HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
your database configuration settings right on the installation page. If you have root
(administrator) access to your MySQL server, MediaWiki will even create a dedicated
database and user for you. If you're using shared hosting, you'll probably have to enter
the database name and login information for your database and then let MediaWiki cre-
ate its tables. MediaWiki, like WordPress, lets you pick a prefix for your table names so
that you can avoid naming conflicts if multiple applications use the same database. After
setup is complete, MediaWiki requests that you move the configuration file it created to
the proper location, and then you can begin editing content.
If everything is set up properly, MediaWiki installation can be painless. Unfortunately,
with these types of applications, there's always an opportunity for something to go
wrong. If you run into trouble, check out the MediaWiki installation guide:
The settings for MediaWiki are found in the file
LocalSettings.php
, which MediaWiki
may have generated for you. You can find a full list of configuration settings at the fol-
lowing location:
MediaWiki will work fine with the default settings, but you'll probably at least want to
add your own logo to replace the placeholder image. MediaWiki also supports themes,
which are called
skins
in the MediaWiki world. A big list of skins that you can download
and install can be found here:
Users can change their personal settings to use any skin that's installed. To change the
default skin for the site, edit the
$wgDefaultSkin
variable in your
LocalSettings.php
file.
Using MediaWiki
After you have MediaWiki set up however you like, you can start entering content of
your own. If you go with the default installation, anyone who sees your site can start
entering content of her own. Every page in a wiki has an edit link on it, allowing you to
jump in and make changes. To add an internal link in MediaWiki, you enclose the name
of the page in double square brackets, like this:
[[My New Page]]
When you click the link, you'll be asked to fill in the body of the new page. That's all
there is to it. You can also create a new page by entering its name directly into the URL.
If you enter a URL, such as
http://localhost:8888/mediawiki/index.php/Flying_Monkeys,
and a page named “Flying Monkeys” does not exist, it will be created automatically.
