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A Local Wiki 

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

The Web has always been about content and collaboration. And nothing brings more to the core values it stands for, than a Wiki. A Wiki is a website that allows users to add content, but also allows others to edit and add on to this at anytime. In fact, one of the largest online encyclopedias is actually a Wiki and is available at

www.wikipedia.org

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When you use PCQLinux 2005, you get the very same power in your hands. PCQLinux 2005 contains the same software called MediaWiki, which drives this huge encyclopedia. While installing PCQLinux 2005, you can select MediaWiki from the PCQLinux Special>Management Applications group or by simply choosing the 'Portal Server' install type. 

If you are installing this manually, you need to install Apache (httpd), MySQL, PHP and then finally

MediaWiki.

MediaWiki Permissions

Sometimes when you try to view the configuration page for the Wiki, you get a page asking you to change the permissions of the config folder. Following the instructions, given on the page, works most of the time. However, in certain cases, even if the permissions are set, you still get the error message stating that the permissions are not enough. In such cases, open up the file, /var/www/html/wiki/config/index.php.

Delete or comment out the lines numbering from 142 to 157. Save the file and then try viewing the configuration page in the browser again.



You will again face a problem when you try to save the file-LocalSettings.php. Luckily the configuration page also spits out the resulting code on the page itself. Simply copy this code and paste it into a new file as /var/www/html/wiki/config/LocalSettings.php. Follow rest of the instructions as given in the article.

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To configure the Wiki, first make sure that the Web server has started and the MySQL server is running, and you know the name and user details to connect to it. You can use WebMin, if installed, to make sure that both these are done. Next, go to

http:///wiki.

The first time you go here, you will be shown a link taking you to the configuration page. In most cases, you can go into the configuration directly. However, in certain cases you might get a page asking you to change the config directory permission. In such a case, see the box (given in this article on changing the permissions). 

Once you see the configuration page, there are a few things you need to do. The following items must be entered to get the Wiki to function correctly.

  • Site Name: This is the name of the site (Wiki) that you wish to install and show.
  • Sysop Account Name: The username for the system administrator. We recommend you change the default one given here.
  • Sysop Passwords: Make sure you remember these are very important.
  • MySQL Server: This is the server name/IP address of your MySQL server. It's to be correctly entered, otherwise, you will get some very strange looking

    errors later on.
  • Database Name: The name of the new database that this config file creates that stores all the data in the Wiki.
  • DB Username: The name of the MySQL user that can connect to this database. If the user does not exist, it will be created for you with the correct permissions. This should be different from the Sysop username.
  • DB Password: This is the new or existing password for the DB user.
  • Table Prefix: In case, you are using an existing database to store the Wiki data, you might want to enter a table prefix (say, 'wk_'). This prepends the table names with this so that it is easier for you to manage.
  • DB Root Password: This is required only if you have changed the root password of MySQL, and the DB username you entered earlier does not exist.
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Type Wiki

Code
Output
Headers ==

Header 1 ==
Header

1
  ==

Header 2 ==
Header

2
  ===Header

3 ===
Header

3
Paragraphs This

is simpletext in lines
This

is simpletext in lines
  Put

multiple enters to create a new para
Put

multiple enters to create a new para
Bullets *

List Item1
l

List Item1·
  *List

Item2
l

List Item2o
  **List

Item3
l

List Item3
  ***List

Item4
l

List Item4·
  *

List Item5
l

List Item5
Internal

Links
< Stuff>> This

is a new page in the Wiki called New_Stuff
External <http://pcquest.com

PCQuest>
This

creates a new text link as PCQuest linked to the

Once you submit this form, the install script will perform a set of operations and create a file named LocalSettings.php in the config directory. (See the box on permissions, if you get an error here.) Now go back to the console and into the /var/www/html/wiki/config directory. Move the LocalSettings.php file to its parent, and remove the config directory by issuing the command:

The database configuration section of the page is very important in making sure that the Wiki installs correctly

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#mv LocalSettings.php ..



#cd ..


#rm -rf config

To view your newly created Wiki, browse over to http:///wiki.

You will see a welcome page that contains different links to help you customize the page as well as the examples of different sections on the page.

Working with the new Wiki is simple enough. Users can create content (that of course can be vetted by other users and the administrator) to their heart's content. The Wiki provides a simple editing screen that allows users to create and/or edit content pages for the topic as and when they choose. The Wiki grows with the submissions and content that is provided.

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The configuration page automatically creates the LocalSettings.php file. You can also copy-paste from this page, in case, it does not have permissions to write

The administrator can quite simply set up preferences including the way the Wiki is formatted, the search parameters and the behaviors of various actions (such as double clicking on a header). 

Editing content in a Wiki is extremely simple-even for people with no HTML knowledge. Below are a few examples of creating content.

There are many others that you can use to create content and almost everything can be done by simply typing into the edit page. The different sections can be easily linked and manipulated to create the content according to the topic of your Wiki.

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