WikiIndex:2018 bugs

WikiIndex:2018 bugs — this page can be used by all editors and visitors to report any bugs or errors as noticed here on  from our current operating configuration of MediaWiki, namely version 1.24.2.

Please do not use this page for new or additional feature requests, those can be listed in 2018 upgrade requests.

Please list each specific bug under its own section heading. Feel free to add your own experiences, comments, etc, but please do not delete any comment should you personally be unable to replicate (though you may add a comment to that effect, should it arise).

Request an account
Special:RequestAccount is failing to process new user account registrations. This was reported here, and subsequently verified as an error by Sean.

Quote error message:. Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH  Looks like WikiIndex cannot connect to its email-sending server.


 * I had the same problem:  --77.111.246.16 09:32, 10 July 2018 (UTC)

File thumbnails
Whenever an existing image file is edited, such as to add an appropriate image tagging template or include its source, the saved thumbnail often (though not always) seems to get corrupted, and then subsequently vanishes. A revert and/or rollback of 'offending' edits fails to restore thumbnail. Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH
 * Do you have an example of such image? --YiFei | talk 05:20, 9 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Typically, when I want to find examples, I never can! As soon as I stumble across them, I shall list them here. :)


 * I guess this might be due to the many issues of the SpecialPages detailed in the section below. --Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 12:44, 14 July 2018 (UTC)

OK, I have found one example - here. The thumbnail placeholder contains the following error message: Error creating thumbnail: Unable to run external programs, proc_open is disabled. Error code: 1 The file it is calling on is File:FormError.jpg

This is one specific type of error - where the thumbnail fails to generate on another page when called upon via a wikilink (manual, or via a template, such as ). A second type of error is occurring on the actual image file page - the image usually displays at the top of the file page, but the thumbnail fails to generate in its 'File history' section immediately below.

One other image display problem is that sometimes, reduced-size images refuse to display whereas full-size images display okay. Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 18:01, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Another similar example - File:Mark's Community portal proposal.jpg, though the main image has also vanished. Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 13:01, 1 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Found another - User:Catsuit, yet the file displays OK on its file page - File:Nell McAndrew.jpg. Could it be a caching issue, or something more serious?  Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 08:09, 4 August 2018 (UTC)

Special:SpecialPages
Many WikiIndex Special:SpecialPages have been failing to work for some time. Specific failed pages include: All of these used to work. I think they failed following the last server move, though I can't be certain, I was on sabbatical! Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 11:19, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Special:BrokenRedirects
 * Special:DeadendPages
 * Special:DoubleRedirects
 * Special:AncientPages
 * Special:LonelyPages
 * Special:FewestRevisions
 * Special:WithoutInterwiki
 * Special:UncategorizedCategories
 * Special:UncategorizedFiles
 * Special:UncategorizedPages
 * Special:UncategorizedTemplates
 * Special:UnusedCategories
 * Special:UnusedFiles
 * Special:UnusedTemplates
 * Special:UnwatchedPages
 * Special:WantedCategories
 * Special:WantedFiles
 * Special:WantedPages
 * Special:WantedTemplates

Other SpecialPages

 * Special:UserCredentials is failing to work. Tried it for my own username (which I obviously know is valid), and it fails to return any info, stating "No credentials found for this user".  So I tried it for MarkDilley, and the identical error message is displayed.  Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 21:25, 7 August 2018 (UTC)

Purge/refresh dropping https secure connection
When clicking on the orange 'refresh' tab at the top of pages when using our Monobook skin (not tried on other skins), our s, or 'Secure Sockets Layer' connection is dropped for our non-secure http connection. Sometimes, the refreshed page resumes the secure https connection, other times it keeps the insecure http connection. Vision2Learn - V2L Wiki is one example of dropping the https after a page refresh. This seems to be a 'backend' issue, and would be great if it could be rectified, along with any other commands which drop the https connection. Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH

Actually, every command action — edit, preview, save, upload, etc, is dropping the secure connection! Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH

Configure Extension
The extension that powers Special:Configure has been archived and is no longer compatible with the latest versions of MediaWiki. If we upgrade our core version, we will also need to remove that extension and the associated user rights. All config changes now have to be done through LocalSettings.php rather than on-wiki. OhNoitsJamie Talk 13:56, 9 October 2018 (UTC)

Monobook search box
I use the Monobook skin, and for those in the know, this moves the search box from the top-right of the display, and plonks it into the sidebar. Unfortunately, my search box is low down the order in the sidebar; it is below the third section entitled 'help pages' and above the last section entitled 'tools'. I am not finding this location convenient, and would much prefer it to appear at the top of the sidebar above the first section called 'community', immediately below our logo. I have seen this on other wikis; UnMeta-Wiki is one recollection. I have had a mooch in MediaWiki:Sidebar, but there is no obvious (to me) way to manually over-ride the search box position within the sidebar.

So, can other users see if they can replicate this issue from their own user account when viewing via the Monobook skin (go to Special:Preferences, select the Appearance tab at the top, select the radio button next to 'MonoBook', then click on 'Save' at the very bottom of your page). Or maybe my custom JavaScript settings are the cause of this issue; can some knowledgeable person examine my User:Hoof Hearted/monobook.js and fix any errors please? Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH


 * Update - I have subsequently been able to fix this issue. Check my last edit in MediaWiki:Sidebar for how I did it.  Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 23:56, 28 December 2018 (UTC)