1089042 - Create a bot for Release Engineering

Status: NEW

(Websites :: wiki.mozilla.org, enhancement)

Description

[Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley]]

Right now, RelEng relies on a fragile shell script to do its version number updating on merge day:

https://hg.mozilla.org/build/tools/file/default/buildfarm/maintenance/update_merge_day_wiki.sh

However, this script does not support MediaWiki features like templates and redirects, so it breaks if the contents of the templates are not all and only the version numbers.

Right now, this means I'm breaking that script by redirecting to a centralized location for version numbers. But it also means no categories, no <noinclude>s, no nothing on those pages.

We should introduce the RelEng team to the wiki API and help them create a bot that does what they want in a less hackish way so that these pages can function as real, full wiki pages.

Comment 1

[Aki Sasaki (not active)]

Real solution ++

Comment 2

[[e-mail] (:bhearsum)]

The summary and the subject are throwing me off a little bit. I agree that some sort of bot for RelEng would be nice (we've talked about this a lot in the past), but I don't think a bot is the right thing to be doing the specific merge day changes - updates to this wiki happen as part of a more formal "Merge day" process (https://wiki.mozilla.org/ReleaseEngineering/Merge_Duty), but I definitely think we should be using the API!

Comment 3

[Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley]]

(In reply to Ben Hearsum [:bhearsum] from comment #2)
> The summary and the subject are throwing me off a little bit. I agree that
> some sort of bot for RelEng would be nice (we've talked about this a lot in
> the past), but I don't think a bot is the right thing to be doing the
> specific merge day changes - updates to this wiki happen as part of a more
> formal "Merge day" process
> (https://wiki.mozilla.org/ReleaseEngineering/Merge_Duty), but I definitely
> think we should be using the API!

In MediaWiki parlance, a bot is a special type of user, given different/special rights. When you use the API to edit pages, you'll need to log in as somebody—the RelEng bot will be that user.

How broadly you use that account is up to you. Just know that "bot" doesn't always mean automated, per se.

(If this was not what was throwing you off, please elaborate and I'll try to explain more.)

Comment 4

[Chris Cooper [:coop] (he/him)]

We could use the same bot for reconfigs:

https://hg.mozilla.org/build/tools/file/a489631ee419/buildfarm/maintenance/update_maintenance_wiki.sh

Comment 5

[Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley]]

If RelEng wants to look into it on their own, here are some starting points:

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Pywikibot
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/API:Main_page

If you register a user for use as a bot, let us know, and we'll give it the appropriate permissions.

Comment 6

[Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley]]

(In reply to Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley] from comment #5)
> If you register a user for use as a bot, let us know, and we'll give it the
> appropriate permissions.

Actually, I can create one for you. Just tell me where to send the password.