[Pkg-mediawiki-devel] MediaWiki Farm (MWF) development

[Jan "Saruman!" S.]

Hi all,

Question: is there any interest in a solution that enables wikifarming 
on Debian mediawiki?

Offer: I'm currently prototyping software (some basic bash scripts and a 
small PHP module), procedures (openoffice rough outline), and have 
gathered some knowledge of - and experience in - how to create and run a 
wikifarm from Debian MediaWiki. I'd like to share that, to individuals 
and/or to someone willing to turn it into a debian package.

Specifications: the solution enables multiple wiki instances on multiple 
virtual hosts, with a shared code base (original mediawiki package code 
base) and a shared extensions code base (both debian packaged extensions 
and third partie extensions); each instance can have its own extensions 
(from that shared code base) enabled/disabled, each instance may have 
its own database and own configuration. Most tasks in creating and 
managing instances is already scripted in commands, some minor tasks are 
slated for scripting next weekend.

Background: for years I've been running a simple Debian server at home, 
serving me in lots of ways, and I've kept adding functionality over 
time. I've started running MediaWiki, but recently I found myself 
hosting four different sites, all of which needed their own wiki. Thus I 
had a great need for a wikifarm. I've looked in lots of places, e.g. 
http://www.jirp.nl/2008/04/11/mediawiki-farm-multiple-wiki/, but found 
out that all the articles either offered solutions I didn't want, or no 
solutions at all. So I came to develop a wikifarm solution on top of 
Debian MediaWiki (Lenny version) that needs no adaptation of the 
MediaWiki package files and honours Debian's way of configuration and 
administration.
I've been creating commands like mwfextls (listing extensions enabled 
for wiki instances or available to all wikifarm instances) and 
mwfenext/mwfdisext (which enable and disable extensions for individual 
wiki instances) and I realized that I've done most of the groundwork for 
a new Debian package, which could be named mediawiki-wikifarm or 
similar. Note: the solution is only tested on one test server and one 
production server.

Individual interest/comments: I can be reached offlist at address 
mediawiki  at saruman dot biz

Developing a package: if anyone is interested, and would take it on 
him/herself to create and maintain a Debian package for wikifarming: I'd 
love to help.

-- 
Jan Schoonderbeek
"I'm a stream of noughts and crosses in your R.A.M."