[ome-users] OME 2.6.1

[Ilya Goldberg]

Dear OME fans,
We have released OME 2.6.1!
Linux/Other:
http://cvs.openmicroscopy.org.uk/snapshots/ome/ome-2.6.1.tar.gz
OS X click-and-go GUI installer:
http://cvs.openmicroscopy.org.uk/snapshots/osx/ome-installer-2.6.1.dmg

Since this is a point release, there are no associated DB schema  
changes, but you must still run the installer if you're upgrading.

Major features in 2.6.1 include:
Integration with BioFormats (thanks in large part to Curtis R. from  
LOCI/UW-Madison!)
   - OME can use BioFormats to support > 50 microscopy image formats
   - More on BioFormats: http://loci.wisc.edu/ome/formats.html
   - You will need Sun Java installed on the OMEIS server to use this  
(comes with OS X, may need it for Linux)
Integration with LDAP (thanks in large part to Mike M. from Vanderbilt!)
   - OME Experimenters can be securely authenticated against your  
LDAP server(s): supports SSL (ldaps), TLS, server and client  
certificates
   - Several Perl packages will need to be installed if you chose  
this option (please let the installer do this for you!)
   - You will need to know all the details how to connect to your  
LDAP server(s) (certificate files, search base, etc)
   - This was confirmed to work with LDAPs terminating in Active  
Directory - please let us know if it works for your setup!
Improved MATLAB+OME connection
Better organized system vs. custom HTML templates.
Updated spreadsheet importer wizard (with Web UI) for producing mass  
annotations
Try out a collection of gene/probe/experiment annotations in custom/ 
DGAS-Annotations/
   - This will be followed up with a proper howto

What's cooking for 2.8.0 (CVS-HEAD, aka 2.7.0):
MATLAB-less WND-CHARM (C-WND-CHARM? Sea-WND-CHARM?) integration is  
nearing completion
   - verification passed, waiting for installer support.
   - integration and testing of this major new feature is now the  
primary block on 2.8.0
New features for SemanticTypes recently merged from experimental  
branches:
   - Optional DB_Location: table names can be assigned for you
   - Table-per-class and class-per-table: simplifies object- 
relational mapping
   - Inheritance via an optional Parent attribute: extension only -  
no over-rides, restriction, or multiple inheritance
   - Internationalization (with a Spanish version!).  Multiple Label  
elements in different languages
       OME on Spanish wikipedia: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/OME_% 
28Open_Microscopy_Environment%29
       Thanks to Javier Tibau from Ecuador with help from Josiah  
Johnston in Baltimore.
   - Please help us root out transition problems by trying the update  
scripts on backed-up versions of your DBs!

Enjoy!
The OME Team