How to set up a private wiki

Prerequisites

- a server that is accessible to the world wide web

- I use linux servers. NT servers that supply PHP and MySQL can also be used.

- a folder on the server that can be password protected

- permission to install wiki software and run the management scrips

- permission from the owner of the server

- permission ON the system itself (unix/linux concept)--a username and password with privileges to run scripts, make folders, rename, delete, remove, etc.; FTP and shell privileges for that folder

- PHP

- MySQL (or MariaDB or the functional equivalent): a database system

- username and password associated with a database; power to modify the database, make new tables, delete, rename, ...

Installation

General concepts

- Install wiki files in your password-protected folder

- Configure the wiki to use your database username, password, and database

- Lock wiki access internally so that only the wikimaster can grant users editing privileges

- Authorize users as editors (issue usernames and passwords)

My favorite wiki software is MediaWiki, the software that has been developed for and is used by Wikipedia.

There are many other kinds of wiki systems. If your system administrators are already familiar with one of these, it would probably be preferable to use that system.

Maintenance

You must patch and upgrade Mediawiki regularly to guard against security problems.

Your first defense for security is the password-protected folder.

Your second defense is Mediawiki itself.