MediaWiki

MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki software that is used to power some of the largest and most popular wikis in the world, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikiversity, and many others. It was developed by the Wikimedia Foundation and is written in PHP. MediaWiki is used by many organizations, including NASA, United States Department of State, and Intel Corporation. It is also used by many educational institutions, such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Introduction

MediaWiki is a highly customizable and extensible software that allows users to create and edit content using a simple markup language. It is designed to be scalable and can handle large amounts of traffic and data, making it an ideal solution for large-scale wikis. MediaWiki is used by many notable websites, including Wikinews, Wikispecies, and Wikivoyage. It is also used by many companies, such as Microsoft, Google, and Facebook, to power their internal wikis. Additionally, MediaWiki is used by many governments, including the Government of Canada, Government of Australia, and European Union, to provide information to citizens.

History

The development of MediaWiki began in 2001 by Magnar Manske, a German software developer, and was initially called "Phase III". It was later renamed to MediaWiki and was released in 2002. Since then, it has undergone many changes and improvements, with contributions from hundreds of developers around the world, including Brion Vibber, Tim Starling, and Rob Church. MediaWiki has been used to power many notable wikis, including Wikipedia, which was founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001. Other notable wikis that use MediaWiki include Wikimedia Commons, which was launched in 2004, and Wikidata, which was launched in 2012.

Features

MediaWiki has many features that make it a powerful and flexible wiki software. It includes a WYSIWYG editor, which allows users to edit content without needing to know HTML or other markup languages. It also includes a robust access control system, which allows administrators to control who can edit and view content. MediaWiki also includes a search engine, which allows users to quickly find content on the wiki. Additionally, MediaWiki has a large collection of extensions, which can be used to add new features and functionality to the software. Some notable extensions include Semantic MediaWiki, which was developed by Denny Vrandecic, and WikiEditor, which was developed by Trevor Parscal.

Installation

Installing MediaWiki is a relatively straightforward process that can be completed in a few steps. The first step is to download the MediaWiki software from the official website, which is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. The next step is to upload the software to a web server, such as Apache HTTP Server or Nginx. Once the software is uploaded, the user must configure the database, which can be done using a tool such as phpMyAdmin. Finally, the user must configure the wiki's settings, such as the wiki's name and logo, using the Special:WikiSettings page. Many web hosting companies, such as DreamHost and HostGator, offer one-click installation of MediaWiki.

Configuration

Configuring MediaWiki can be a complex process, as it has many settings and options that can be customized. The wiki's settings can be configured using the Special:WikiSettings page, which allows administrators to control everything from the wiki's name and logo to the default skin and language. MediaWiki also includes a robust template system, which allows users to create custom templates for pages. Additionally, MediaWiki has a large collection of skins, which can be used to change the look and feel of the wiki. Some notable skins include Vector (skin), which was developed by Trevor Parscal, and MonoBook, which was developed by Gabriel Wicke.

Development

The development of MediaWiki is an ongoing process that involves hundreds of developers around the world. The software is developed using a version control system called Git, which allows developers to collaborate on the code. MediaWiki is released under the GNU General Public License, which allows users to freely use and distribute the software. The development of MediaWiki is overseen by the Wikimedia Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting the use of free and open-source software. Many notable developers, such as Brion Vibber and Tim Starling, have contributed to the development of MediaWiki. Additionally, many companies, such as Google and Microsoft, have contributed to the development of MediaWiki through their Google Summer of Code and Microsoft Summer of Code programs. Category:Free software