This is a general, non-technical introduction to the WikiMedia software.
== System Requirements ==
The MediaWiki software typically runs in a [[w:en:LAMP (software bundle)|LAMP]] environment on the i386 and SPARC platform. (This is the primary/reference platform.) It is also possible to run the MediaWiki software efficiently under SUN, Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X.
=== Software ===
Everything you need to run a MediaWiki server is available as Open Source Software.
* Operating system: Several platforms are possible, including GNU/Linux, BSD, Sun, Microsoft Windows, and Apple MacOS X. The software is being developed under GNU/Linux, and the recommended environment is a GNU/Linux distribution, also; we recommend Debian GNU/Linux, because this comes closest to the ideals of the Wikipedia, but in this area you are free to choose.
* Apache httpd, version 1.3 or 2.0 - Open Source.
* MySQL daemon, version 4.x - Open Source.
* PHP scripting environment, version 4.3 - Open Source.
* MediaWiki software - Open Source.
* Some web browser - lots of options are available as Open Source.
=== Hardware ===
* x86 hardware architecture (Intel, AMD etc.) recommended, some other architectures are possible (e.g. PowerPC w/ Mac OS X/ SPARC).
* Memory - depending on the planned usage everything is possible starting with about 96 MB of RAM (?); for best performance, the complete database should fit into the RAM.
* Disk space - also depending on your requirements; if you want to start a small WikiWikiWeb on your own, a few Megabytes of disk space will be enough. If you want to completely mirror the English Wikipedia with all images, you'll need at least 3 Gigabytes (?)
* Network Interface Card (NIC) - anything that is supported by your operating system can be used.
=== Networking ===
* The MediaWiki software can run locally on a computer without a network connection. You might use MediaWiki this way to serve as a powerful [[w:en:Personal Information Management|Personal Information Management]] (PIM) system.
* MediaWiki can run on a [[w:en:Local Area Network|Local Area Network]] (LAN) computer. This is useful as a enterprise wide collaboration tool for universities or corporations..
* For public access, MediaWiki must run on a computer connected to the [[w:en:Internet|Internet]]. The computer may use a [[w:en:static IP address|static IP address]] defined in a [[w:en:Domain Name Server|Domain Name Server]] (DNS) entry or a [[w:en:dynamic IP address|dynamic IP address]] registered with a [[w:en:Dynamic DNS|Dynamic DNS]] service.
== Licensing ==