ciciFTP is the file transfer client we write for Windows. The current release is 2.21.0-beta. This post explains what "beta" means to us and how we are moving through it.
Three channels
ciciFTP releases go through three channels: Alpha → Beta → Final.
- Alpha was the first stage, where features settled in and changed often.
- Beta is where we are today. The program is in daily use: FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 and Azure Blob connections, sync, scheduled tasks and panel integrations all work. Even so, we are collecting feedback, fixing bugs and changing some details of the interface.
- We are not giving a date for Final. It will be decided by the reports that come in during the beta and the state of known bugs, not by the calendar.
What is in the latest release
2.21.0-beta is mostly about reliability. Queue recovery keeps the previous record; jobs whose password or site entry is temporarily unavailable are carried over to the next start. File backups are kept in separate pools per site identity, and retention rules are applied in the right order. Sync leaves remote links out of scope, and a mirror delete stops before it starts if the source is missing.
The full list for every release is in the changelog on ciciftp.com.
How we test
The ciciFTP test runner is rebuilt every time and runs against real servers: FTP/FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV and plain HTTP servers are started on the machine for every run. For a transfer to count as successful, the file's content is verified with SHA-256. The run also checks that the real user data folder is the same at the end as at the start; if a test touches user data, the run fails.
Feedback
- Questions, suggestions and bug reports: the ciciFTP forum or destek@ciciftp.com
- Security vulnerabilities: security@kodhisar.com (please do not post them on the forum)
Every report during the beta makes Final more solid. Thank you in advance.