MediaWiki

What is MediaWiki?

MediaWiki is the technology that drives Wikipedia and also Moodle Docs. MediaWiki is Open Source.

Installing MediaWiki

Installing MediaWiki is almost as simple as installing Moodle. Essentially the same processes are involved, but there is a trick or two that you need be aware of. (These instructions are similar in all installations where Moodle has been installed PRIOR to MediaWiki.)

1. Unzip the file to your server root e.g. apache/htdocs or inet/wwwroot or for XAMPP or MAMP Moodle installations, use the Moodle folder.
2. In your browser, open install.php.
3. Respond to the questions asked and be careful with the questions about the Database.
   1. Use the same values as you have for $CFG->dbuser and $CFG->dbpass in your Moodle config.php file in the corresponding questions asked in MediaWiki
   2. If Moodle and MediaWiki share the same database you should use database table prefixes for both.
4. If you have not got it right, MediaWiki will bounce back with an error message at the place in the configuration page it does not work.
5. When right, MediaWiki will install and then open directly to the Main Page.
6. You can edit almost straight away, but you need to COPY the LocalSettings.php file from the mediawiki/config folder to the root folder first.

Instructions on how to complete the configuration of your MediaWiki are found in the MediaWiki help files and manual.

Instructions on how to use MediaWiki

See Help:Editing on Moodle Docs or MediaWiki FAQ.

OpenOffice Wiki Publisher

OpenOffice contains an export filter for MediaWiki format. You can even publish directly to a MediaWiki server from OpenOffice. (This might not work if your server is set up for short URLs.)

More information:

• Sun Wiki Publisher
• Sun Wiki Publisher extension for OpenOffice.org shines

Books

• MediaWiki - Wikipedia and Beyond by Daniel J. Barrett, O'Reilly - handy reference
• Professional Wikis by Mark S. Choate, Wrox - technical instructions
• Wikipatterns by Stewart Mader, Wiley - the mindset behind Wiki usage

See also:

Moodle forums

• MOODLE / MediaWiki integration