WMF_testsystem update

The WMF_testsystem is one of the MediaWiki instances in the Wikiation Extension Testing Environment. This system is intended to mimick the English Wikipedia.

The way this configuration is build is distinctly different from the English Wikipedia. This system is scratch installed, it does not share the files needed for CentralAuth and MergeAccount, the Cite and the SpecialCite are in separate folders and last but not least, there are a few extensions that I have not figured out how to install yet.

What I really liked was that it took me only five minutes to rebuild my environment once Wikipedia was updated. Three minutes to change my installation script and two minutes to run it.
Thanks,
GerardM

Getting ready for the next level of functionality

When the Wikiation Extension Testing Environment currently installs an extension, it uses the latest version of that extension. This is fine when you are testing the very latest version of MediaWiki.

We want to provide better support for all the wikis who are using stable versions of MediaWiki. To do this, we have to be able to install a particular version of an extension, the latest version of an extension for a particular release or for a stable version of an extension for a particular release.

The other thing we are actively working on is increasing the number of extensions that can be installed by the installer. MinuteElectron asked for the output of installer scripts. As Kim was already collecting this information, it was easy to add a debug flag that makes this information available. This will make it easier to get extensions to install properly.

Another improvement is that there is now a default settings handler, this is intended to prevent future updates of the software using the "update_self" functionality from breaking. This makes the installer more robust.

Our intent is that the installer may be used for installing both production and test environments of MediaWiki. As the software creates and destroys instances of a MediaWiki wiki, it is vital that you do not experiment on a production system. It is equally important that you are aware that at this stage the software is not ready for production systems.
Thanks,
GerardM

New main page

We have updated the [[Main page]] of the Wikiation Extension Testing Environment Wiki. It is now more of a portal to the information that we provide on our wiki.

Please let us know what needs to be clarified. Please let us know what is missing. Obviously it is very much a work in progress, when we get a lot input from you, we do not need to repeat the message that we want you to be involved that often. :)
Thanks,
GerardM