---
Installing MediaWiki
---

Starting with MediaWiki 1.2.0, it's possible to install
and configure the wiki "in-place", as long as you have
the necessary prerequesites available.

In 1.3.0 the old command-line installer has been removed.

Required software:
* Web server with PHP 4.1.2 or higher (4.3.x is preferred)
* A MySQL server. 4.0.x is preferred, but 3.2.x should
  work as well.

MediaWiki is developed and tested mainly on Unix/Linux
platforms, but should work on Windows as well.

If your PHP is configured as a CGI plug-in rather than
an Apache module you may experience problems, as this
configuration is not well tested.

Don't forget to check the RELEASE-NOTES file...

********************** WARNING **************************

REMEMBER: ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATABASE BEFORE ATTEMPTING
TO INSTALL OR UPGRADE!!!

----
In-place web install
----

Decompress the MediaWiki installation archive either on
your server, or on your local machine and upload the
directory tree. Rename it from "mediawiki-1.x.x" to
something nice, like "wiki", since it'll be in your URL.

To run the install script, you'll need to temporarily make
the 'config' subdirectory writable by the web server. The
simplest way to do this on a Unix/Linux system is to make
it world-writable:

  chmod a+w config

Hop into your browser and surf into the wiki directory.
It'll direct you into the config script. Fill out the form...
remember you're probably not on an encrypted connection.
Gaaah! :)

If all goes well, you should soon be told that it's set up
your wiki database and written a configuration file. There
should now be a 'LocalSettings.php' in the config directory;
move it back up to the main wiki directory, and the wiki
should now be working.

Once the wiki is set up, you should remove the config
directory, or at least make it not world-writable (though
it will refuse to config again if the wiki is set up).


----
Upgrading
----

Install as with a fresh copy of MediaWiki, but give it the
database information for the existing database. It will try
to upgrade the database schema as necessary automatically.

Upgrades are not always foolproof; be sure to back everything
up! You will have to make any LocalSettings.php customizations
on the newly generated LocalSettings.php.

Be sure to backup all your files before you start.

See the file UPGRADE for additional notes.


----

Don't forget that this is free software under development!
Chances are good there's a crucial step that hasn't made it
into the documentation. You should probably sign up for the
MediaWiki developers' mailing list; you can ask for help (please
provide enough information to work with, and preferably be aware
of what you're doing!) and keep track of major changes to the
software, including performance improvements and security patches.

http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-l (site admin support)

http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikitech-l (development)