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ADR-0032: Moodle 5.3 LTS is the default branch

Status

Accepted

Context

Upstream released Moodle 5.3, the new long-term support release (moodledev.io lists it as "Moodle 5.3 (LTS)"). #328 added MOODLE_503_STABLE, but the playground still booted Moodle 5.0, whose general support has ended. ADR-0030 left changing the default as a separate decision.

Problem

Which Moodle branch should a visitor get when no ?moodle=, runtime ID or blueprint preferredVersions selects one?

Decision drivers

  • New users should land on the supported LTS release.
  • Explicit selections, older branches and their asset paths must keep working.

Options considered

Option 1: Keep Moodle 5.0

No change, but the default stays on an out-of-support release.

Option 2: Default to Moodle 5.3 LTS on PHP 8.3

One metadata flag plus the config, default blueprint and build defaults.

Evidence

  • MOODLE_503_STABLE bundle and snapshot build and render on PHP 8.3/8.4 in Chromium and Firefox (tests/e2e/moodle-53.spec.mjs, #328 CI).
  • resolveVersions() falls back to DEFAULT_MOODLE_BRANCH and PHP 8.3, which 5.3 supports.

Decision

Option 2. MOODLE_503_STABLE is labelled "Moodle 5.3.x (LTS)" and is the only default: true branch; DEFAULT_MOODLE_BRANCH, playground.config.json, the default blueprint, the minimal fallback blueprint, make bundle/up-local and latest.json follow it. Example blueprints that pin an older version keep it.

Consequences

Positive

  • The default playground runs a supported LTS release with the public/ webroot.

Negative

  • A changed default runtime ID boots fresh for visitors without an explicit selection; their previous 5.0 journal is not reused.

Neutral

  • latest.json (legacy fallback manifest) now describes 5.3; branch-mismatch guards in src/runtime/manifest.js still refuse cross-branch fallbacks.

Risks

Plugins or blueprints that assumed the legacy webroot only through the default must now request "moodle": "5.0" explicitly.

Validation

Resolver unit tests assert the default branch, label and resolved PHP version; CI runs the full unit, build and e2e suites against the new default.

Follow-up work

Revisit the default at the next LTS (6.3 per the upstream calendar).

References