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Gantry 5 beta 3 is now available and ready for public testing. This beta release includes a vast amount of changes involving the menu system, as well as bug fixes and other minor updates inspired by feedback from beta testers on Github.

Additionally, an Offcanvas section has been added to the Layout Manager giving users the ability to place and arrange Particles (as well as the mobile menu) in an off canvas section that integrates natively with the mobile experience.

New core Particles including Mobile Menu and Custom HTML have also been added to the core of Gantry. The Mobile Menu Particle is made for the Offcanvas Section and creates a mobile version of the main menu.

The Custom HTML Particle is a very basic particle that acts like Joomla’s Custom HTML module or WordPress’ Text widget. You can use it to create a custom HTML block anywhere in the Layout Manager or Menu Editor.

Participating in the Beta

If you would like to contribute to the Gantry 5 beta, and directly assist in creating the next generation Gantry Framework, there are several ways to do so.

The easiest way to help out is by simply downloading the beta release of Gantry 5 via Github and trying it out for yourself. We have documentation available to help you get started in the all-new Gantry 5 administrator, as well as a Gitter chat room where you can talk directly with Gantry’s development team as well as other members of the community.

If you run across any issues or have any suggestions for improvement, you can submit an issue report on GitHub letting us know. Our team will review the issue and work on a solution.

If you would like to contribute directly to the project yourself, you can do so by making the change and submitting a pull request. Your pull request will be reviewed by the team, and if approved, will become part of Gantry 5. We recommend reaching out via the Gitter chat before doing so to avoid putting in the work on a problem that the team is already working on.

Keep in mind that even at this stage, Gantry 5 is in an early beta and it is not recommended for use on any live site. Doing so will undoubtedly come with issues as new updates are released that could potentially break functionality of your site.

Additionally, the current beta build does not include all of the features and functionality we have planned for the final release.

Gantry 5 is coming together very nicely thanks to our incredibly active and passionate community. We are working towards the next major phase of the beta coming soon, and look forward to seeing the incredible things the community creates with it.

Installing Beta 3 on Existing Gantry 5 Beta Installs

Gantry 5 and the Hydrogen template have undergone big changes since beta 2 was released. If you are running Gantry 5 beta 2 and the Hydrogen template released with beta 2, there are a few things you should be aware of when updating.

First, your TEMPLATE_DIR/custom directory should be backed up. The TEMPLATE_DIR/custom/compiled-css directory itself should be removed at this time as it will not work with the latest update. You can update Gantry 5 using the standard Joomla update process, but the Hydrogen template needs to be uninstalled and installed manually to accept all of the changes for beta 3. Here is a quick rundown of the steps we recommend taking when installing Gantry 5 beta 3 on an existing Gantry 5 beta 2 site.

1. Delete the TEMPLATE_DIR/custom/compiled-css directory in your installation.
2. Back up your TEMPLATE_DIR/custom directory. While we recommend deleting this directory entirely so you will see all the new changes, backing it up will enable you to replace any information you need to reinstall after the update/re-installation is completed.
3. Set a template other than Hydrogen as your default.
4. Uninstall the Hydrogen template.
5. Update Gantry 5 using Joomla's integrated update process.
6. Manually download and install the updated Hydrogen template for beta 3.
7. Make sure Gantry and Hydrogen are enabled and enjoy testing!

For more information about Gantry 5, please check out these other blog posts from our ongoing series:

• Gantry 5: Requirements and Details
• Gantry 5: Built from the Ground Up for Speed
• Gantry 5: Regarding Backward Compatibility
• Gantry 5: Incredibly Easy to Use
• Gantry 5: Reimagining the Layout Manager
• Gantry 5: Rethinking How Positions Work in Joomla
• Gantry 5: Meet the Menu Editor
• Gantry 5: Powerful New Font, Color, and Icon Pickers
• Gantry 5: Joomla Beta Released
• Gantry 5: Joomla Beta 2 Released

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