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  1. MediaWiki Administration: A Beginner's Guide

Introduction

MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software, powering some of the largest websites in the world, most notably Wikipedia. While creating and editing content is relatively straightforward, effective administration of a MediaWiki installation requires understanding a range of tools, configurations, and best practices. This guide provides a detailed introduction to MediaWiki administration for beginners, covering essential tasks and concepts. It's designed for those who have a basic understanding of web servers and databases but are new to the specifics of managing a MediaWiki site. We will cover user management, configuration, maintenance, security, and extensions.

Understanding the Core Components

Before diving into administration, it’s important to understand the core components that make up a MediaWiki installation:

  • **PHP:** The server-side scripting language MediaWiki is written in. Understanding PHP is beneficial for advanced customization and troubleshooting, but not strictly required for basic administration.
  • **MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL:** The database that stores all the wiki's content, user information, and configuration settings. Database administration skills are helpful for performance optimization and backups.
  • **Web Server (Apache/Nginx):** The server that handles requests from users' browsers and delivers the MediaWiki pages. Understanding web server configuration is crucial for security and performance.
  • **MediaWiki Software:** The actual wiki engine, consisting of PHP files, CSS, JavaScript, and images.

User Management

Effectively managing users is a fundamental aspect of MediaWiki administration. You’ll need to be able to create, modify, and manage user accounts, as well as control their permissions.

  • **User Creation:** Administrators can create new user accounts through the Special:UserLogin page. You can set initial permissions during account creation.
  • **User Groups:** MediaWiki uses a group-based permission system. Key groups include:
   * **Administrators:**  Full control over the wiki.
   * **Bureaucrats:**  Can manage user rights, including granting administrator access.
   * **Moderators:** Can protect and unprotect pages, and block users.
   * **Autoconfirmed:** Users who have met certain criteria (usually a minimum number of edits and an age of account) and are granted increased privileges.
   * **Registered Users:** All users who have created an account.
  • **Managing Permissions:** Permissions are assigned to user groups. You can modify group permissions through the Special:UserRights page. Be cautious when granting permissions, as misuse can compromise the wiki.
  • **Blocking Users:** If a user is engaging in disruptive behavior, you can block their account through the Special:BlockIP page. Blocking can be temporary or permanent. Always document the reason for blocking a user.
  • **User Rights Management:** The UserRights extension provides a more granular control over user rights, allowing you to assign specific rights to individual users.

Configuration

MediaWiki's behavior is controlled by its configuration file, `LocalSettings.php`. This file is located in the root directory of your MediaWiki installation. Modifying `LocalSettings.php` requires careful attention, as errors can break your wiki.

  • **Database Configuration:** The most important settings in `LocalSettings.php` relate to the database connection. You'll need to specify the database type, host, username, password, and database name.
  • **Site Name and URL:** Configure the `$wgSitename` and `$wgServer` variables to reflect your wiki's name and URL.
  • **Email Settings:** Configure the `$wgEmailAddress` and `$wgSMTP` variables to enable email functionality (e.g., for password resets and notifications).
  • **Language Settings:** Set the default language for your wiki using the `$wgDefaultLanguage` variable.
  • **Skin Selection:** Choose a visual theme (skin) for your wiki using the `$wgDefaultSkin` variable. Popular skins include Vector and MonoBook.
  • **Caching:** Configure caching settings to improve performance. MediaWiki supports various caching mechanisms, including Memcached and Redis.
  • **File Uploads:** Configure file upload settings, including allowed file types and maximum file size.
  • **Special:Configure**: This special page provides a user-friendly interface for configuring some settings without directly editing `LocalSettings.php`.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance is essential for keeping your MediaWiki installation running smoothly.

  • **Database Backups:** Regularly back up your database. This is crucial for disaster recovery. Use your database server's backup tools (e.g., `mysqldump` for MySQL).
  • **File Backups:** Back up the `images` directory, which contains all uploaded files.
  • **Running Maintenance Scripts:** MediaWiki provides several maintenance scripts that can be run from the command line. These scripts perform tasks such as:
   * **`update.php`:**  Updates the wiki's database schema after a MediaWiki upgrade.
   * **`rebuildindex.php`:**  Rebuilds the search index.
   * **`purgecache.php`:**  Clears the server cache.
  • **Log File Monitoring:** Monitor the MediaWiki log files for errors and warnings. These logs can provide valuable insights into potential problems.
  • **Database Optimization:** Regularly optimize your database tables to improve performance. You can use tools provided by your database server (e.g., `OPTIMIZE TABLE` in MySQL).
  • **Special:Statistics**: This page provides useful information about your wiki’s content and activity, helping to identify areas for improvement.

Security

Securing your MediaWiki installation is paramount. Here are some key security measures:

  • **Keep MediaWiki Updated:** Regularly update to the latest version of MediaWiki to patch security vulnerabilities.
  • **Secure `LocalSettings.php`:** Protect `LocalSettings.php` from unauthorized access. Restrict permissions on the file.
  • **Secure Web Server:** Configure your web server to use HTTPS. Enable appropriate security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
  • **Strong Passwords:** Encourage users to use strong passwords.
  • **CAPTCHA:** Enable CAPTCHA to prevent automated account creation and spam.
  • **Spam Prevention:** Use extensions like SpamBlacklist to block known spam sources.
  • **Special:AntiSpam**: This page provides tools to manage spam prevention settings.
  • **Regular Security Audits:** Periodically conduct security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • **Limit Access to Special Pages:** Restrict access to sensitive special pages, such as `Special:UserRights` and `Special:BlockIP`, to authorized administrators.

Extensions

MediaWiki's functionality can be extended using extensions. Extensions are PHP scripts that add new features to the wiki.

  • **Installing Extensions:** Extensions are typically installed by downloading the extension files and placing them in the `extensions` directory of your MediaWiki installation. Then, you need to add the extension to the `$wgExtensions` array in `LocalSettings.php`.
  • **Popular Extensions:**
   * **Scribunto:**  Allows you to embed Lua scripts in wiki pages.
   * **VisualEditor:**  Provides a more user-friendly editing interface.
   * **Semantic MediaWiki:**  Adds semantic capabilities to wiki pages, allowing you to create structured data.
   * **SpamBlacklist:**  Blocks known spam sources.
   * **UserRights:**  Provides more granular control over user rights.
   * **ConfirmEdit:**  Requires users to confirm their edits before they are saved.
   * **CategoryTree:** Displays a navigable tree view of categories.
   * **CiteThisPage:** Adds a "Cite this page" link to wiki pages.
  • **Extension Compatibility:** Ensure that the extensions you install are compatible with your version of MediaWiki.
  • **Special:ListInstalledExtensions**: This page lists all currently installed extensions.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • **White Screen of Death (WSOD):** Often caused by errors in `LocalSettings.php` or in an extension. Check the web server error logs for clues.
  • **Database Connection Errors:** Verify that the database server is running and that the database credentials in `LocalSettings.php` are correct.
  • **Slow Performance:** Enable caching, optimize the database, and consider upgrading your server hardware.
  • **Spam:** Implement spam prevention measures, such as CAPTCHA and the SpamBlacklist extension.
  • **Permission Errors:** Ensure that the web server user has the necessary permissions to read and write to the MediaWiki files and directories.

Advanced Administration

  • **API Access:** MediaWiki provides an API that allows you to interact with the wiki programmatically.
  • **Hooks:** Hooks allow you to intercept and modify MediaWiki's behavior.
  • **Command-Line Tools:** MediaWiki provides a set of command-line tools for performing administrative tasks.
  • **Load Balancing:** For high-traffic wikis, consider using load balancing to distribute the load across multiple servers.
  • **Clustering:** Implement a clustered database setup for increased reliability and scalability.

Resources

External Links for Further Learning

Special:Myuserpage Special:Search Special:RecentChanges Help:Contents Manual:Configuration Manual:Extensions Manual:User rights management Special:Statistics Special:Configure Special:ListInstalledExtensions

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