ICT:MW new MediaWiki Blueprint

Blueprint for Organising the New MediaWiki Instance

This document provides a structured approach for building a clean, maintainable, successor-friendly MediaWiki installation dedicated to documenting the Drupal platform, the server environment, and operational procedures.

The goal is to replace the experimental, Cargo-based wiki with a new, purpose-built documentation system that is clear, predictable, and easy to maintain.

1. Purpose of the New Wiki

The new MediaWiki instance will serve as:

• A technical maintenance manual for Drupal
• A user documentation space for historians and editors
• A server operations manual (AlmaLinux, MariaDB, reverse proxy)
• A stable, structured knowledge base for long-term stewardship

It replaces the experimental wiki, which accumulated Cargo, PageForms, temporary namespaces, and unstructured pages.

2. High-Level Structure

The new wiki is organised around three pillars:

2.1 Technical Documentation (System Internals)

Covers:

• Drupal configuration
• Views, fields, display modes
• Custom modules and CSS overrides
• Multilingual configuration
• Asset architecture
• Maintenance workflows

2.2 User Documentation (Functional Use)

Covers:

• How historians use the system
• How to add/edit content
• How to attach assets
• How to use the publisher view
• How to navigate multilingual content

2.3 Server Documentation (Infrastructure)

Covers:

• AlmaLinux installation and updates
• MariaDB backup/restore
• Reverse proxy configuration
• Web server layout
• Deployment procedures

3. Namespaces

Namespaces provide top-level grouping. Suggested namespaces:

• Tech: – Technical implementation documentation
• Guide: – User-facing documentation
• Server: – Server and infrastructure documentation
• Admin: – Operational procedures, backups, deployments

These names are placeholders; choose names that fit your style.

4. Subpage Hierarchy (Pseudo-Folders)

Subpages create a clear, navigable hierarchy.

4.1 Technical Documentation

Tech/Overview
Tech/ContentTypes/Places
Tech/ContentTypes/Objects
Tech/Views/RecordView
Tech/Views/AssetChain
Tech/Modules/CustomWidgets
Tech/CSS/Overrides
Tech/Multilingual/Configuration
Tech/Permissions/Roles

4.2 User Documentation

Guide/Overview
Guide/Editing/AddingRecords
Guide/Editing/Assets
Guide/Editing/Translations
Guide/Publishing/RecordView

4.3 Server Documentation

Server/AlmaLinux/Installation
Server/AlmaLinux/Updates
Server/MariaDB/Backup
Server/MariaDB/Restore
Server/ReverseProxy/Configuration
Server/Web/DirectoryLayout

4.4 Admin Procedures

Admin/Backup/Drupal
Admin/Backup/MediaWiki
Admin/Deployment/Drupal
Admin/Deployment/Server
Admin/Monitoring/Checks

5. Categories

Categories allow cross-cutting grouping across namespaces.

Suggested categories:

Pages can belong to multiple categories.

6. Page Template for Consistency

Use a standard template for all technical pages:

= [Page Title] =
== Purpose ==
== Where Implemented ==
== Configuration Summary ==
== Dependencies ==
== Interaction With Other Subsystems ==
== Known Quirks ==
== How to Modify Safely ==
== How to Debug ==

This ensures clarity and successor-friendliness.

7. Migration Strategy

The old wiki remains online as an archive.

Migration steps:

1. Identify important pages worth keeping.
2. Copy/paste them into the new wiki.
3. Rewrite them using the new structure and template.
4. Discard Cargo/PageForms-specific content.
5. Delete or ignore experimental pages in the old wiki.

This avoids contamination of the new clean structure.

8. Extensions to Install

Keep the new wiki minimal.

Recommended:

• SyntaxHighlight (for code/config snippets)
• CategoryTree (optional)
• VisualEditor (optional)

Avoid:

• Cargo
• PageForms
• Semantic extensions

9. Benefits of This Approach

• Clean, predictable structure
• Easy navigation via namespaces and subpages
• Clear separation between technical, user, and server documentation
• No legacy noise from early experiments
• Easy onboarding for future maintainers
• Documentation grows in a controlled, organised way

10. Conclusion

This blueprint provides a structured foundation for building a new, clean, long-term MediaWiki documentation system. It supports the survival of the Drupal platform, the server environment, and the operational knowledge needed to maintain them.