How to create a wiki instance

Security warning

Make sure that your data/ directory is not accessible through your web server, or at least forbid the web server to serve anything below the data/ directory. The web server need to serve moin.cgi and the stuff below htdocs only!

Also make sure that the data/ directory and its subdirectories are not readable or writeable by other users than the web server user and root. If you need to give world rw permissions to get it working, be aware that you are doing an very unsecure setup, that can be compromised by other users of that system.

Creating a wiki instance

Now choose a name for the new wiki instance you want to create (maybe reflecting its use). We use an instance named "mywiki" in this example.

Do not use the name 'wiki', it is reserved for internal use.

Follow the sections below matching your type of installation, either:

• install to "Arbitrary location" (you need to be root for that), or

• install to "Home directory" (possible as a normal user, if allowed).

Only Arbitrary location

Now choose a directory (called WIKILOCATION) where your wiki should reside. This could be PREFIX/share/moin (PREFIX see ../BasicInstallation) or any other directory.

You also need to know which USER and GROUP moin will be run as (usually the same as your web server uses).

> export SHARE=/usr/share/moin      # general: PREFIX/share/moin
> export WIKILOCATION=$SHARE        # or any other directory
> export USER=www-data              # the user moin will run as
> export GROUP= www-data            # the group moin will run as

Only Home directory

> export SHARE=~/share/moin         # general: PREFIX/share/moin
> export WIKILOCATION=~             # use home directory

Both

> export INSTANCE=mywiki            # choose a nice name. do NOT use "wiki"!
> cd $WIKILOCATION
> mkdir $INSTANCE                   # make a directory for this instance
> cp -r $SHARE/data $INSTANCE       # copy template data directory
> cp -r $SHARE/underlay $INSTANCE   # copy underlay data directory
> cp $SHARE/config/wikiconfig.py $INSTANCE   # copy wiki configuration sample file

Only Arbitrary location

> chown -R $USER.$GROUP $INSTANCE   # USER.GROUP has to match your web server setup
> chmod -R ug+rwX $INSTANCE         # USER.GROUP may read and write
> chmod -R o-rwx $INSTANCE          # no world access - use this for better security

Only Home directory

> chmod -R a+rwX $INSTANCE/data     # moin running under web server uid/gid needs to r/w this
> chmod -R a+rwX $INSTANCE/underlay # and this directory

Be aware that this setup is UNSECURE and can be compromised by other system users. Better check if it can be done with more restrictive access mode. Ask your web server administrator for details.

Both

Now edit wikiconfig.py. The default settings should work fine in most cases. You will have to change some setting.

sitename = 'My Wiki'
...

[Add more important setup options. This duplicates parts in HelpOnConfiguration, but much better for the user.]

See more options on page HelpOnConfiguration.