Public release of LyX version 2.4.0alpha1
=========================================

We are proud to announce the first preview release of the new LyX 2.4
series. This preview release is meant for testing and should not be used for
serious work. For curious users who would like to test in order to help catch
bugs before the 2.4.0 release, please back up all of your documents and be
prepared for the worst to happen. Most users (who desire a stable LyX version)
should not use this pre-release.

The 2.4 series has a rich set of new features compared to the current stable
series. An overview of the new features can be found here:

  https://wiki.lyx.org/LyX/NewInLyX24

Especially we would like to receive feedback for the newly introduced Docbook
export before we release it as a stable feature.

You can download LyX 2.4.0alpha1 from ftp://ftp.lyx.org/pub/lyx/devel/ or
from a mirror listed at https://www.lyx.org/Download#toc11.

We appreciate your help in testing this pre-release!

If a file from an earlier version of LyX is opened *and saved* with
any version of 2.4.x, then the original file will automatically be
backed up. The backup file will be found in the backup directory, if one
is set under Tools> Preferences> Paths, or else in the same folder as
the original file, if no backup directory is set. The filename of the
backup file will be:
    ORIGNAME-lyxformat-NUM.lyx~
where NUM is the LyX format number of the original file. In the case of
2.3.x file, this will be 544, but in the case of older files it will be
different.

The file lib/RELEASE-NOTES lists some known issues and problems compared
to the current stable releases (LyX 2.3.x). We strongly recommend that
packagers of LyX on various platforms and distributions read this file.

As with any major release, this one comes with a lot of new features but
also some bugs. If you think you have found a bug in LyX 2.4.0alpha1, either
email the LyX developers' mailing list (lyx-devel at lists.lyx.org),
or open a bug report at https://www.lyx.org/trac/wiki/BugTrackerHome.
Please specify if the behavior you are reporting is different from behavior
in a previous LyX version.

If you have trouble using LyX or have a question, consult the
documentation that comes with LyX (under Help) and the LyX wiki, which you
will find at https://wiki.lyx.org/. You can also send email to the LyX users'
list (lyx-users at lists.lyx.org).

The LyX team.
https://www.lyx.org
