Self contained Wiki/KB on a local server?

Delvis · 24 Mar 2011 at 13:19

Hello

I'm in the process of trying to create a Wiki/KB for documentation purposes and 'how to's' as it where....And I was wondering if anyone can recommend anything that's easy to setup and maintain?

The idea is to have a 'Help manual' website that is accessible internally on our network...If this makes sense?

Can anybody think of anything or shall I try and give examples?

Thanks all

SiriusB · 24 Mar 2011 at 13:47

Run something like MediaWiki on an internal web server?

Delvis · 24 Mar 2011 at 13:58

SiriusB said:
Run something like MediaWiki on an internal web server?

I've looked at this, but for some reason theres no 'easy' install method short of installing a bazillion things, and the how to's just overlap each other =/

clade · 24 Mar 2011 at 15:20

a joomla based wiki?

checkout the extensions avaliable for joomla you will probally find things that you want to use in the future aswell.

If you want it that easy I belive there is precompiled installs that contain everything but I wouldnt trust them.

marc2003 · 24 Mar 2011 at 15:34

Delvis said:
I've looked at this, but for some reason theres no 'easy' install method short of installing a bazillion things, and the how to's just overlap each other =/

i'm guessing it needs apache, php and mysql? i prefer to install them separately but you can get an all one package called wamp.

http://www.wampserver.com/en/

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Mar 2011 at 15:42

Why on earth would you want to do this? If nobody else is going to edit it except you it's a waste of time when there is information out there at the click of a search !

Delvis · 24 Mar 2011 at 16:13

iDroid84 said:
Why on earth would you want to do this? If nobody else is going to edit it except you it's a waste of time when there is information out there at the click of a search !

Because I work in a school, and it would be handy (for support staff and teaching staff) to have everything documented and easily readable in one place...Whats hard to understand?

I'm fully aware that there is information on the web, how do you think the majority of IT Support companies stay alive?

Basically we want an easy to access Knowledge Base

Delvis · 24 Mar 2011 at 16:14

marc2003 said:
i'm guessing it needs apache, php and mysql? i prefer to install them separately but you can get an all one package called wamp.

http://www.wampserver.com/en/

It does yes, however I'm testing on my system first to see how things go

So it would be easier if you could just have a stand alone wiki as it where...Or as I said earlier, exactly how a PDF help manual works

V4NT0M · 24 Mar 2011 at 18:12

Ha, I was going to say I remember media wiki being easy to install but that's because my host has it on their "one click install" system

Are you actually wanting people to be able to edit it themsevles and have everyone collaborate on it? If not a wiki script is a bit overboard, you would probably be better going for a cms or wordpress or something.

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Mar 2011 at 18:24

Delvis said:
Because I work in a school, and it would be handy (for support staff and teaching staff) to have everything documented and easily readable in one place...Whats hard to understand?

I'm fully aware that there is information on the web, how do you think the majority of IT Support companies stay alive?

Basically we want an easy to access Knowledge Base

Nope not hard to understand at all. Was asking a general question. If it's just readable content then yeh.... CMS/Wordpress will be the way to go as stated.

vidda · 24 Mar 2011 at 19:20

Dokuwiki - You can run it as a flat file wiki (no DB required).

You will need a webserver + PHP though.

NathanE · 24 Mar 2011 at 19:34

We use Screwturn Wiki. It's ASP.NET based and easy to get up and running.

MarcLister · 24 Mar 2011 at 20:42

Took me a few minutes to find this, never actually used it but I can imagine it might be a good solution for you. And maybe for me, I also work in a school and something like this could solve a good few problems for me.

http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

Simon42 · 24 Mar 2011 at 22:10

Another vote for ScrewTurn Wiki - very easy to install and maintain.

You can start off with the file system provider for storage and if you get enough content easily migrate to using SQL Server (express or otherwise) at a later date.

Delvis · 25 Mar 2011 at 08:39

Skyfall said:
Ha, I was going to say I remember media wiki being easy to install but that's because my host has it on their "one click install" system

Are you actually wanting people to be able to edit it themsevles and have everyone collaborate on it? If not a wiki script is a bit overboard, you would probably be better going for a cms or wordpress or something.

I can look at wordpress, I just figured having something I can edit on the go would be easier?

Personally, I'm looking to make it look like a PDF help manual almost but in a full size web page...Its hard to explain...

iDroid84 said:
Nope not hard to understand at all. Was asking a general question. If it's just readable content then yeh.... CMS/Wordpress will be the way to go as stated.

Thanks for the feedback

Just your first post was a bit RAR and i'm not feeling very well atm so i took it the wrong way

vidda said:
Dokuwiki - You can run it as a flat file wiki (no DB required).

You will need a webserver + PHP though.

Hmm...I have doku wiki installed...I have the home page open, but it'd be nice to change all the names of things like the home address? I'll have to look through the help manuals

Delvis · 25 Mar 2011 at 08:40

Simon42 said:
Another vote for ScrewTurn Wiki - very easy to install and maintain.

You can start off with the file system provider for storage and if you get enough content easily migrate to using SQL Server (express or otherwise) at a later date.

MarcLister said:
Took me a few minutes to find this, never actually used it but I can imagine it might be a good solution for you. And maybe for me, I also work in a school and something like this could solve a good few problems for me.

http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

And i'll have a look at this also

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Mar 2011 at 09:08

Delvis said:
Thanks for the feedback Just your first post was a bit RAR and i'm not feeling very well atm so i took it the wrong way

I understand. Wasn't meant to be abit RARR. Maybe install a few and take alook over them see which one suites.

Delvis · 25 Mar 2011 at 09:14

iDroid84 said:
I understand. Wasn't meant to be abit RARR. Maybe install a few and take alook over them see which one suites.

Aye, i'm having a look at a couple...but they all need something else running to work =/...

Even Wordpress needs a damn apache server running...

I just want something I can upload / view files that we have created and put them into a tree...? We then have two instances, one for staff the other for the IT guys (or the IT Stuff is hidden somehow from the teachers)...

Problem is some documents we have are picture heavy, so not sure how this will work

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Mar 2011 at 09:28

Delvis said:
Aye, i'm having a look at a couple...but they all need something else running to work =/...

Even Wordpress needs a damn apache server running...

I just want something I can upload / view files that we have created and put them into a tree...? We then have two instances, one for staff the other for the IT guys (or the IT Stuff is hidden somehow from the teachers)...

Problem is some documents we have are picture heavy, so not sure how this will work

This possibly might be a good idea to see if a paid hosting solution could be purchased as they can all come ready with the needed tools. If they are picture heavy maybe create PDFs with compressed images so they need Adobe Reader to view them?

Delvis · 25 Mar 2011 at 09:51

iDroid84 said:
This possibly might be a good idea to see if a paid hosting solution could be purchased as they can all come ready with the needed tools. If they are picture heavy maybe create PDFs with compressed images so they need Adobe Reader to view them?

Problem is we have no budget money, and this is kind of a test for the time being

I just want to be able to have a landing page, then a tree system on the right - one for admins the other for teaching staff, then have documents that are viewable in there.

You would think it would be reasonably easy