// sorry for cross-posting
The FileExporter will soon be released as a beta feature to all wikis. The
planned deployment date is January 16.
Some background: Files from local wikis should be transferred to Wikimedia
Commons if their license allows it. This way, they can be used by all
wikis. But if you wanted to import a local file to Commons in the past, you
couldn’t properly transfer its file and page history. It was a wish from a
survey of the German-speaking communities to find a solution to this
problem.
Now, the FileExporter makes it possible to import a file from a local wiki
to Wikimedia Commons, while keeping its history intact. A first version has
already been a beta feature on a few first wikis since June 2018. [1] Since
then, bugs were fixed and features were added.
If you’re interested in importing local files, please give the feature a
try. Even though it’s a beta feature, you can use it for real file
imports. Please
note that in order to get started, you need to
1.
activate the beta feature “FileExporter” on your wiki [2], and
2.
make sure your wiki has a proper configuration file. Configuration files
are maintained by each wiki's community. They define, among other
things, whether a file can be exported. Exports from wikis without a
configuration file are blocked. Find more more information in the
documentation. [3]
We’re looking forward to your feedback on the central feedback page! [4] A
big thanks to everyone who gave feedback so far.
If you wish to learn more about the project, have a look at the page of the
wish. [5]
For the Technical Wishes team,
Johanna
[1] deployment plan:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Move_files_to_Commons…
[2] go to Preferences > Beta features, e.g.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-betafeat…
[3] documentation on configuration files:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Move_files_to_Commons…
[4] central feedback page:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help_talk:Extension:FileImporter
[5] project page:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMDE_Technical_Wishes/Move_files_to_Commons
Johanna Strodt Project Manager Community Communications Technical Wishlist,
Wikimedia Deutschland