New subject: [Mediawiki-l] Internal error when creating accounts by e-mail with $wgMinimalPasswordLength > 0

1 Aug 2008

Hi,

We are running MediaWiki 1.12. We can cause an "Internal Error" by using 
the following recipe.

1. Set $wgMinimalPasswordLength to 6.
2. Browse (as bureaucrat and sysop) to 
http://example.com/index.php?title=Special:Userlogin&type=signup
3. Enter a new username, e.g. "UserFoo".
4. Leave both password fields blank.
5. Enter a valid e-mail address in the e-mail field.
6. Click "by e-mail".

Expected behavior:

1. Get a page titled "Password sent".
2. Temporary password shows up at entered e-mail.

Actual behavior:

1. Get a page titled "Internal Error" and the following content:
...

 #0 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialUserlogin.php(338):
User->setPassword('-')
 #1 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialUserlogin.php(320):
LoginForm->initUser(Object(User), false)
 #2 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialUserlogin.php(117):
LoginForm->addNewAccountInternal()
 #3 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialUserlogin.php(96):
LoginForm->addNewAccountMailPassword()
 #4 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialUserlogin.php(17):
LoginForm->execute()
 #5 [internal function]: wfSpecialUserlogin(NULL, Object(SpecialPage))
 #6 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialPage.php(678):
call_user_func('wfSpecialUserlo...', NULL, Object(SpecialPage))
 #7 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/SpecialPage.php(464):
SpecialPage->execute(NULL)
 #8 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/Wiki.php(193):
SpecialPage::executePath(Object(Title))
 #9 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/includes/Wiki.php(45):
MediaWiki->initializeSpecialCases(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage),
Object(WebRequest))
 #10 /export/web/sites01/mediawiki/cyclopath/index.php(90):
MediaWiki->initialize(Object(Title), Object(OutputPage), Object(User),
Object(WebRequest))
 #11 {main} 
2. No password shows up at e-mail.

We do have a custom AuthPlugin but the backtrace above does not touch 
it. UserFoo is created in our external database, but going 
Special:Userlogin and clicking "E-mail password" complains that no such 
user exists.

A workaround seems to be to enter a dummy password of sufficient length, 
but this is a little annoying, particularly since I'm uncomfortable 
giving everyone the same dummy password.

Help? Is there something we can edit to fix this?

Thanks,

Reid