> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installing MediaWiki manually

> Learn how to install MediaWiki on your Web Hosting account. Just follow our simple step-by-step instructions.

This article describes how to manually install the popular MediaWiki content platform on your hosting.com account.

<Note>
  If you have a shared, reseller, managed VPS, or managed Dedicated Server account, you can [use Softaculous in cPanel](/docs/mediawiki) to guide you through the MediaWiki installation process. For other account types, however, you must install MediaWiki manually.
</Note>

## Installing MediaWiki

MediaWiki is compatible with all hosting.com accounts.

<Note>
  Although hosting.com servers are compatible with a wide variety of software applications, we cannot provide troubleshooting assistance for application-specific issues.
</Note>

To install MediaWiki manually, follow these steps:

1. Download the MediaWiki installation .tar.gz file at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Download](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Download) to your local computer.

2. [Use FTP](/docs/using-ftp-file-transfer-protocol) or [SCP](/docs/transferring-files-using-scp-secure-copy) to upload the .tar.gz file to your hosting.com account.

3. Log in to your account [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell), and then change to the directory where you uploaded the .tar.gz file.

4. Type the following command, replacing *x.y.z* with the version of the .tar.gz file you uploaded in step 2:

   ```bash theme={null}
   tar xvzf mediawiki-x.y.z.tar.gz
   ```

5. At the command prompt, type the following command, replacing *x.y.z* with the version of the .tar.gz file:

   ```bash theme={null}
   cp -R mediawiki-x.y.z/. ~/public_html
   ```

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > * This command assumes that you want to install MediaWiki in your account's document root directory. If you want to install MediaWiki in a subdirectory instead, add it to the destination path.
   >
   > * If you have an unmanaged product (such as an unmanaged VPS or Dedicated Server), your document root directory may be somewhere else, such as */var/www/html*. Consult your Linux distribution's documentation for the document root directory location.

6. Create a MySQL database and database user for MediaWiki. You will need this information during the web configuration process.

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > * If your account includes cPanel, please see [this article](/docs/managing-mysql-databases)for information about how to create a MySQL database and user.
   >
   > * If your account does not include cPanel, you can create a MySQL database and user from the command line. For information about how to do this, please see [this article](/docs/managing-mysql-databases-and-users-from-the-command-line).

7. Use your web browser to go to the MediaWiki installation URL.

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > If you copied the MediaWiki files to the document root directory in step 5, the installation URL is your domain name (for example, *[http://www.example.com](http://www.example.com)* ). If you copied the MediaWiki files to a subdirectory in step 5, add the subdirectory's name to the URL.

8. At the **LocalSettings.php not found** page, click **set up the wiki**.

9. Select the language you want, and then click **Continue**.

10. MediaWiki checks the installation environment:

    * In managed environments, no additional system configuration should be required. Click **Continue**.

    * In unmanaged environments, you may have to install some additional system components to meet the MediaWiki requirements.

11. On the **Connect to database** page, under **Database type**, click **MySQL**.

12. Confirm that the **Database host** text box is set to **localhost**.

13. In the **Database name** text box, type the name of the database you created in step 6.

14. If you want to use a database table prefix, type it in the **Database table prefix** text box.

15. In the **Database username** text box, type the name of the database user you created in step 6.

16. In the **Database password** text box, type the password for the database user you created in step 6.

17. Click **Continue**.

    > 🚧 Important
    >
    > If MediaWiki cannot connect to the database, you receive a **DB connection error** message. Check the values you specified in steps 12 to 16, and then try again.

18. On the **Database settings** page, select the settings you want, and then click **Continue**.

19. On the **Name** page, type a name for your wiki.

20. Under **Administrator account**, fill in the text boxes to create an account.

21. Click **Ask me more questions**, and then click **Continue**.

22. On the **Options** page, select the settings you want, as well as any extensions you want to install, and then click **Continue**.

23. On the **Install** page, click **Continue**.

24. When the installation process finishes, click **Continue**. The **Complete!** page appears.

25. Save the *LocalSettings.php* file on your local computer.

26. Use FTP or SCP to upload the *LocalSettings.php* file to the directory where you installed MediaWiki.

27. On the **Complete!** page, click **enter your wiki**. The wiki's main page appears.

28. Click **Log in** to log in to the wiki, and then use the username and password that you specified in step 20.

## More information

For more information about MediaWiki, please visit [https://www.mediawiki.org](https://www.mediawiki.org).

## Related articles

* [MediaWiki](/docs/mediawiki)