Wikka Wiki On A USB Stick (or Thumbdrive)


 

Okay, maybe this is old-hat to some, but I just came across a WAMP (windows-apache-mysql-php) server that is darned TINY.....so tiny it will easily fit on a thumbdrive. In fact, it'll fit into <4mb they say (at one place)....altho' my implementation was 17M. Anyhow, it installed flawlessly AND, I might add, amazingly simply. (basically, run the exe) It comes with a "configuration" screen that includes an admin pgm for mysql and the simplest of instructions. It has PHP5, altho' I regressed to PHP4 (which they also provide an install file & very straightforward instructions for)....and some of the comments suggest this is necessary.

Okay, the news for wikka fans, Wikka 1.1.6.0 installed simply and flawlessly. I used the mysql manager to setup a database and a user account, provided that info for the wikka config file, removed .htaccess in wikka root (I didn't spend time figuring out why that was necessary to get it to run), and wikka worked like an absolute charm. Anyways, check out The Uniform Server....having wikka run on any windows system you want it to using a server on a THUMBDRIVE is as amusing as heck. Have fun folks!!!


CategoryWikka
Comments
Comment by DarTar
2005-10-20 07:54:24
Mike, this is great news. I'll test it asap. Next step IMO should be: writing some utilities to synchronize different Wikka databases ;)
Comment by GmBowen
2005-10-20 18:56:54
I've run it on four different machines now without a hitch. It's an easy edit (of the htaccess file) to allow it to be accessible from "outside" too (requires re-setting the wikka.config.php file too don't forget folks). The Uniform Server people claim that the security is enough to be used in a production environment. The cool thing for me is that now I can easily demo the tools I've developed w/o needing an internet connection (only a few are a little flakey). Synchronizing databases would be darned useful.
Comment by NilsLindenberg
2005-10-24 13:38:49
Sounds good. If you have the space, you can do with xampp, too :) Needs some time to load, though...
Comment by c-24-99-102-12.hsd1.ga.comcast.net
2005-11-20 22:59:11
Thanks all and the writer of the article for the mention :) About the loading, its normal, depends on your PC process speed. Thanks again.

BTW: Oh did you know you can also use it on your camera's flash drive or you cell phone's memory stick? lol :)

Olajide Olaolorun
Uniform Server Project Manager
Comment by JamesMcl
2005-11-23 21:37:52
When creating the database, what would I set collation to, presuming I want to use english. Latin 1 ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Comment by TonZijlstra
2005-11-27 14:28:51
I installed Uniform server and wikka on a USB stick. Works fine although at first start up I'd get a Connection Refused from the webserver during the opening of the redirect page. Reloading or following depicted link solves it, as does building a few seconds delat into the redirect action.

I altered the start.bat so it not only starts Apache but MySql as well, and set the redirect pointing to the HomePage of wikka wiki.
In that HomePage I added a link to shut down the server, and a link to the Uniform Server admin screen.

So now it simply starts wikka when I hit start.bat, and bypasses the admin screen as I only need to be there sporadically. Getting the wiki first is more important.
Comment by TonZijlstra
2005-12-08 19:26:23
Does anybody know whether there is something like Uniformserver for Apple? So that I could make a wiki on a stick for Mac?
Comment by RolandStens
2006-01-13 23:13:39
Ton,
Try installing this http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-macosx.html on your stick and the install Wikka.

I really like XAMPP and I have been running Wikka (and all sorts of other cool stuff) of a stick for quite some time now.
Comment by TonZijlstra
2006-01-17 14:13:32
Thanks for the link Roland. I'll have a look at it.
Comment by JavaWoman
2006-01-18 17:55:17
Hmmm - I'm getting "This account has been suspended" when following the link for the Uniform server - did we cause bandwidth problems? There seems to be a double redirect as well, which doesn't inspire confidence...
Comment by SiDoNeY
2006-03-29 07:59:25
Someone asked on a different page how to get straight to the wikka as mentioned in a previous comment. I couldn't find a reply anywhere but found bits and pieces of clues and info and eventually nutted it out (I'm not a programmer just a bit of a geek). So this is how I did it.

First of all, I made a backup of each file that I was going to alter just in case I stuffed it up.

To automatically run MySql, in the file Server_Start.bat, I changed the line
IF "%2"=="mysql" start \usr\local\mysql\bin\mysqld-opt.exe
to
start \usr\local\mysql\bin\mysqld-opt.exe

To change the redirect, I backed up and then opened the file
diskw\home\admin\www\redirect.html
and then in the line
window.setInterval("window.location = 'http://localhost/apanel/'", 500);
I replaced http://localhost/apanel/
with the URL that showed in the address bar when I had my wikka home page open. Since my wikka was put under diskw\www\ in a subdirectory Wikka, that meant the URL showing for my wikka was
http://localhost/Wikka/wikka.php?wakka=HomePage
and that is what I used to replace http://localhost/apanel/ (changing nothing else in the line).

After I had done those things, when I hit Server_Start.bat, it automatically started MySql and automatically redirected to the Wikka main page.

So then to that main page I added the links as mentioned in the previous comment:
Apanel link:
http://localhost/apanel/
and server stop link:
http://localhost/apanel/stop.php

There may be more elegant ways to achieve the above but this wasn't too hard and it works. Hope that helps someone.
Comment by JimVentola
2006-06-30 11:49:42
Is there a tutorial for total newbies? I got Uniform Server to work and can run the admin panel. I have copied the Wikka folder I unzipped into the diskw www (note--not the one on w: but just via windows explorer without running the server). Now what? The directions here assume I know how to go into the MySQL manager and set up an account, how to upload Wikka to the server, etc. But I don't and haven't found out after much searching. I tried to upload with Filezilla but don't even know how to access the US.
Comment by NilsLindenberg
2006-06-30 16:11:19
I have installed the uniform server, too. But I can't try it out on my laptop, I'll try and give it a test on sunday at my parents pc.
Comment by JimVentola
2006-07-03 18:04:29
I got it working. You MUST go back to PHP 4; it is not optional as the wording of the instructions here might suggest. I guess version 5 breaks the Wikka scripts.

As for uploading Wikka to the server--I just copied the whole unzipped WIKKA folder into the WWW folder once the server was running. I think you would have to install a plugin for FTP to work with Uniform Server. They provide two of them.
Comment by RicUni
2008-06-17 18:18:27
Hi,
You may be interested in this link:

http://wiki.uniformserver.com/index.php/Installing_Wikka_Wiki

I have no invested interest in either, just like to advance the cause of open software.

I think Wikka was one of the first I popped on UniCenter well I have transferred it over to Uniform Servers's Wiki.

Hope I have done you justice
All the best
Ric
Comment by NilsLindenberg
2008-06-18 14:15:37
Hi Ric,

thanks for writing the tutorial! I've linked it from http://docs.wikkawiki.org/WikkaInstallation/
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