Sigil 2.0.1: Free Installations with New Minimum System Requirements

Sigil, a popular EPUB editor, has recently released its version 2.0.1, which comes with significant changes and new minimum system requirements. One of the key updates is the lack of full support for newer platforms such as arm64-based Macs.

The reason behind this change lies in Qt's policy shift to delay each source code release by at least 12 months or more, leading to critical and security fixes not being applied or collected. This means that the released source code for Qt5.15.9 and Qt5.15.10 are now missing several CVE (critical security) fixes and QtWebEngine/Chrome security fixes.

This move was driven primarily by security concerns and the lack of newer platform support in older Qt versions. Fortunately, Linux distros and users who compile Sigil and PageEdit themselves will still have the freedom to choose between Qt5 or Qt6 based on their needs.

Legacy Installers and Minimum System Requirements

However, there are some changes that might affect some users. I (Diapson/Doug) will attempt to maintain an unofficial 32-bit legacy installer in my personal GitHub repositories, but it's unclear how long this will be possible. Additionally, starting with version 2.0, there will no longer be an official 32-bit Windows binary installer provided.

The new minimum supported version for Windows will be Windows 10 (build 1809). Users of older macOS versions are strongly encouraged to update to at least Big Sur if possible and up to Ventura if feasible in order to continue receiving critical fixes from Apple.

Qt6 Update and Plugin Changes

Plugins that use a Qt GUI will also undergo changes, moving from PyQt5 to PySide6. As a result, the new minimum supported version for macOS will be macOS 11.0 (Big Sur), as earlier versions are no longer receiving security updates from Apple.

Our upcoming releases, including Sigil-2.0 and PageEdit-2.0, will use Qt6.5.2. With these changes, users can expect improved security and compatibility with newer platforms.

Sigil 2.0.1 free instals