How to install MediaWiki with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04

Install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux

You can install Apache HTTP server on Ubuntu Linux by running two quick commands in your terminal. First, update your system package list with sudo apt update, and then run sudo apt install apache2 to download and set up the web server. Once the installation finishes, Apache starts automatically.

To do that, open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the 💿 Apache web server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

Once Apache is installed, the commands below can start, stop, and enable the Apache web server to start automatically when your server boots up.

sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

You can test that the Apache web server is running by opening your web browser and browsing to the server’s localhost or IP address.

http://localhost

When you see the Apache2 Default Page, it means the Apache HTTP server is successfully installed.

Additional help on installing Apache on Ubuntu is in the link below.

How to install Apache on Ubuntu

Install MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux

You must install MariaDB database server on Ubuntu Linux to store all your MediaWiki site data securely. Open your terminal and run sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install mariadb-server to set up the database software on your system.

To install and use the MariaDB database server, use the instructions below.

Open the Ubuntu terminal and run the commands below to install the MariaDB database server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server

Once the MariaDB database server is installed, use the commands below to stop, start, and enable the MariaDB server to start automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Run the following commands to validate and test if the MariaDB database server is installed successfully.

sudo mariadb

Once you run the commands above, it will log you onto the MariaDB console and display a message similar to the one below.

Welcome to the MariaDB monitor.  Commands end with ; or g.
Your MariaDB connection id is 32
Server version: 10.11.2-MariaDB-1 Ubuntu 23.04

Copyright (c) 2000, 2018, Oracle, MariaDB Corporation Ab and others.

Type 'help;' or 'h' for help. Type 'c' to clear the current input statement.

MariaDB [(none)]> 

The message tells you that the server is installed successfully.

Additional help on installing MariaDB.

• How to install MariaDB on Ubuntu Linux
• MariaDB without password prompt

Create a MediaWiki database

You create a MediaWiki database by logging into the MariaDB command line and running SQL queries to set up a dedicated database and user account. This gives your wiki the necessary storage and secure login credentials to save pages and user accounts properly.

As part of the setup, we will create a database named 'mediawikidb' and a corresponding user account called 'mediawikidbuser.'

Finally, we'll grant the mediawikidbuser full access to the mediawikidb database.

All the database steps above can be done using the commands below:

But first, log on to the MariaDB database server:

sudo mariadb

Then run the commands below to complete the steps:

CREATE DATABASE mediawikidb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;
CREATE USER mediawikidbuser@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'type_your_password_here';
GRANT ALL ON mediawikidb.* TO mediawikidbuser@localhost WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit

Install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

You install PHP on Ubuntu Linux by running an apt command that includes PHP and all the required modules like php-mysql and php-xml. MediaWiki relies on PHP to process code and display your wiki pages correctly in web browsers.

Run the commands below to install PHP.

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-intl php-mysql php-curl php-cli php-zip php-xml php-gd php-common php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-json php-sqlite3 php-soap php-zip

Additional help on installing PHP

How to install PHP on Ubuntu Linux

Download MediaWiki files

You download MediaWiki files directly to your Ubuntu server by opening your terminal, moving to the /tmp/ directory, and using the wget command to grab the latest release package from the official download page.

MediaWiki download page

Replace the download link below with the current so you have the latest version.

First, navigate to the /tmp/ directory and download MediaWiki files. After unzipping the file, move the content into the MediaWiki folder in the Apache root directory.

The final step is to change the permissions. This will allow the Apache web server to safely interact with the files, ensuring a secure environment for your MediaWiki installation.

cd /tmp/
curl -O https://releases.wikimedia.org/mediawiki/1.41/mediawiki-1.41.1.tar.gz
tar -xvzf mediawiki-*.tar.gz
sudo cp -rf mediawiki-*/ /var/www/mediawiki
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/mediawiki/

Once all the steps are done, configure the Apache webserver to serve the MediaWiki content.

Run the commands below to create an Apache virtual host file for MediaWiki.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/mediawiki.conf

Then, copy and paste the content block below into the Apache server block.

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName mediawiki.example.com
  ServerAlias www.mediawiki.example.com
  ServerAdmin admin@example.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/mediawiki
    
  <Directory /var/www/mediawiki/>
       Options FollowSymlinks
       AllowOverride All
       Require all granted
  </Directory>

       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file.

You can enable the virtual host for MediaWiki and restart the Apache server using specific commands. This action makes the MediaWiki site accessible through your web browser after the installation.

sudo a2ensite mediawiki.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setup Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for MediaWiki

You set up Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS for MediaWiki by installing Certbot and generating a free security certificate for your Apache web server. This encrypts traffic between your users and your wiki to protect passwords and personal data.

Please read the post below for additional resources on installing and creating Let's Encrypt SSL certificates for Apache.

How to set up Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for Apache on Ubuntu Linux

Once you have restarted the Apache web server, open your browser and browse to the server hostname or IP address defined in the Apache server block.

http://mediawiki.example.com

A MediaWiki installation wizard page should appear. Click the 'Please set up the wiki first' link and continue.

Next, select the installation language and continue.

Type the database name, account name, and password on the next screen and click continue.

Next, enter your Wiki name, create an administrator account, and continue.

Next, click Continue to begin the installation.

Your MediaWiki site should be set up but not ready to use. Follow the instructions below to complete the setup.

The `LocalSettings.php` file saves your wiki's special settings and must be downloaded and placed in the wiki's main folder, next to the `index.php` file. If the `LocalSettings.php` download does not begin, you can click the "Download LocalSettings.php" link again. Without downloading `LocalSettings.php`, your setup changes will disappear upon leaving the installation. After downloading `LocalSettings.php`, you can open your wiki.

Copy the 'LocalSettings.php' file into the root directory where Mediawiki files are stored.

sudo cp ~/Downloads/LocalSettings.php /var/www/mediawiki

Your Wiki site should be ready to use.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• When installed with Apache on Ubuntu 24.04, MediaWiki creates an environment conducive to fostering collaboration and managing content effectively.
• The collaborative setup of MediaWiki with Apache on Ubuntu establishes a reliable and flexible environment for hosting wiki content, such as internal documentation, knowledge bases, and collaborative websites.
• Following the steps, including installing Apache, MariaDB, and PHP and configuring Let's Encrypt SSL/TLS, you can successfully set up a MediaWiki site with secure HTTPS access.
• With the comprehensive guidance provided here, you can confidently create a MediaWiki database, download MediaWiki files, configure the Apache server to serve the MediaWiki content, and complete the setup using the installation wizard.
• This post has illustrated how to seamlessly set up a MediaWiki site on Ubuntu with Apache support, providing an invaluable resource for those seeking to cultivate interactive and information-rich platforms.