First commit; not yet functional

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,105 @@
-# mediawiki-appliance
+# 📘 MediaWiki Appliance
 
+**An Open Source Appliance from Robbie Ferguson**
+(c) 2025 Robbie Ferguson. Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+
+A ready-to-use MediaWiki appliance built for simplicity, performance, and security. This installer prepares a clean Debian system to serve MediaWiki at the root path with modern defaults, file uploads enabled, Redis caching, self-signed HTTPS, and preloaded core extensions.
+
+---
+
+## ⚙️ How It Works
+
+The appliance is built by running `installer.sh` on a clean Debian instance. It installs all required packages, downloads the latest stable version of MediaWiki, sets up MariaDB and Redis, configures NGINX with HTTPS, and preloads useful skins and extensions.
+
+After installation, the wiki is fully functional at:
+
+```
+https://your-server-ip/
+```
+
+---
+
+## 🧪 First-Time Setup
+
+After installation, log into your wiki as:
+
+- **Username**: `admin`
+- **Password**: `changeme`
+
+> 🔒 You must change this password immediately!
+
+Visit:
+```
+https://your-server-ip/activate/
+```
+This setup screen allows you to securely define a new password. It is a **one-time activation process**.
+
+---
+
+## 📂 What’s Included
+
+- MediaWiki (latest stable)
+- Skins: Vector (default), MonoBook, Timeless
+- Extensions:
+  - Cite
+  - WikiEditor
+  - SyntaxHighlight_GeSHi
+  - CategoryTree
+- File uploads enabled
+- Redis server with MediaWiki cache integration
+- PHP tuned for media uploads
+- Self-signed HTTPS certificate for secure local access
+
+---
+
+## 🔧 Enabling Let’s Encrypt (Optional)
+
+The appliance includes **Certbot** and is preconfigured for HTTPS. If you plan to serve your wiki publicly with a real domain name:
+
+1. Update `/etc/nginx/sites-available/mediawiki` to use your actual `server_name`
+2. Then run:
+   ```bash
+   certbot --nginx -d your.domain.name
+   ```
+
+This will obtain a valid SSL certificate and reload NGINX.
+
+---
+
+## 🔁 Reinstalling or Removing
+
+If the installer fails and you need to revert in order to try again, you can purge the appliance from your system:
+
+```bash
+./installer.sh --purge
+```
+
+This will:
+- Stop all related services
+- Remove MediaWiki files and NGINX config
+- Uninstall MariaDB, PHP, Redis, and Certbot
+- Leave the system clean for a rebuild
+
+Note: This process assumes you are running the script on a dedicated appliance. Running this on anything but a dedicated appliance may destroy your system.
+
+---
+
+## 🔐 Backup Tips
+
+To ensure your wiki can be restored, back up:
+
+1. The database:
+   ```bash
+   mysqldump -u root mediawiki > mediawiki.sql
+   ```
+
+2. The uploaded files and configs:
+   ```bash
+   tar czf uploads_backup.tar.gz /var/www/html/images /var/www/html/LocalSettings.php
+   ```
+
+---
+
+## 💬 Support
+
+This appliance was built by Robbie Ferguson to provide a turn-key, modern MediaWiki experience. Contributions, forks, and enhancements are welcome.