Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Wiki.js on Windows 10

This guide will walk you through the process of installing Wiki.js, a modern and powerful wiki software, on a Windows 10 computer.

Prerequisites

Before you can start installing Wiki.js, you will need to have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Node.js (version 12.13 or later).
2. A supported database need to be installed: MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite.

If you already have these installed on your Windows 10 machine, you can skip this step. Otherwise, please follow the instructions provided by the official websites of Node.js and your preferred database.

Installation steps

1. First, download the latest version of Wiki.js from the official website: https://js.wiki/
2. Extract the downloaded file and place the resulting wiki folder in a location of your choice (such as C:\Program Files\wiki).
3. Open a command prompt or PowerShell window in administrator mode.
4. Navigate to the wiki directory where you placed the extracted files.
5. Install the required dependencies by running the following command:

npm install

6. Next, you will need to configure your database settings in the config.yml file. You can find this file in the config directory of your Wiki.js installation. Modify the following sections to match your database settings:

# Database settings
database:
  type: 'mysql' # Replace with your database type: mysql, postgres, mariadb, mssql or sqlite
  host: 'localhost' # Replace with your database host server
  port: 3306 # Replace with your database port number
  username: 'wikijs' # Replace with your database username
  password: 'wikijsrocks' # Replace with your database password
  database: 'wikijs' # Replace with your database name

7. After saving any changes made to the config.yml file, return to the command prompt (or PowerShell window) and run the following command:

npm run setup

8. This command will guide you through the process of setting up your first administrator account, as well as any other settings that need to be configured. Follow the on-screen instructions carefully.
9. Once the setup is complete, it's time to start Wiki.js. Execute the following command:

npm start

10. The command prompt will display the URL where Wiki.js is hosted, usually it is http://localhost:3000.
11. Type or copy and paste the URL into a web browser, and you should see the login screen for Wiki.js.
12. Enter your administrator credentials to log in to your new Wiki.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Wiki.js on your Windows 10 machine. From here, you can start creating content and customizing your new wiki to suit your needs.

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