Author: ayg
Description:
We see lots of bug requests here that require someone with shell access to add
new namespaces, enable Wiki.png, etc. Why not eventually let
bureaucrats/stewards do some of the stuff that doesn't require technical
knowledge, from in-wiki? (Obviously these options would all be moved out of
LocalSettings.php and into the database somewhere. Maybe they could even be
killed as globals and switched over to constants instead . . .)
As long as the options are easily reversible, there's no security issue. It's
probably best to tack everything uncomplicated and easily reversible into this
bug proposal, in fact, because GUIs are more friendly than file-editing, except
that on WMF sites there are some things that 'crats shouldn't be allowed to
touch (e.g., $wgGroupPermissions['*']['edit']).
Some of the following would be suitable options for eventual inclusion:
- $wgEnableUploads (some WMF wikis want everyone to upload to Commons instead,
for instance)
- $wgGroupPermissions (for adding new groups *only*, at least on WMF sites, a la
rollback or whatnot; only really useful to us once we get a more flexible
group-assignment mechanism so stewards won't have to be bothered constantly,
although other sites with more active userrights-enabled groups might appreciate
it more)'
- Maybe $wgRestrictionLevels, if it works as one would expect? Particularly
useful if some wiki wants to introduce a "semi-sysop" group of some kind.
Probably only allow people to touch custom entries, not the current three, or
else things could break.
- $wgNamespacesWithSubpages (if it can't screw up existing names with slashes in
them)
- $wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault
- $wgImportSources (but maybe have a list of valid sources set from text file
for use in WMF projects; trying to import from Meatball: would probably be Bad)
- $wgImportTargetNamespace
- $wgExtraNamespaces (obviously not in present form, which is way too easy to
break stuff with; progress was made at some point with [[m:Help:Namespace
manager]], but that seems to have died)
- $wgForceUIMsgAsContentMsg (unless this can break stuff)
- $wgContentNamespaces
Presumably a new permission like 'config' would be added to handle this, with
bureaucrats getting it by default.
Version: unspecified
Severity: enhancement