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MediaWiki

Version: 1.39   |   OS: Ubuntu 22.04

Overview​

MediaWiki is a free and open-source wiki platform used by Wikipedia and thousands of other collaborative knowledge bases. Developed and maintained by a vibrant open-source community, it is known for its scalability, flexibility, and powerful content management capabilities.

Included Software​

  • Apache - 2.4.41
  • MySQL - 8.0.32
  • PHP - 7.4
  • Postfix - 3.4.13
  • MediaWiki - 1.39

Getting Started​

Firewall & Access​

After deployment, ensure your firewall allows only the following ports:

PortServicePurpose
22SSH (rate limited)Secure server access
80HTTPWeb access
443HTTPSSecure web access

Initial Deployment​

On first boot, MySQL is secured and the root password is set. You will be logged out of SSH with the message:

Please wait until the installation is completed....
Connection to $IPADDRESS closed.

Important: Wait at least 2 minutes before logging in to allow full setup.

Accessing the Instance​

  • SSH Access: Log in as ubuntu, then elevate to root:
sudo su -

  • MySQL Credentials:

    • Stored in /root/.mysql_root_password
    • Login: 
      mysql -u root -p

  • MediaWiki Database Info: /root/.mediawiki_database_details

  • Admin Login Credentials: /root/.mediawiki_admin_details

Accessing MediaWiki​

Visit the MediaWiki dashboard at:

http://$IPADDRESS/mediawiki

Or via a configured domain name.

Trusted Configuration​

For IP Access​

Allow access using:

sed -i 's/$wgServer = "http:\/\/localhost";/$wgServer = "http:\/\/$my_ip";/g' /var/www/html/mediawiki/LocalSettings.php

Restart Apache:

systemctl restart apache2

For Domain Access​

Ensure your domain's A record points to the instance IP. Then:

  • Set the Apache ServerName:
sed -i 's/#ServerName $my_domain/ServerName $my_domain/g'
  • Update MediaWiki config:
sed -i 's/$wgServer = "http:\/\/localhost";/$wgServer = "http:\/\/$my_domain";/g' /var/www/html/mediawiki/LocalSettings.php

Restart Apache again:

systemctl restart apache2

Optional: Root Access to MediaWiki​

If you want to access MediaWiki directly at http://$IPADDRESS (instead of /mediawiki), add an .htaccess rule:

vi /var/www/html/.htaccess

Paste the following and save (:wq):

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^$ /mediawiki [L]

Configuring Postfix​

Set a Valid Hostname​

hostnamectl set-hostname your.hostname.com

Ensure proper A and PTR DNS records exist.

Update Postfix Configuration​

Edit /etc/postfix/main.cf:

myhostname = your.hostname.com

Restart Postfix:

systemctl restart postfix

Test Email Delivery​

echo "Postfix test" | mail -s "Subject" test@gmail.com

Note: Emails may initially land in spam. As the IP reputation improves, they will reach the inbox.

Best Practices​

  • Configure your domain before setting up SSL or public access.
  • Always test configuration changes using Apache test commands before restarting services.
  • Ensure your instance is secured behind a firewall and use strong admin credentials.

For support, contact Cloud4India Support.