Link module now included in Core

Backdrop 1.2.0 includes a built-in Link module. For existing sites that have upgraded from a previous version of Backdrop, this module must be enabled to use its new functionality. This can be done by visiting the modules page (admin/modules), and checking the box for Link.

If your site previously was using the contributed module version of Link module (available from GitHub), the old module will continue functioning on your site. However, due to differences between the core Link module and the contributed Link module, it is recommended that the old module be removed from your installation to prevent problems in the future.

You can identify if your site is running the old version of Link module by checking your site's code directories. If a directory exists at /modules/link or /sites/*/modules/link, then your site is running the old Link module. The new core Link module resides at /core/modules/link and should not be changed.

Note that the core version of Link is slightly different from the contributed version. In particular:

• All UTF-8 characters are allowed in domain names and extensions now e.g. umlauts, Cryllic, or Chinese characters are now considered valid.
• Validation of top-level domains has been removed, as there are hundreds of new domain names that need support (e.g. .construction, .io, etc.)

Otherwise, the new core version of Link is identical to the previous contributed version and has no reduced functionality. You may switch to using the Core Link module by performing the following steps:

1. Delete the directory containing the old module from your installation (usually /modules/link.
2. Visit the modules page in the Backdrop UI to let Backdrop pick up the new core module location within /core/modules/link.
3. Run update.php to have the new core module clean up its installation.

If you have never used the old contributed Link module, then no special steps are necessary. You may enable the new Link module at any time on your existing sites. The new Link module is enabled by default on new installations of Backdrop.