Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2020 January 10

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January 10

Personal wiki

Hi all, don't know if these things are within your purview, but any advice will be appreciated. Particularly if it's phrased for a Luddite  :)

I'm looking for a personal wiki, but without needing my own server, preferably similarly to MediaWiki (purely because it's taken long enough to "learn" this) and basically as easy to set up as possible.

Not asking a lot I know!  :) I had a gin at DokuWiki, but fell at the first hurdle—installation failed because of permission errors. Anyway, if anyone can help, it would be much appreciated. Happy Friday! ——SN54129 15:56, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

I've run DokuWiki on a number of systems (mainly Linux) and have found that once set up it looks after itself. If you go down the MediaWiki route you will need to become familiar with a relational database (and its backup requirements) see WP's entry for MediaWiki. For a personal wiki I would always go for the simpler text based approach, reserving "big brother" for high traffic wikis. YMMV of course! Martin of Sheffield (talk) 17:07, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

• It's pretty easy. Either your own server (even in the background on a laptop) or else something hosted. Most hosting services these days have "one button deploy" for a MediaWiki instance, but it's not even hard to do it from packages. You can even run it on Windows, with something like xampp. Amazon AWS is an easy "from scratch" setup.

It's useful to throw a bagful of templates on there too, the basic set from Wikipedia is a start. Although you might want to find a set which don't need Lua too. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:01, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

Many thanks both @Andy Dingley and Martin of Sheffield:, that's extremely useful. What I could really do with is a Janet and John-style step-by-step guide towards installation: know ye of such a beast? ——SN54129 12:18, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

Sadly I do (I wrote a book on this, for wikis in business, about 2009) but it's too out of date these days, and the sensible ways to do the hosting have changed. If you're starting from nothing though, Amazon AWS will get you going with what's probably the simplest from-scratch around. I'd recommend the Manning Press book Amazon AWS in Action ISBN 1617295116 as the best starter guide for AWS. Costs are cheap too - I still have a few hobby sites on Amazon (because the setup is easier than my main hosting) and I get billed just a couple of bucks a month. It's also pretty easy to control external access to such a site. Andy Dingley (talk) 13:01, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

@Andy Dingley: UNBELIEVABLE! I did it! Brilliant! Thanks very much! Owe you a London pint(s). And thank you Martin of Sheffield too! Heh, see my resultant meteoric rise to the top :) ——SN54129 13:40, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

Back to reality, and, Andy Dingley, you mentioned templates. Would you suggest anything particularly? ——SN54129 14:52, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

Most of the wikis I use have a pre-defined set of templates loaded onto them, originally sourced from WP. They're each tagged with a "from Wikipedia" template, which makes them easy to move around as a set. Unfortunately though, it's not easy to list them here on WP (and the full set is too many)

Just a few of the templates on the wiki I'm using at the moment...

Template:Col-float-end Template:Collapsible option Template:Column-width Template:Comma separated entries Template:Commons Template:Commons category Template:Commons category inline Template:Commons category-inline Template:Convert Template:Convert/ft Template:Convert/horsepower Template:Convert/kg Template:Convert/kW Template:Convert/lb Template:Convert/LoffAoffDbSoff Template:Convert/LoffAonSoff Template:Convert/m Template:Convert/numdisp Template:Convert/round Template:Convert/test/A Template:Convert/W Template:Coor URL Template:Coord Template:Coord/dec2dms Template:Coord/dec2dms/dms Template:Coord/display/inline Template:Coord/display/title Template:Coord/input/d Template:Coord/input/dec Template:Coord/link Template:Coord/negzeropad Template:Coord/prec dec Template:Cvt D Template:Dead link Template:Death date and age Template:Description missing Template:Disambiguation Template:Disambiguation/cat Template:Div col Template:Div col end Template:Dmbox Template:Doc Template:Documentation Template:Documentation subpage E Template:Efn Template:Efn-lr Template:End date Template:Error Template:External media F Template:File other Template:First non-empty Template:Fix Template:Fix/category Template:Frac Template:Free media Template:French Template:From Wikipedia Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME

There are also a bunch of icons etc. from Commons, but you can also configure your local Wiki to use the "scary unsafe import from other Wikis, like Commons, option" and then you can just refer to Commons files as you would do from en:WP.

Each one is tagged with {{From Wikipedia}} which is my own template. If I find a new redlinked template, I paste this into it (on my local wiki) and it then gives a link to the template source on WP, so it's easy to copy that source over.

You might get issues with needing Lua installed locally, or formatting issues where WP default CSS isn't how a vanilla MediaWiki comes. If you don't want Lua templates, either go back to 2012 or so, or Wikid77 (talk · contribs) had an archive of these (they're useful, but of course WP deleted them because "it's useful" or "it's useful off-wiki" aren't seen as valid reasons to keep anything).

The From Wikipedia template

<includeonly>{{#switch:{{NAMESPACE}} |{{Ns:Template}}=<div style="margin: 0.7em auto 1em 0.5em; padding: 1em 0.7em; width: 32em; border: thin solid grey; {{{style|}}}" class="{{{class|}}}" >Template from Wikipedia:<code>{{{1|{{PAGENAME}}}}}</code> [[:Wikipedia:{{Ns:template}}:{{{1|{{PAGENAME}}}}}|Wikipedia]] / [[:wikipedia:Template:{{{1|{{PAGENAME}}}}}/doc|Docs]] / [http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Template:{{urlencode:{{{1|{{PAGENAME}}}}}}}&action=edit Source] {{#if:{{{2|}}}|Version of: {{{2|}}} }}{{#if:{{{1|}}}{{{2|}}}|   === Params === {{#if:{{{1|}}}| : '''1''': {{{1|}}} }}{{#if:{{{2|}}}| : '''2''': {{{2|}}} }}}}</div> [[Category:Templates from Wikipedia]] |#default=This template may only be used on other templates }} </includeonly><noinclude> Indicates a template originally sourced from Wikipedia == Parameters == * '''1''' ''(optional)'' : Source name from Wikipedia. Usually optional, as it's the same as the current PAGENAME * '''2''' ''(optional)'' : Date. Set this with {{para|2|<nowiki>~~~~~}} when updating the template. This SHOULD be set if the version loaded is already old. * style * class == Example == {{tl|from Wikipedia}} {{from Wikipedia|Template:Hatnote|2013}} {{tag}} {{public|ok}} </noinclude> </nowiki>

Really though I ought to update the wikis in business book. Along with the other three books I'm supposed to be finishing off. <sigh> Andy Dingley (talk) 15:18, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

If you want something really simple, that requires no setup, there is Wiki On A Stick, which I use for quick notes or there are some similar suggestions here Personal wiki --TrogWoolley (talk) 22:44, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

• I wouldn't touch any wiki other than MediaWiki (computers are powerful these days, hosting is easy, ergonomics is important). I'd rather use a quill pen than MoinMoin. Andy Dingley (talk) 01:49, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

@Andy Dingley: well, I'm having trouble designing a new infobox template, as my import facility doesn't work. Is that in your book? ——SN54129 13:35, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

Those were on a CD / website. Infobox is a bit tricky, as it's a big complex template and the CSS / Lua has moved on a bit locally in recent years. Take a look at your CSS and check that anything for the class selectors .infobox or .infobox.bordered is present, as needed.

One of the reasons I stopped supporting this past 2012 was the big WP reorganisation of templates. It was going to be a load of work to bring mine up to date, also to continue supporting (which WP didn't) non-Lua sites. Andy Dingley (talk) 13:47, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

How do I get a photo out of a phone?

I don't know what kind of phone other than it seems to be a smartphone. I borrowed it from my neighbor, took a picture, and gave her my email address to send me the picture. Her late husband's phone was successful in making this happen, but somehow she can't make it work with what she describes as a cheap phone. I think she has a computer but if she knew how to put the photo in the computer I guess she would have.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 17:32, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

Vchimpanzee, With android devices it's usually as simple as just plugging it in, in which case it'll show up as a storage device you can move files to and from. MoonyTheDwarf (Braden N.) (talk) 17:44, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

I have trouble finding her at home, but I'll mention that. Thanks. I also asked if she could put the photo on Facebook from the phone and she told me how to find her on Facebook, but so far I don't see the photo. I can't tell that I'm being blocked from seeing it, but I don't really want to friend her.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 17:49, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

• Where is it in the phone? If it's on a MicroSD card, then you can unplug the card and put it into another computer as reader.

Otherwise plugging the phone to a computer via a USB cable will probably make stuff auto-connect and appear as either a file server (look for a directory called "DCIM"), or else it might even offer an auto-download service.

If the phone does Bluetooth, you can probably get them wirelessly.

Or an app on the phone might be able to send them to Dropbox or a similar online hosting service. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:05, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

I think I have Dropbox on my computer. As I said, the phone is cheap and there may not be a lot of fancy features.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 18:14, 10 January 2020 (UTC)

Just to add to some of the good answers above that with many modern Android device you do have to do a little more than just plug it in. As a security measure many devices (and stock Android) will not allow connection unless you authorise it. Most likely when you plug your phone into a computer, a 'window'/'box' will pop up asking you if want to just charge, transfer files or transfer photos. Although this box probably won't expire and should appear whatever you are doing, it may be better to unlock the phone and ensure you are on the home screen before connecting just in case. If you get no box but do not see the phone on the computer, open the notification panel and look for something about 'USB mode' or 'USB for charging' or similar. Note that the difference between transfer files and transfer photos is probably MTP or PTP, I recommend you select transfer files even if you only want to transfer a photo although it's probably not that different. Also you may be able to change your device to always connect but even though the security measure isn't perfect I recommend against this unless you are very careful about what you connect to. Nil Einne (talk) 02:44, 11 January 2020 (UTC)

"modern Android devices" - that was a feature since at least 2009, AFAICT. 89.172.57.219 (talk) 01:00, 15 January 2020 (UTC)

On my Android phone, it must be on and active when connected, or it won't ask or grant permission to transfer files. Then the Windows PC does something similar, where it asks what I want to do. I can also use "My Computer" to navigate to the phone, but there's a fair amount of navigation within the phone's directories, too. I have to pick DCIM, then Camera, then, if the pic is within a folder on the phone, I pick that folder. NonmalignedNations (talk) 03:58, 12 January 2020 (UTC)

There are enough variables in this situation that it is probably easiest if you friend gets help from a computer nerd in person. They (we) are everywhere and are always eager to solve problems like this.[1] 2601:648:8202:96B0:0:0:0:DF95 (talk) 07:07, 13 January 2020 (UTC)

New complication: Now the phone has a cracked screen after she dropped it. She said she was trying to send me the photo through Facebook but didn't know whether it went through. Since she doesn't know how to contact me, I'm guessing she put it on her timeline, but I didn't tell her to make the photo public. I know it's silly but I don't want to friend her. Can either of these problems be fixed?

Another possibility is that since she tried to email me and it didn't go through, it might be in her sent folder. I rarely use email the way a lot of people do. I go to the web site and sign in, which I can do from any computer. When I didn't have my own, that was the only way.16:08, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

You know what else is funny? Xkcd: File Transfer Elizium23 (talk) 20:06, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

Like I said, she tried to email it and it didn't work.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 20:07, 14 January 2020 (UTC)