Linux Server Setup

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  1. Linux Server Setup

This article provides a comprehensive guide to setting up a Linux server suitable for hosting a MediaWiki installation. It's geared towards newcomers to server administration and aims to cover essential steps from initial server provisioning to basic security hardening. This guide assumes you have basic familiarity with the command line.

1. Server Provisioning and Operating System Choice

Choosing the right Linux distribution is the first step. Popular choices include Ubuntu Server, Debian, CentOS, and Rocky Linux. For simplicity and widespread community support, we'll focus on Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS as an example throughout this guide.

Recommended Server Specifications

The following table outlines recommended hardware specifications based on expected wiki traffic:

CPU RAM Storage Expected Traffic
2 Cores 4 GB 80 GB SSD Low (Under 50 concurrent users)
4 Cores 8 GB 160 GB SSD Medium (50-200 concurrent users)
8+ Cores 16+ GB 500+ GB SSD High (200+ concurrent users)

These are estimates; requirements may vary based on the complexity of your wiki (extensions, images, etc.).

2. Initial Server Configuration

After provisioning your server (through a provider like DigitalOcean, AWS, or Linode), the first steps involve updating packages and creating a new user account.

Initial System Updates

After logging in via SSH, run the following commands: 

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This ensures your system has the latest security patches and software versions.

Creating a New User Account

It's crucial *not* to run services like MediaWiki as the root user. Create a dedicated user account: 

sudo adduser mediawiki
sudo usermod -aG sudo mediawiki

Log out and log back in as the `mediawiki` user.

3. Installing Essential Software

MediaWiki requires several software packages to function correctly. These include a web server, a database server, and PHP.

Required Software Stack

The following table details the necessary software:

Software Version (Example) Purpose
Apache2 2.4 Web Server
MariaDB 10.6 Database Server
PHP 8.1 Server-side scripting language
Composer 2.x Dependency Management for PHP

Installation Commands (Ubuntu 22.04)

sudo apt install apache2 mariadb-server php php-cli php-mysql php-gd php-curl php-mbstring php-xml php-zip composer

4. Database Setup

MariaDB needs to be configured to store MediaWiki's data.

Securing MariaDB

Run the `mysql_secure_installation` script: 

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow remote root login, and remove the test database.

Creating the MediaWiki Database

Log into the MariaDB shell: 

sudo mysql -u root -p

Then, execute the following SQL commands: 

CREATE DATABASE wikidb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'wikiuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wikidb.* TO 'wikiuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace `'your_strong_password'` with a strong, unique password.

5. Web Server Configuration (Apache2)

Apache2 needs to be configured to serve the MediaWiki files.

Enabling Required Apache Modules

sudo a2enmod rewrite headers
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Creating an Apache Virtual Host

Create a new virtual host configuration file (e.g., `/etc/apache2/sites-available/mediawiki.conf`):

```apache <VirtualHost *:80> 

   ServerName your.wiki.domain
   DocumentRoot /var/www/mediawiki

   <Directory /var/www/mediawiki>
       Options FollowSymLinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
   </Directory>

   ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mediawiki_error.log
   CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mediawiki_access.log combined

</VirtualHost> ```

Replace `your.wiki.domain` with your actual domain name. Enable the site and restart Apache: 

sudo a2ensite mediawiki.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

6. Downloading and Installing MediaWiki

Download the latest stable release of MediaWiki from the official website. Extract the archive to `/var/www/mediawiki`.

Setting File Permissions

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/mediawiki
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/mediawiki

7. Running the MediaWiki Installation =

Navigate to your wiki's domain in a web browser. The MediaWiki installer will guide you through the remaining steps, including database configuration (using the credentials created earlier). Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation. Refer to the MediaWiki documentation for detailed guidance on the installation process.

8. Security Hardening

After installation, consider these security measures:

Firewall Configuration (UFW)

sudo ufw allow 80
sudo ufw allow 443 # If using HTTPS
sudo ufw enable

Regular Backups

Implement a regular backup strategy for your database and MediaWiki files. Consider using tools like rsync or dedicated backup solutions.

Keeping Software Updated

Regularly update your operating system and all installed software (Apache, MariaDB, PHP) to patch security vulnerabilities. See section 2 for update commands.



Help:Contents Manual:Configuration MediaWiki Apache HTTP Server MariaDB PHP Server Administration Security Ubuntu Server Debian CentOS Rocky Linux DigitalOcean AWS Linode File:Example.png (Placeholder - do not actually include an image) Special:MyPreferences Main Page Help:Starting a wiki Manual:Upgrading Manual:Configuration Extension:Semantic MediaWiki (Example extension)


Intel-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Core i7-6700K/7700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB CPU Benchmark: 8046
Core i7-8700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB CPU Benchmark: 13124
Core i9-9900K Server 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB CPU Benchmark: 49969
Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Workstation 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000

AMD-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Ryzen 5 3600 Server 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 17849
Ryzen 7 7700 Server 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 35224
Ryzen 9 5950X Server 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 46045
Ryzen 9 7950X Server 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 63561
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 9454P Server 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️

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