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db0 @lemmy.dbzer0.com

A self-hosted wiki that can integrate with a fediverse instance

Two days ago, I deployed the official wiki for lemmy.dbzer0.com. It's using django-wiki as a software, which other than being markdown-based and therefore helping lemmings easily migrate documentation over, provides python hooks for doing some really cool stuff.

For example my current version is tied to my lemmy instance. This means that while everyone can read the wiki, only registered users of my instance can edit articles. This helps prevents the usual problem of open wikis, which is drive-by spam articles, and ensures that only people with interest in the wiki can use it.

I plan to extend this integration in the future. I am thinking things like minimum account age to edit all or some pages, profile pages which enable even tighter integrations, being able to specify "trusted instances" which would allow edits from their users as well, and so on.

But that's not all, the same approach I used, can also be used to integrate with any fediverse software, like mastodon. This means each instance could theoretically have its own wiki to extend the information adjacent to it.

I'll soon (I hope) will provide an ansible playbook that anyone can use to deploy it which will also provide my custom code to integrate with lemmy.

12 comments

  • Hmm, I am working on a similar Dokuwiki integration. Have not gotten very far with it though. Maybe I should give this a look instead đŸ€”

    • While I love Dokuwiki as well, the fact that it has a slightly different markup language would be a stumbling block for users moving info over. Also, django-wiki is python, which I know and can extend, while Dokuwiki is php, which I don't. :)

    • Dookuwiki

      Have not gotten very far with it though.

      Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Yoda holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do better!

  • This is extremely cool, thank you for your work! Would you consider supporting a container deployment alongside existing container hosted Lemmy instances? No worries if that breaks to far from your workflow.

    • Sadly there's no container for django-wiki atm. The existing implementation is 3 years old and unmaintained so it's fallen very far behind. My deployment is pure ansible, so I plan to post a public version of it, but if you want it in container form to sit alongside lemmy, someone else has to dockerize it and ensure it's up to date

      • Ah, if that's the case then I'll work on making my own container image based on your ansible implementation. Don't worry about it, you're already doing more than I can. Looking forward to the release!

  • Is there a reason you went with this approach of claiming accounts (as opposed to say the system for Fediseer, where it messages you on Lemmy to claim it, or the lemmy Oauth system)?

    • Yes, there's no current hooks provided by django-wiki for user registration etc. I have opened requests to add them and I'm planning to adjust the procedure further then. I could also extend the django-wiki myself, but I have my hands full already with my other projects.

      Ultimately the best would indeed be some sort of lemmy oauth system to register. I'm hoping this might be possible at some point in the future. This kind of thing requires more developers jumping in and this is partly why I make these posts as well.

      • That would be great, I have been looking at alternatives for the trans surgery wiki on Reddit in case they go the way of Tumblr.

12 comments