Release Notes

As of the release 2023.12, the following internally used software has been updated.

• Eclipse Jetty (contained in the module fs-jetty.fsm / “FirstSpirit Jetty Service”)
  Update to version 12.0.2
  As before, use of Eclipse Jetty for production purposes is not recommended!
• Java The following new Java version is available:
  Integrated in FirstSpirit (default): 17.0.9+9 OpenJDK

The “FirstSpirit SAML Login” module previously required a configured Log4j for debug logging.

With the current version, this is no longer necessary. Instead, Java Util Logging (JUL) is now used, which is configured as Apache Tomcat's default logging framework.

For existing installations, an adjustment of the configuration is necessary if logging is to be permanently active.

It should be mentioned that the SLF4J-JUL adapter used can lead to conflicts in individual cases if other web components of the FirstSpirit start page also supply an SLF4J adapter.

The online documentation of FirstSpirit (ODFS) is now no longer provided by the local Firstspirit installation. Instead, a call to the help automatically redirects to the current documentation on docs.e-spirit.com.

If desired, the previous state can be restored by the server administrator.

1) Install “FirstSpirit Online Documentation” Modul (odfs.fsm)

2) Add a global WebApp

3) Add web component “FirstSpirit Online Documentation”

4) Roll out the global WebApp

5) Define parameter ODFS_BASE_URL in fs-server.conf

Example:

ODFS_BASE_URL=https://myServer:8000/help/odfs

Details can be found in the documentation for administrators.

FirstSpirit 2023.12 supports the following module versions for FirstSpirit Content Experience Tools.

The Simple Logging Facade for Java (SLF4J) is a unified API for logging that can work with a variety of logging frameworks (Log4j, Logback, ...) through a multitude of adapters.

Since version 2023.12, FirstSpirit is shipped with an SLF4J adapter that forwards logging to Base-Logging using SLF4J. The advantages of this API include:

• Use of a well-known, consistent interface
• Simpler invocation without Class objects
• Automatic substitution of placeholders

Example:

import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;

public class Demo {
   private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Demo.class);
   public Demo() {
      LOGGER.info("Demo application started.");
   }
}

This API can also be used by web components added to the ContentCreator without any further configuration. However, for other components, such as those installed in their own web context, the inclusion of a custom SL4FJ adapter is necessary.

The FirstSpirit desktop apps (FirstSpirit SiteArchitect and ServerManager) are started and updated (rolled out) via the FirstSpirit Launcher.

The “FirstSpirit Launcher JRE” module enables customers and partners to easily switch between different Java versions for the operation of Java-based applications. The desired Java version can be selected server-wide for Microsoft Windows and macOS separately.

For documentation on the “FirstSpirit Launcher JRE” module see FirstSpirit Launcher JRE under FirstSpirit Online Documentation.

The included Java version have been updated with the current release: In addition to the version delivered with the FirstSpirit Launcher, AdoptOpenJDK 17.0.9 “(Default)”, the Java variant Eclipse Temurin 21+35 is currently available.

FirstSpirit has been tested for compatibility with OpenJDK 21.

OpenJDK 21 has been included in the list of compatible JDKs.

This applies to both the FirstSpirit Server and the FirstSpirit desktop applications.

A complete list of the supported Java versions for the FirstSpirit Server can be found in Technical requirements and recommendations (Documentation for administrators).