What is Mambo?
--------------

Mambo is a web-based, Open Source Content Management System written in PHP
including some x-thousand files.  It runs on a web server and stores it's
information in a database.


What is a patch and why is it needed?
-------------------------------------

From time to time problems occur in between the releases of versions of Mambo.
This may be due to a bug that is found that prevents a critical operation, or
more likely due to a security vulnerability being found.  It's possible that the
coming release being developed is not ready to be deployed in the effect that a
fix needs to be release as soon as possible.  In these instances, a 'patch' will
be released.

Like a piece of cloth sewn onto a pair of pants, a patch will generally only
contain a specific number of files that need to be replaced.  It may be as few
as three files (the file to be fixed, an updated CHANGELOG and updated version
file) or it may include many files.


Where can I get Patch Files
---------------------------

Mambo patches (if actually required) can be obtained at http://mamboforge.net.
Go to the Mambo 4.5.1 downloads section and download the appropriate patch for
your current running version of Mambo. The current version of Mambo 4.5.x needs
to be patched with the most recent Mambo patch.


What is the file structure of a Patch File?
-------------------------------------------

A patch file will be a compressed archive (usually a .zip or .tgz file).  It
will contain the replacement files in exactly the same directory structure as
will be found on the server.


Applying the Patch to your Installation
---------------------------------------

The first thing to do is read these instructions to the end.

The second thing to consider is, if in doubt, ask.  You can seriously damage
your Mambo site if you do the wrong thing.

Backup your existing site.  It is recommended that you backup your site into a
compressed file and name it with date stamp.  Copy the backup file(s) to a
location off the root directory of your mambo installation to prevent
accidentally deleting it.

There are now two ways to proceed.  Either uncompress the patch file on your
local computer and then FTP or network copy to your web server, or uncompress
the file directly into you Mambo directory on your server (you may or may not
have access to do this).

When the files are installed, test that you Mambo site is working as expected.
Depending on what the patch was, you may or may not see any difference to the
operation of Mambo.


