.. title: First Beta Release of OpenLP 2
.. slug: 2011/03/26/first-beta-release-of-openlp-2
.. date: 2011-03-27 08:03:00 UTC
.. tags: 
.. description: 

Hello folks,

We are happy to announce the release of our **first beta** aka *Maverick
Micah*. We have put a lot of effort into this release, squashing bugs,
adding new features, and enhancing existing features, to make this the
best release yet.

We're really excited about this release, because it marks the changeover
from version 1.2 to version 2.0. You see, from now on, we will only
really be supporting version 2. It is much less work to support version
2.0, and we feel that version 2.0 is at a point now where it can go into
mainstream use. We will still support version 1.2, but there won't be
any more bug fixing or releases of that version.

If you have not used OpenLP before, we recommend you use this new beta
release, rather than version 1.2.

A number of people have already been using the alpha versions in their
church services, and have been extremely happy with the stability of
those releases. While we can't guarantee 100% stability, we feel that
OpenLP 2.0 is stable enough to be used in your church services.

Some of the new features and improvements:

-  A *First Time Wizard* which will help you to do the basic
   configuration and allows you to import sample songs, Bibles and
   themes.
-  Additional song imports: EasiSlides, Folipresenter, SongShow Plus
-  In addition we added OpenLyrics import and export support, which
   allows you to easily transfer songs between different OpenLP
   installations. OpenLyrics is an independent standard, built to
   facilitate interoperability between various presentation
   applications.
-  The ability to print *Service Order Sheets* (File → Print Service
   Order)
-  Define your own *Display Tags* to format slides individually
-  Better media support
-  A reference manual (very much a work in progress though!)

Other improvements and bug fixes:

-  An improved song search
-  General usability improvements
-  New search box for Bibles (just like the new search box for songs in
   the previous release)
-  A revamped web interface
-  Many bugfixes

Important note: Service files created in a previous release of OpenLP
are not compatible with OpenLP 1.9.5

Finally, the downloads links:

-  Windows (XP and up, 32 and 64 bit)
-  Mac OS X (10.5 and up)
-  Linux

   -  Ubuntu/Kubuntu/XUbuntu (Release PPA)
   -  Fedora (Updates)
   -  Arch (Arch User Repositories)

See the download page for more distributions and operating systems.

Don't forget to Like the OpenLP page on Facebook, retweet OpenLP's
tweets, and tell everyone you know about OpenLP!

**If you have any problems setting up or using OpenLP, please read the
new manual as well as the Frequently Asked Questions.**

    1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in
    me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I
    have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and
    prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
    myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to
    where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where
    you are going. How can we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am
    the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
    except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my
    Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

    8Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for
    us." 9Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you
    still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the
    Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Do you not believe
    that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I
    say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who
    dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father
    and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works
    themselves.

    12"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do
    the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,
    because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name,
    this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If
    you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

    15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask
    the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you
    forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
    because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he
    dwells with you and will be in you.

    18"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Yet a
    little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.
    Because I live, you also will live. 20In that day you will know that
    I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21Whoever has my
    commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves
    me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest
    myself to him." 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it
    that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"
    23Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and
    my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
    with him. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the
    word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

    25"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.
    26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
    name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all
    that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
    to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts
    be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you,
    'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you
    would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the
    Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it takes
    place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30I will no
    longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He
    has no claim on me, 31but I do as the Father has commanded me, so
    that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from
    here.

    John 14 (English Standard Version)
