Wiki backup server is available

[Selezen]

If you have the facility for unlimited bandwidth on the server hosting the wiki, does it not make more sense to start consolidating the files under one banner?

MediaWiki disables virtually every kind of non-image file - it's not a security issue, more of a default restriction based on the usual kind of media that wikis are designed to host and that there is by default no security on a MediaWiki installation. If the uploading of files is restricted to logged in users then there is sufficient security to keep the wiki safe.

I personally would like to see less reliance on third-party file hosting services for OXPs, given that there are locations available to us to centralise the hosting and especially in today's society with hosting sites always under scrutiny by internet copyright and intellectual property "lawyers".

[maik]

If you have the facility for unlimited bandwidth on the server hosting the wiki, does it not make more sense to start consolidating the files under one banner?

MediaWiki disables virtually every kind of non-image file - it's not a security issue, more of a default restriction based on the usual kind of media that wikis are designed to host and that there is by default no security on a MediaWiki installation. If the uploading of files is restricted to logged in users then there is sufficient security to keep the wiki safe.

I personally would like to see less reliance on third-party file hosting services for OXPs, given that there are locations available to us to centralise the hosting and especially in today's society with hosting sites always under scrutiny by internet copyright and intellectual property "lawyers".

Unlimited bandwidth yes, but not unlimited storage space. Also, if I host the files outside of mediawiki I would have to offer some file management facility. Regarding MediaWiki file handling: image files are by default white listed and uploaded files are being checked if they indeed are image files, exe files are by default blacklisted by extension, and zip files are by default blacklisted by mime type. So it is a bit more elaborate.

[Selezen]

exe files are by default blacklisted by extension, and zip files are by default blacklisted by mime type. So it is a bit more elaborate.

It's not THAT much more elaborate. All you have to do to enable it is to exclude the type from teh blacklist.

However, if it's a problem then why not use the 7z format of archive instead. Gets around all that messing about with mime types, provides a more secure archive format which won't be mistaken for a java archive and can provide a smaller archive file. OK, the downside is that it needs a specific archive program to create it and decompress it, but it's free.

Anyway, it's just a suggestion. It just bothers me that in order to provide downloads, we have a community with several different varieties of file hosting under different usernames. I feel that since Oolite and its user base is ever expanding it might be advantageous to consolidate resources. Every time another user/developer hosts something on their box or mediafire or 4front or whatever account, it's another point of failure for the community's downloads.

[maik]

exe files are by default blacklisted by extension, and zip files are by default blacklisted by mime type. So it is a bit more elaborate.

It's not THAT much more elaborate. All you have to do to enable it is to exclude the type from teh blacklist.

However, if it's a problem then why not use the 7z format of archive instead. Gets around all that messing about with mime types, provides a more secure archive format which won't be mistaken for a java archive and can provide a smaller archive file. OK, the downside is that it needs a specific archive program to create it and decompress it, but it's free.

Anyway, it's just a suggestion. It just bothers me that in order to provide downloads, we have a community with several different varieties of file hosting under different usernames. I feel that since Oolite and its user base is ever expanding it might be advantageous to consolidate resources. Every time another user/developer hosts something on their box or mediafire or 4front or whatever account, it's another point of failure for the community's downloads.

Hm. Not sure whether to agree or disagree. Different file hosting providers and ownerships make it difficult if you want to update somebody else's resources. If someone disables his file hosting account, the files are lost. On the other hand, the author should update his files. If he disappears and the license allows then somebody else can do it and just link to the new files. If an author disappears and disables his account at the file hoster such that they are not accessible anymore and the license permits then someone else who has a copy can upload them as has been done in the past. I don't see that we actually have an urgent problem to deal with here. But maybe I'm not looking in the right direction.

Regarding points of failure: the outage of the BB yesterday was a good example of why having our resources spread across several servers is a good thing. The wiki and the main website continued to exist and the wiki was quickly updated with information about the outage (thanks Smivs). I guess this is true also for files.

[Smivs]

Just to mention that while I was sorting out a couple of details on my websites the other day, I had a look at the availability of various 'oolite.' domain names. oolite.org we know about, and strangely most of the other options (eg oolite.net) are already registered, but the useful-looking 'oolite.info' was un-registered and available.
To cut to the quick, I bought it.
I personally have no need or use for this domain, but I bought it on behalf of the community and will be happy to make it available for any good purpose. One thought I had was that it may be a good 'portal' domain, an umbrella from which we can link to all the other oolite sites and resources.
Maik knows about this purchase, so if anybody else has any thoughts on how we might use this, let us know what you think.

[Selezen]

Mirror site? That would help deal with issues maik remarks on in his previous post.

Either that or a secondary site. Maybe even a "fan" site ironically ran by the same community as the "official" site.

EDIT: I had a look at oolite.net, oolite.co.uk and oolite.com. All of them are just placeholders. oolite.net is one of those sites that has been fished by an internet hosting company that obviously wants to sell it on.

[maik]

Just to get back on topic and close it as well (only the topic, not the off-topic stuff ): Winston gave me access to his server and also made Ahruman and myself Bureaucrats on the wiki. Hence, the Oolite Wiki is now obsolete. As I posted in a new thread, I will use it to provide a backup of the Elite Wiki instead (and other Oolite sites if necessary).

Thank you everyone who took the time to do edits on both the Elite and the Oolite wiki while the situation was unresolved. Cim will continue to have shell access to this backup server.

@cim: please backup your Oolite-homepage-on-wiki-related pages. Once you confirm you saved them I will start the backup process. I will also email you.

[cim]

Just to get back on topic and close it as well (only the topic, not the off-topic stuff ): Winston gave me access to his server and also made Ahruman and myself Bureaucrats on the wiki. Hence, the Oolite Wiki is now obsolete. As I posted in a new thread, I will use it to provide a backup of the Elite Wiki instead (and other Oolite sites if necessary).

Thank you everyone who took the time to do edits on both the Elite and the Oolite wiki while the situation was unresolved. Cim will continue to have shell access to this backup server.

@cim: please backup your Oolite-homepage-on-wiki-related pages. Once you confirm you saved them I will start the backup process. I will also email you.

Backed up now. Can you set me up a user account on the Elite Wiki when you get a moment, too.

[maik]

Backed up now. Can you set me up a user account on the Elite Wiki when you get a moment, too.

Done. password is in PM.

[Okti]

Nice to have an alternative to wiki when it is down, well done Maik.

[maik]

The original wiki server is extremely slow at the moment. Pages load but it takes forever. Unfortunately, my Wiki is not up-to-date, I haven't taken the time yet to set up a sync with the original. So please do not add content there.

[Ironfist]

Maik,
Just went to the New Wiki front page and got an empty page just plain white!

Ironfist

[maik]

Yep, I'm currently implementing a sync from our EliteWiki. Until this is done my wiki is unavailable.

[maik]

The backup wiki is available now at http://wiki.maikschulz.de. If everything works as designed it will be updated daily at 5am CET from http://wiki.alioth.net. It is set to read-only.

[JazHaz]

The backup wiki is available now at http://wiki.maikschulz.de. If everything works as designed it will be updated daily at 5am CET from http://wiki.alioth.net. It is set to read-only.

So we don't have to update this as well now?