Dear Asaf,
0) Use cases
Use cases for this project are simple (motivation stated in parentheses):
a) Originally I just wanted a mirror of the `enwiki' on my desktop that I could browse when my Internet service provider went down (availability);
b) Later I wanted a mirror of the `simplewiki' and `simplewiktionary' on my laptop so I could move about (mobility);
c) Then came unhappy disclosures about domestic surveillance which make it prudent to browse offline (privacy);
d) Still later I wanted mirrors of other projects, such as `enwikisource' and `enwikiversity', because I like reading books offline, usually keeping them open for days (availability); and
e) Now I want to generate ZIM files and all other dump files from these mirrors to create a `WMF in a microcosm.' This is for use by the offline community, and for archiving, experimenting, etc. For example:
o You can have a desktop where the `enwikinews' mirror updates daily and generates a ZIM file daily. This ZIM file can be synced to your handheld device at your convenience. (availability, mobility);
o You can periodically generate and archive an image thumbs tarball (durability); and
o You can dump your mirror, conduct experiments that may trash your database, and then rebuild your mirror (durability).
The recent release WP-MIRROR 0.7.4 delivers all but use case (e).
1) Road map
Dump file generating capability is planned for the next version series, WP-MIRROR 0.8.x, which will be packaged for Debian 8 (jessie) and Ubuntu 14.04 (trusty).
Sincerely Yours,