Editing Help:Contents (section)

====Install Instructions====

Check out [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide:_Installation MediaWiki Installation] 
*Download the latest, stable version of mediawiki from [http://wikipedia.sourceforge.net/| wikipedia.sourcforge].
::The MediaWiki FAQs are '''excellent''', and should provide clear and thorough instructions for downloading and installing the program.
(However here is a quick summary)
*Read the 'Install.txt' file for installation instructions and system requirements.
*The system requirements for the server (which could really be any computer set up appropriately, although '''preferably linux''') are:
:*Apache web server
:*mySQL database
:*PHP-mySQL package
:(If running a new version of Fedora Core, all of these can be installed as packages from the original boot disks).
*Uncompress and untar the mediawiki folder.  It is advised to rename this folder something convenient, like wiki or mediawiki.
*Change the read/write access of the config directory to be readable by all.  This folder contains the php script for the initial configuration.
::<code>chmod a+w config</code>
*The next step is to browse into this folder from an internet browser.  If this is run off of your linux box, you will need to find the folder open to the world 
via http and move the entire mediawiki folder here.  When I did it, it was:
::/var/www/html/
:*Once the folder is there, browse <code><nowiki>http://my_ip_address/mediawiki</nowiki></code>.  The installation script should start and you can now fill in the boxes, 
initializing the site and the database  which will store all the site data.

*The on-screen instructions are rather self-explanatory and after filling in and confirming the necessary information, the site should be created.
*On the new page, the instructions will say to move the 'LocalSettings.php' file into your main mediawik folder and then delete the config directory.
::Once this is done, the 'LocalSettings.php' file now becomes the default script that loads the mainpage of the wiki site.