VisualEditor Integration on AlmaLinux MediaWiki

Purpose

This page documents the exact VisualEditor configuration used on the AlmaLinux MediaWiki server behind the IIS reverse proxy. It is written for future administrators who need to:

Understand how VisualEditor is enabled
Verify the configuration after upgrades
Troubleshoot REST/Parsoid issues
Avoid historical detours that are no longer relevant

The key point: VisualEditor works out of the box because the stack is now clean, predictable, and standard.

Current Status

VisualEditor: enabled and working
REST/Parsoid: handled by MediaWiki’s built‑in REST interface
Reverse proxy: no VisualEditor‑specific rules required
AlmaLinux Apache: standard MediaWiki rewrite rules only
No Synology/WebStation/nginx interference anymore

If MediaWiki works with clean URLs, VisualEditor works too.

Actual Configuration Snippet

This is the exact snippet currently active in LocalSettings.php:

#---VisualEditor -----------

wfLoadExtension( 'VisualEditor' );

$wgDefaultUserOptions['visualeditor-enable'] = 1;
$wgVisualEditorEnableWikitext = true;

$wgVisualEditorRestbaseURL = '/rest.php';
$wgVisualEditorFullRestbaseURL = 'https://mwiki.costasano.club/rest.php';

$wgVirtualRestConfig['modules']['parsoid'] = [
    'url' => 'http://localhost/rest.php',
    'domain' => 'localhost',
    'forwardCookies' => true
];

#---end VisualEditor --------------

Explanation of Each Setting

Extension loading

wfLoadExtension( 'VisualEditor' );

Loads the VisualEditor extension.

Enable VisualEditor for all users

$wgDefaultUserOptions['visualeditor-enable'] = 1;

Ensures VisualEditor is enabled by default.

Enable wikitext mode inside VisualEditor

$wgVisualEditorEnableWikitext = true;

Allows switching between VisualEditor and wikitext.

RESTBase / Parsoid endpoints

$wgVisualEditorRestbaseURL = '/rest.php';
$wgVisualEditorFullRestbaseURL = 'https://mwiki.costasano.club/rest.php';

These define where VisualEditor finds the REST interface:

Relative URL for internal calls
Full URL for browser‑side calls

Virtual REST configuration

$wgVirtualRestConfig['modules']['parsoid'] = [
    'url' => 'http://localhost/rest.php',
    'domain' => 'localhost',
    'forwardCookies' => true
];

This works because:

MediaWiki calls Parsoid internally via localhost
No HTTPS or hostname mismatch
No reverse proxy involvement
Cookies are forwarded for logged‑in editing

Why This Works Now

VisualEditor is sensitive to:

protocol mismatches
hostname mismatches
broken reverse proxy rewrites
missing REST endpoints
inconsistent $wgServer

Your environment is now:

clean
consistent
predictable
free of Synology nginx overrides
free of DSM regeneration side effects

So VisualEditor finally behaves exactly as documented.

Verification Checklist

After upgrades or changes, verify:

/rest.php loads
/api.php loads
Editing a page opens VisualEditor
Saving works
No errors in browser console
No 403/404/502 errors in logs

If all of these pass, VisualEditor is healthy.

Troubleshooting (for future admins)

VisualEditor stuck on loading

Check browser console for REST errors
Verify /rest.php is reachable externally
Verify http://localhost/rest.php is reachable internally

403 or 404 errors

Check Apache vhost
Check SELinux (if enforcing)
Check IIS reverse proxy rules

Mixed content errors

Ensure $wgServer uses https://mwiki.costasano.club

Change History

2025‑12‑27 — VisualEditor re‑enabled: The VisualEditor snippet was restored after the MediaWiki environment was stabilized with clean URLs and a simplified reverse proxy.; It worked immediately without any additional changes.