Wikirestore

This page describes the work I need to accomplish and I need help for.

.

Approach

My background is not software development (I am more network software and internet architecture oriented). I have experience in an odd method inherited from learning developping in extending the QNX OS for a personal venture.

• I want to understand the Linux machine I use and the scripts necessary to execute what I want.
• I work on windows (often DOS, I am an old one) where I have my tools [I learned it helped spotting flaws more easily to work in two different contexts] in order to :
  • build a database (excel) of the parameters I need for the different sites I micro-industrialize.
  • develop in "rusty" C (I am an old one) program to general a systematic script system.
  • load/maintain a copy of the scripts on the remote Linux machine and cron/execute it to carry the tasks on many sites.

I managed this way several projects with up to 3000 similar sites. I hate non-prompt relation with the machine.

The kind of help I need

I need models of the scripts for the task I have in mind in my above context, and support (explanation) if I meet difficulties with them and my approach. I know I have to use MySQL/PHP because most of the tools use them. But I do not know MySQL (never found a MySQL system management doc) and I have not developped PHP for years. I try to stay with batch/scripts I can generate.

I am more interested in learning possibly Python, certainly JS and Elixir and NoSQL (CouchDB?) in a structured way, but did not find yet a good method/teacher for that.

Wiki project

I have became found of Wikis and want to expand the concept from experiencing first MediaWiki simple, robust, versatile, etc. farming for my own need. I plan to document further on a simple MediaWiki oriented use by people for people (cyberagora). Then to switch the wiki support to a NoSQL + DNS like environment. But this is NOT for now.

Background

I use to use mediawiki as a working tool on a Centos hosting company. Initially I built them in downloading a MediaWiki and some extensions on my Windows machine, uploading them each time I created a new site, initiating a MySQL database on the site cPanel, running the php installation file, downloading the LocalSetting.php file on my Windows machine for back-up and adding access protection line and reloading it on the Centos machine.

Then I started creating them with Softaculous.

My hosting company transferred me to a dedicated machine for more control under WHM+cPanel. This became more complex when PHP was to be updated. Then MySQL to get consistent with a new Softaculous release. As a result I cannot access the displayed pages of my older sites (I can access the edit). Mediawiki people explained me it is only a question of reload with the appropriate versions.

Local XAMPP (Windows)

I started using mediawiki as well on my local windows machines. I installed XAMPP in a dropbox directory as well as mediawiki running it with SQLight. It works well on my three dropbox coupled machines.

Current situation

I have written scripts (may be to review) to build a "/jfc" directory on my Centos machine where I backup my wiki as:

• "name of the wiki".lsp for the LocalSetting.php file
• "name of the wiki".sql for the QSL dump
• "name of the wiki".xml for the XML dump.
• "images" directory

Then I downloaded that files to my windows machine and organized them

• \dropbox\jfc\"name of the wiki"/LocalSetting.php for the LocalSetting.php file
• \dropbox\jfc\"name of the wiki"/"name of the wiki".sql for the QSL dump
• \dropbox\jfc\"name of the wiki"/"name of the wiki".xml for the XML dump.
• \dropbox\jfc\"name of the wiki"/"images" for the files loaded on the wikis (for the time being, no script)

What I want to achieve

I want to have an operational face on the Linux host side and a back-office (backup, development, testing, etc.) on the Windows side.

on the windows side

1. MySQL

• understand how to and set-up a password from \dropbox\xampp\mysql\bin
• load a copy of the wikis database

2. Wiki

• set-up virtual directories (Windows junction?) in \dropbox\xampp\htdocs\wiki
  • for the \dropbox\jfc\"name of the wiki"\LocalSetting.php file and the "images" directory.
  • for the \dropbox\ediwki\wikicurr where I intend to keep a copy of the current mediawiki release.

on the host side

1. install a new VM

• this machine should be dedicated to Wikis + Mails + Mailing lists + DNS in a first time.
• it should use no WHM/cPanel etc. only password, config files, scripts and cron so I can replicate it easily.

2. load it

• same process as under windows. I load the database, the LocalSettings.php, "images" files and appropriate scripts.
• I run the appropriate scripts.