We are currently introducing a new renderer that works without any third-party web services.

First, since Math is a bundled extension, it's possible that it's getting installed without people going through the MW.o page. This means that it's going to be contacting external services without the administrator being aware.

What is MW.o?

Second, the $wgMathMathMLUrl default value uses a beta cluster endpoint (https://mathoid-beta.wmflabs.org) by default. That URL currently doesn't exist, but even if it did the current beta setup has various issues so I don't think we should be defaulting to that on third-party installations.

Is this used by default?

What is MW.o?

MediaWiki.org, sorry.

Is this used by default?

I don't know. I'd assume the MathML output mode would try to use it.

In T324234#8446240, @taavi wrote:

What is MW.o?

MediaWiki.org, sorry.

Since 2018 Math uses the https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_ to render math images sending data from and to private wikis by default. Today, I look at this with some skepticism since this is not how a decentralized web should work. That is why we go through the effort to build an entirely new TeX to MathML converter written only in PHP without any network interaction.

Is this used by default?

I don't know. I'd assume the MathML output mode would try to use it.

At least it should not be used by default.

I found out how this is used. If renderingmode is switched to LaTeXML and SVGs are being generated than this server is used. Unfortunately, I can not recreate the proxy as it only allows me to use wmcloud.org as suffix for new instances.

Change 873522 had a related patch set uploaded (by Physikerwelt; author: Physikerwelt):

[mediawiki/extensions/Math@master] Update default mathoid renderer

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/873522

Change 873522 abandoned by Physikerwelt:

[mediawiki/extensions/Math@master] Update default mathoid renderer

Reason:

There is a way to reactive the old url https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T327297

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/873522

@taavi thank you for your guidance and support. While the urgency is resolved, I fully agree that we shall neither default to wmflab.org nor make requests to an external entity. I will therefore keep the main task open

sounds good, thank you!

Change #1043241 had a related patch set uploaded (by Physikerwelt; author: Physikerwelt):

[mediawiki/extensions/Math@master] Enable restBaseless rendering

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1043241