Subwiki:Setup procedure

This article describes the multiple steps of the setup procedure for a subject wiki.

Deciding a name and a subtitle
The first step is to decide on a one-word name for the subject wiki. This one-word name comes up as:


 * The official wiki name.
 * The subdomain name used to store the wiki.
 * The variable part of the name of the specific database where the wiki's contents are stored.

The subtitle is a phrase of the form The ... Wiki, where ... indicates the subject in two to four words.

Basic installation and configuration
Reference: mediawikiwiki:manual:installation guide

This has the following important steps:


 * Create the database: The name of the database is determined by the official wiki name.
 * Download and extract the latest version of MediaWiki from http://www.mediawiki.org
 * Use the on-screen configuration process and complete the moves.
 * Configure the backup scripts for the database and other content.

Further installation steps

 * 1) Set up short URLs for /wiki/ to direct to /w/index.php?title= (reference: mediawikiwiki:Manual:Short URLs). Or, copy the short URL snippet code from another subject wiki.
 * 2) Enable image uploads.
 * 3) Set up math mode: The OCaml software has already been installed on the server. Math mode can be set using $wgUseTex.
 * 4) Set $wgUseAjax = true and enable PDF uploads.
 * 5) Make sure that cache clearing instructions are present at the end of LocalSettings.php.
 * 6) Copy and include namespaces.inc.
 * 7) Install the ConfirmAccount extension, and in the process, copy and include editpermissions.inc, which includes this extension. Do the necessary database operations for the extension.
 * 8) Install extensions: Straightforward extensions to install: CategoryTree, LabeledSectionTransclusion, MultiCategorySearch, NewestPages, ParserFunctions, Social Bookmarking, Random Page. Also install ConfirmAccount. Copy the extensionlist.inc file from Ref and alter it suitably. Finally, do the necessary database operations for ConfirmAccount.
 * 9) Install the SemanticMediaWiki extension, and copy and include semanticsettings.inc from Ref or Groupprops, making necessary modification. Include it after extensionlist.inc but before the cache clearing at the end of the file.
 * 10) Copy and include searchsettings.inc.
 * 11) Install Google Analytics extension and get an Analytics UID. Copy the analytics.inc generic file from Ref and alter the UID. Include in LocalSettings.php at the end of the file, after the cache clearing.

Necessary and immediate

 * 1) Create two administrative accounts, one impersonal and one personal. Edit their user groups appropriately.
 * 2) Load the 4AM logo as Logo.jpg.
 * 3) Edit the sitenotice: The first line of the sitenotice should give the name and subtitle, followed by a parenthetical comment indicating the status (just setup or pre-pre-alpha, to begin with). Include the 4AM logo as a thumbnail on the right.
 * 4) Edit the sidebar: Move SEARCH to the top, remove unnecessary navigational links. If the wiki will be organized using a similar paradigm as Groupprops, copy from Groupprops:MediaWiki:Sidebar.
 * 5) Import or copy generic templates:
 * 6) Import or copy the Copyright notice and privacy policy notice from Ref.
 * 7) Import or copy MediaWiki:Noarticletext, MediaWiki:Newarticletext:
 * 8) Upgrade the on-wiki search features: Edit the search display text. Also, edit Common.js to allow for searching through external search engines starting from the site.

Not immediately necessary

 * 1) Commission a logo for the left upper corner display.
 * 2) Convert the logo to an ICO file and set that as the favicon for the wiki.
 * 3) Create search plugins for the wiki, in the manner of the search plugin for Groupprops.

From other wikis

 * 1) Add interwiki links to it from Ref and the other subject wikis.
 * 2) Add it to the Subwiki list on Ref and also to MediaWiki:Sidebar on Ref.