an upgrade, but here’s my “cheat sheet” version. (I’m assuming that you backup your files — using Manage > Export — and your database, regularly.)

1. Deactivate all plugins.
2. Use FTP to delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders.
3. Upload (with FTP) the new version’s wp-admin and wp-includes folders.
4. Upload (overwrite) all of the files (not the folders) in the main wordpress folder, except wp-config.php, of course.
5. Reactivate your plugins.

That’s it, though the WordPress site will talk you through some wp-content changes that may be necessary.

Also, I tried the new “secret key.” Be sure to add it to the correct location in your wp-config.php file, or you may have problems. In my wp-config.php file (generated by my hosting service during the installation), I added the secret key code as a new line immediately after where it says this:

define(’DB_COLLATE’, ”);

If you add your own secret key code, use FTP to save the updated wp-config.php file (overwrite the old one) in your WordPress folder, and you should be all set. You will have to log in again, even if you were already logged in. But, in theory anyway, that’s all you’ll need to do.

On a more positive note, the “Add media” function seems to work better now. When I say that I want the graphic to go on the left, it really shows up there, aligned with the text. Life is good!

That said… I’m leaving most of my websites in WordPress 2.3.3 (the one illustrated in my book) until this new upgrade stabilizes. That’s when I’ll expand the Sites that Soar! book — or create a new, separate edition — with WP 2.5 illustrations and tips.

I doubt that I’ll change the book until June 2008 at the very soonest. A new version of 2.5 with this many changes… well, that suggests that there will be more changes in the immediate future.