I just wanted to create this task, apparently it is here already! Thanks @Bugreporter for creating it.

At the Wikimedia Hackathon, I started working on T393240: Special:BlockedExternalDomains should make use of Community Configuration, which would strongly benefit from CommunityConfiguration being bundled as well. In addition to that, bundling CC would also make CC integration possible in other bundled software (for example, Web team considered using CC for font size and typography customizations).

When CommunityConfiguration was being designed, we discussed several options about where the CC feature should live in, specifically:

• implementing CommunityConfiguration within MediaWiki Core,
• creating CommunityConfiguration as a separate extension

Ultimately, we decided on implementing CommunityConfiguration within an extension. Back then, there was no principal opposition to bundling it if the need arises. We also specifically decided against implementing CommunityConfiguration in Core, saying that "MediaWiki Core should be aware of the Community Configuration concept (to allow its seamless usage), but should not have the implementation included" (see the PRD).

Considering CommunityConfiguration is relatively widely used (deployed with at least one configuration at all Wikimedia projects) and given the clear benefits bundling the extension would have on AbuseFilter, I think we have reached a point in time where going ahead with bundling the CC extension makes sense.

To start the process, I'm unstalling the task (as I do not see a blocker per-se), so that it can be discussed with the appropriate stakeholders. I'll be adding known blockers as subtasks here.

When CommunityConfiguration was being designed, we discussed several options about where the CC feature should live in, specifically:

• implementing CommunityConfiguration within MediaWiki Core,
• creating CommunityConfiguration as a separate extension

Given the role of CommunityConfiguration, what is my long-term prospect is it eventually be merged to core. I am very near to file a task for it, but decide not to since it will be much more controversial than this task and can be reconsidered once this task is resolved.

What is my proposed final stage is MediaWiki being split to multiple "applications" - CommunityConfiguration being one of them - which lives in same core repo but can be disabled entirely.

(not directly related to this task) For example, we can have MediaWiki work without categories - (micro-)core will provides a stub interface of categories which does nothing, and the actual category implementation be moved to an app. Similarly, we can have a MediaWiki without recent changes, or a MediaWiki without file support, or without blocking support, etc.

@Urbanecm_WMF This sounds like a good direction to take and the fact that Community Configuration doesn't introduce new tables to core makes it light weight/low maintenance enough to bundle.

The only thing I'd consider before adding it as part of the core bundle is whether maintenance and future development now moves to the MediaWiki Engineering team, or the Growth Team still retains stewardship over the extension.

Is there a practice of having extensions which are bundled in core maintained by other teams?

In T392042#10797087, @DMburugu wrote:

Is there a practice of having extensions which are bundled in core maintained by other teams?

Yes, the majority of them:

Out of 33 bundled extensions, about 30% of them is maintained by Editing-team and another 30% has no steward at all. Only 12% of extensions are stewarded by a team within the MediaWiki Engineering group. We already are the official steward for two bundled extensions, so it wouldn't be a totally new responsibility for us either.

The only thing I'd consider before adding it as part of the core bundle is whether maintenance and future development now moves to the MediaWiki Engineering team, or the Growth Team still retains stewardship over the extension.

Based on the above, I don't think those two questions (future maintenance and bundling) depend on each other. I think they can be handled independently.

In T392042#10788531, @Urbanecm_WMF wrote:

@KStoller-WMF @Sgs @Michael @DMburugu If you have any concerns about going ahead here from the Growth side, please comment here!

No concerns. When the decision was made not to build Community Configuration into MediaWiki Core, my understanding was that the long-term plan was to build it as an extension that would eventually be bundled.

Before we get too serious about officially bundling the extension, I think we should first complete this task and resolve the associated blockers:

T383719: Declare the Community Configuration extension stable

Thanks for the breakdown Martin, we can have the extension bundled in Core after we complete T383719: Declare the Community Configuration extension stable as Kirsten has suggested.

Blocked by: T383719: Declare the Community Configuration extension stable