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Register and document the abstract-client-mode feature flag
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Description

This is the configuration surface through which abstract client mode is turned on for a given wiki. The working name is $wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode, registered in extension.json alongside the three existing mode flags and defaulting to off so that loading the extension on any wiki does not implicitly enable the cross-wiki read path. The flag is checked in the same places the other mode flags are checked today: the special-page class's userCanExecute, the ResourceLoader module registration for any client-only front-end code, hook handlers that branch on mode, and the relevant REST/Action API entry points.

Acceptance criteria:

  • $wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode is registered in extension.json alongside the three existing mode flags, defaulting to off.
  • The flag is checked at every site from the "checked in the same places the other mode flags are checked today" list (special-page userCanExecute, ResourceLoader module registration, hook handlers, REST/Action API entry points), verified by grep for each site.
  • The four-combination matrix of supported production configurations (abstract.wikipedia.org, Wikifunctions, a local Wikipedia consuming Abstract Content, dev fallback) is documented and every combination has been exercised at least once in local development.
  • Unsupported combinations (e.g. abstract on and abstract-client on simultaneously) produce a clear configuration error at extension load rather than undefined behaviour at first request.
  • The flag's intended lifecycle (eventual merger into $wgWikiLambdaEnableClientMode) is recorded in the flag's extension.json description string, so that anyone discovering the flag in the config knows it is not permanent.

Event Timeline

Change #1286924 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jforrester; author: Jforrester):

[operations/mediawiki-config@master] Disable wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode everywhere

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1286924

Change #1286924 merged by jenkins-bot:

[operations/mediawiki-config@master] Disable wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode everywhere

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1286924

Mentioned in SAL (#wikimedia-operations) [2026-05-13T14:12:52Z] <jforrester@deploy1003> Started scap sync-world: Backport for [[gerrit:1286924|Disable wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode everywhere (T422647)]]

Mentioned in SAL (#wikimedia-operations) [2026-05-13T14:14:55Z] <jforrester@deploy1003> jforrester: Backport for [[gerrit:1286924|Disable wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode everywhere (T422647)]] synced to the testservers (see https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mwdebug). Changes can now be verified there.

Mentioned in SAL (#wikimedia-operations) [2026-05-13T14:19:27Z] <jforrester@deploy1003> Finished scap sync-world: Backport for [[gerrit:1286924|Disable wgWikiLambdaEnableAbstractClientMode everywhere (T422647)]] (duration: 06m 35s)

Jdforrester-WMF assigned this task to gengh.

@gengh has done this as part of T422651.