Request to make NavbarHorizontal permission a LocalSettings configuration

[revansx]

I use the Clean.xml (chameleon v4.2.1) as the default skin on a private wiki, however, because of [1] unregistered users who aren't yet logged-in don't get to see the horizontal Navbar at the top and - as a result - are not shown the Special:Login link in the top-right .. it only shows for registered users.

I have been able to obtain the desired behavior by deleting line 29 in layouts/cean.xml [1].

<modification type="ShowOnlyFor" permission="edit"/>

Would it be possible to add a new configuration variable in LocalSettings like:

$egChameleonAlwaysShowNavbar = 'true';

that would wrap that line in an if-then statement making this behavior a configurable option?

Thanks!
/Rich

[1] https://github.com/ProfessionalWiki/chameleon/blob/d2da6b498eca0f75f188103a4a1e67416e8e250f/layouts/clean.xml#L29C52-L29C55

[malberts]

It's not possible to use LocalSettings config in the layout XML file. Within a component's PHP you can access that, but that would be a very roundabout way to override a component when the simplest solution is to not have the component in the first place.

Have you considered using a custom layout file based on Clean.xml but without that line? (i.e. instead of modifying the layout in the skin directory). I suppose the documentation isn't very clear about how to do this:
https://github.com/ProfessionalWiki/chameleon/blob/master/docs/customization.md#layout-of-page-elements
Basically, copy Clean.xml outside the skin directory and reference that instead:

$egChameleonLayoutFile= __DIR__ . '/somewhere/else/Clean.xml';

(Path relative to LocalSettings)

[revansx]

My project doesn't allow me to develop custom code on the server that must be maintained separately from the components we use from git. So I can only use whatever configure options a components offers.

That said, what is the point of denying the navbar to users who simply can't edit? Is that intentional? Does it even make sense to have that behavior?

Would you be open to just removing that line from the clean layout in git so that users without the edit right can login from the clean layout?

Thanks!
/Rich

[malberts]

Have you tried fixedhead.xml instead? It is basically the same as clean.xml but without the ShowOnlyFor modifications.

I believe clean.xml was created specifically to get rid of everything (for whatever purpose), although that was 9 years ago and long before my involvement.

[revansx]

indeed! thank you!!