Portable Standalone Wiki

WikiBrowser is a small program with which you can do a "OnClick" MoinMoin Desktop Wiki start. Perfectly to use on USB sticks and USB HDD's or computers where you would not like or can't install Python. Short function description of the program:

• If you start WikiBrowser, "Portable Python" starts too. If "Portable Python" starts successfully, the DOS-Box will shifted as Process into the background. (For debug you can hide and show the DOS-Box through the Programm)

• Now WikiBrowser waits until port 8080 is reachable.

• If the port is reachable, WikiBrowser waits for the Website.

• A small browser will be shown

That small program is written in Microsoft .Net and require to run .Net 2,5 or greater. WikiBrowser does not provide a browser, it linked only the window of Microsoft Internet Explorer, independently of further installed browsers.

Installation

1. Download MoinMoin and unpack to your portable harddisk

2. Download Portable Python (Search Google "portable python"). Unpack and copy the "app" folder to you portable harddisk.

3. Download WikiBrowser and copy it to you portable harddisk.
   Should look in such a way
   

4. Start WikiBrowser.exe
   Now you should see a Minimal Browser.
   

Download

Testing

Changelog

Version 1.0.2 : 2010-02-11

• This Version read the variables "hostname" and "port" from wikiserverconfig.py. (Sometimes Python can't bind the Port 8080 on Windows 7 so you must change it)

• This Version only works with MoinMoin > 1.9

Version 1.0.1 : 2009-10-09

• Add button for show and hide the Python DOS-Box.
• Add a backgroundworker to waits for the Website. This will fix the 404 site if python starts very slow.

Version 1.0.0 : 2009-10-07

• Mainrelease

Source Code

soon

Discussion

The installation looks a bit umcomfortable. Why do not provide a zip file which contains the entire installation ? WikiBrowser, Portable Python and a basic wiki installation?

Haven't you try just unpack moin (and python, in case you're using Windows) to flash disk? I have one (or two, if i've not format it) disk with moin for some demonstrational purposes and it work fine. -- EugeneSyromyatnikov 2009-10-06 12:02:54

But this start and stop python automatically and without any dosbox. There are some users closing this bad dark thing -- MaikLiebschner 2009-10-06 12:05:38

• On mount/unmount? Hmm, i'm really intrested, i haven't know how to add unmount hook in Windows.
  Also, MoinMoin is under GPL, and it will be great if you contribute your utils under GPL too.
  Windows build of python contains pythonw.exe, which is non-console app. -- EugeneSyromyatnikov 2009-10-06 12:12:35

  • On mount you can use autoplay...unmount i don't know. I use this tool for people where i cant or not want install python. "Keep simple"...no manually browser start or url input, just start the tool. And if you close the browser, python stop working in the background. ( sorry 4 my bad english ) -- MaikLiebschner 2009-10-06 12:37:04

    • Oh, after second screenshot I've understood, what it does.
      When i've have need to solve this task (give user ability to start moin from removable storage, CD in that case), i've used autorun.inf with menu items and custom XP open menu which run pythonw -c '/start_moin.py' (which starts moin server with proper parameters and browser with appropriate url), but different versions of this damned OS use different default ACL for removable disks and even working dir, so it was not too interoperable and i've still had problem with simple unmounting protocol.
      This solution is much more simpler and it's working, great job. (sorry for my bad english, too) -- EugeneSyromyatnikov 2009-10-06 13:29:59

Hi Maik,

some feedback:

• Also, if you like to (or in case you are required to, see moin's license), please provide complete sourcecode and build instructions under some appropriate license (moin's license is: "GPL v2 or later"), so one is able to re-build the exe.

Thanks,

-- ThomasWaldmann 2009-10-08 10:33:20

• Hi Thomas, I will write some documentation, but it takes time, cause my english are pretty bad -- MaikLiebschner 2009-10-08 15:39:40

Hi Maik; just an idea... you may want use prism, a reduced firefox and also windows, mac osx and linux compatible. so you don't need to use any dot net...

• Prism Project Site (2014 - This project is considered inactive.)

• Some Information

bye -- MarcelHäfner 2009-10-09 10:47:38

• Hi Marcel, I do not understand to start Python with Prism -- MaikLiebschner 2009-10-21 11:42:17