WebInstallerOutput should not use Vector styles
Closed, ResolvedPublic3 Estimated Story Points
Actions

Assigned To

None

Authored By

	Jdlrobson
	Mar 19 2020, 9:45 PM

Project Tags

Referenced Files

	F31737741: installer.png
	Apr 6 2020, 10:56 PM

	F31724111: Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 11.13.12 AM.png
	Apr 2 2020, 6:14 PM

	F31718603: Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.52.56 PM.png
	Mar 31 2020, 9:54 PM

	F31718588: Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.39.29 PM.png
	Mar 31 2020, 9:54 PM

	F31718586: Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.38.30 PM.png
	Mar 31 2020, 9:54 PM

Subscribers

Description

Currently the MediaWiki installer for 3rd parties is configured to use Vector. This is likely to break with future desktop refresh iterations. I suggest we use the Fallback skin for the installer rather than rely on this hack.

Suggested fix

Let's not hardcode the skin module here to avoid risking the desktop refresh from breaking the rendering of the installer and instead ship dedicated styles for the installer. The existing setup also double loads CSS - skins.vector.styles already includes mediawiki.skinning.interface.

Current appearance (using Vector's styles but own HTML):

Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.38.30 PM.png (2,874×1,342 px, 349 KB)

Proposed appearance with Fallback skin:

Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.39.29 PM.png (2,868×1,334 px, 261 KB)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/mediawiki/core/+/581771/

Proposed appearance with Fallback skin + installer styles:

Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 2.52.56 PM.png (2,880×1,286 px, 370 KB)

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/mediawiki/core/+/585042 Installer specific styles

Developer notes

Code in question:
https://github.com/wikimedia/mediawiki/blob/73c20062e0d3e0dcd94d841baa7ee7e605a688c7/includes/installer/WebInstallerOutput.php#L154

Details

Related Changes in Gerrit:

Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
installer: Add Installer-specific stylesheet	mediawiki/core	master	+54 -0
installer: Replace Vector dependency in WebInstallerOutput with fallback skin	mediawiki/core	master	+2 -19
Vector can skin the installer	mediawiki/skins/Vector	master	+5 -0

Customize query in gerrit

Related Objects

Mentioned In: T70331: Make it possible to render the installer with any skin, or preview skins in the installer
T248751: [EPIC] Adopt mustache templates in legacy skins: CologneBlue, Modern

Event Timeline

Jdlrobson created this task.Mar 19 2020, 9:45 PM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptMar 19 2020, 9:45 PM

Change 581771 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jdlrobson; owner: Jdlrobson):
[mediawiki/core@master] Generalise WebInstallerOutput to allow skins to skin the installer

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/581771

Change 581772 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jdlrobson; owner: Jdlrobson):
[mediawiki/skins/Vector@master] Vector can skin the installer

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/581772

Jdlrobson updated the task description. (Show Details)Mar 19 2020, 9:47 PM

Change 581774 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jdlrobson; owner: Jdlrobson):
[mediawiki/skins/MonoBook@master] POC: Monobook installer

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/581774

Volker_E subscribed.Mar 22 2020, 2:21 AM

Jdlrobson mentioned this in T248751: [EPIC] Adopt mustache templates in legacy skins: CologneBlue, Modern.Mar 28 2020, 5:10 PM

Jdlrobson renamed this task from WebInstallerOutput should more elegantly load Vector stylesheet rather than hardcoding a reference to WebInstallerOutput should not use Vector styles.Mar 31 2020, 9:36 PM

Jdlrobson added projects: Web-Team-Backlog-Archived (Kanbanana-2019-20-Q3), Platform Engineering.

Jdlrobson updated the task description. (Show Details)

Change 581772 abandoned by Jdlrobson:
Vector can skin the installer

Reason:
I have descoped these changes to just be about skinning the installer with code in core https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/581771

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/581772

Jdlrobson updated the task description. (Show Details)Mar 31 2020, 9:54 PM

Jdlrobson updated the task description. (Show Details)

cc @ovasileva - slight risk we're going to break the installer in the next few weeks without this work. I've suggested a fix.

I'm hoping Platform Engineering have some views around the approach here and can help with code review.

MBinder_WMF edited projects, added: Web-Team-Backlog-Archived (Kanbanana-2019-20-Q4); removed: Web-Team-Backlog-Archived (Kanbanana-2019-20-Q3).Mar 31 2020, 10:11 PM

MBinder_WMF moved this task from Needs Analysis to Upcoming on the Web-Team-Backlog-Archived (Kanbanana-2019-20-Q4) board.Mar 31 2020, 10:12 PM

ovasileva triaged this task as High priority.Apr 1 2020, 9:00 AM

Anomie edited projects, added: Platform Team Workboards (External Code Reviews); removed: Platform Engineering.Apr 1 2020, 1:48 PM

Anomie moved this task from External Code Review Needed to External Code Review Completed on the Platform Team Workboards (External Code Reviews) board.Apr 1 2020, 5:14 PM

Change 581771 merged by jenkins-bot:
[mediawiki/core@master] installer: Replace Vector dependency in WebInstallerOutput with fallback skin

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/581771

Jdlrobson moved this task from Upcoming to Needs Code Review on the Web-Team-Backlog-Archived (Kanbanana-2019-20-Q4) board.Apr 2 2020, 12:41 AM

ReleaseTaggerBot added a project: MW-1.35-notes (1.35.0-wmf.27; 2020-04-07).Apr 2 2020, 1:00 AM

Mainframe98 awarded a token.Apr 2 2020, 5:55 AM

Change 585042 had a related patch set uploaded (by Krinkle; owner: Jdlrobson):
[mediawiki/core@master] intaller: Add Installer-specific stylesheet

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/585042

ovasileva set the point value for this task to 3.Apr 2 2020, 5:56 PM

Just as note, I'm for decoupling the installer.
But from a general product and MediaWiki branding perspective I fear that the installer, which already features a lot of outdated, usability unfriendly bits and pieces will be forgotten and left behind even more for the coming years – further emphasizing the impression that you're installing an ancient piece of software.