Not a bad idea :) We've got the descriptions already available via $wgExtensionCredits and such, so it shouldn't be too difficult to add those.

As far as grouping similar extensions -- that's a bit harder. We don't have any defined groups of extensions (or any way of tracking dependencies yet).

The "enabling some by default" option would be ok iff: the admin doing the installation goes to the "more options" page where they can review the extensions. If someone says "I'm bored now, just install," we should not enable any extensions since they had no chance to peruse the list (least surprise).

olivier.beaton wrote:

For the default-on and 'similar' and 'groups' I was more thinking that this would be be a package file, like InstallerSettings.php or something, where the package maintainer would define the options based on what extensions they were deciding to include.

If the extensions defined in InstallerSettings.php are not found then don't show their similar/groups, or for example if there is only one extension in the similar/group then just display it as a regular extension.

I don't think extension authors should be able to decide these things (always install my extension, of course!)

(In reply to comment #2)

For the default-on and 'similar' and 'groups' I was more thinking that this
would be be a package file, like InstallerSettings.php or something, where the
package maintainer would define the options based on what extensions they were
deciding to include.

If the extensions defined in InstallerSettings.php are not found then don't
show their similar/groups, or for example if there is only one extension in the
similar/group then just display it as a regular extension.

I've had similar ideas, but a different approach. I think there should be a base "MWExtension" class that handles a lot of this, and each extension should subclass it to provide their config, dependencies, etc etc.

I don't think extension authors should be able to decide these things (always
install my extension, of course!)

So who decides what's "always enabled?"

olivier.beaton wrote:

This is just about the installer. Per my previous post.

where the package maintainer would define the options based on what extensions they were deciding to include.

So in the case of the mediawiki*.tar.gz package it would be the MediaWiki community who puts it together. In the case of SMW+ it would be ontoprise, etc...

config+dependencies are a great idea and something we also need, but this bug is not about that. That would be a seperate enh request

https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=30234
https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=16595

This is a lot more manageable as a (doable) task with the indefinite subtask now removed.