Boulder Dash fan site to Wiki format

Martijn · Post by **Martijn** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:57 pm

Hi everybody,

I am the author of the website http://www.bd-fans.com and because I do not have so very much spare time to work on it any more, I wish to convert it into a Wiki site which looks about the same. Then users themselves can upload the latest Boulder Dash stuff.

The problem is, however, that I don't know where to start. Is this possible in a simple way? Can anyone help me a little with this? What should I do?

fang q · Post by **fang q** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:02 am

Try the links in the 'External Links' section of this webpage.

RAP · Post by **RAP** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:28 am

Upload the Boulderdash stuff eh? I have some wiki experience, but never managed running one by myself. Well for one, there are different types of wiki packages you can start with. Take MediaWiki for example, probably the most common wiki-startup package. It has the standard stuff preloaded like the help section (which we will work on if we can get the site running), the default box logo and the background (so you can replace them with your stuff x3) and accepts having extensions. Here is the link to the package and the list of extensions:

http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_Matrix

Be sure that you'll read the instructions. I'll try helping you along the way when you set up the wiki. :3 And by the way, try having a test version first incase something happens! ;o

Awww, I can't talk very much. I have to go. I'll talk about this later... :)

Martijn · Post by **Martijn** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:58 pm

OK thanks you both.

Now I have fllowed the instructions and installed MediaWiki on my server. All is fine, I have created a database and the user is the same as the user of my c-panel.

Now during the installation everything everything goes well and is checked as OK. But then it says:

Environment checked. You can install MediaWiki.
Generating configuration file...

Database type: MySQL
Loading class: DatabaseMysql
Attempting to connect to database server as [my username]...success.
Connected to mysql 4.1.22-log; enabling MySQL 4.1/5.0 charset mode
Error selecting database domain_com_-_db: 1044 Access denied for user '[my username]'@'localhost' to database 'domain_com_-_db'

The reason for this is that I have no privileges in Phpmyadmin, in the c-panel. This is true, but the database itself is there and works fine. Namely, my webhoster provides that I can set up a new database outside of the Phpmyadmin environment, just in the c-panel only. For that reason I have no privileges in Phpmyadmin. But at the same time, MediaWiki keeps asking for this and giving this message.

What should I do now?

RAP · Post by **RAP** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:51 pm

You can either ask your webmaster for help and what's wrong with this problem... or this link with a few forum posts will help aid your way.
http://www.gidforums.com/t-600.html
I'm not sure if it is related to the wiki or just that file. I suggest that you check it out. ;o

EDIT: Or this one:
http://wiki.phpmyadmin.net/pma/Quick_Install
When in doubt, try asking your webmaster for help.

Daniel H. · Post by **Daniel H.** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:33 pm

When you create a database or a user in cPanel, it is always prefixed with your cPanel username and an underscore ("_"). Check to be sure that the database name AND MySQL username you give to MediaWiki both have this prefix before the name you gave them.

If phpMyAdmin from cPanel cannot access the MySQL databases created by cPanel, it is most likely an error in your web hoster's WHM configuration that they need to fix.

(Thank you for posting the links, RAP, but I don't think they're related to the problem.

I believe Martijn is using cPanel's built-in phpMyAdmin; he is not setting up phpMyAdmin.)

Martijn · Post by **Martijn** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:26 pm

thanks! Indeed, Daniel, I had to insert '_-_' in front of it. But I had done
so already... Do you know what the problem was? I had just typed in 'domain_com_-_' in front of my database name. This was very stupid,
because 'domain_com' simply had to be 'bd-fans_com', which I tried out and it worked!

Daniel H. · Post by **Daniel H.** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:58 pm

Well, I'm glad you have the database problem solved, anyway.

Martijn · Post by **Martijn** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:19 pm

Now I can start rebuilding my website in wiki-format! It will be great to have the Boulder Dash Fan Site available for everyone (with protection of course...) so that everyone can upload new levels, games and stuff whenever he wishes!

Since I am completely new to the idea, is there anybody who would like to assist me? I must get used to it, but the first steps are difficult for me. If anyone who is willing to can send me a PM message..

Has anyone of you MSN? Then we can chat about it without constantly having to post things.

Currently, the wiki site is located at http://www.bd-fans.com/wiki but when it's finished, it will replace the current website.

RAP · Post by **RAP** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:14 am

I'll try assisting, but I have school at Monday. D: I'll post my MSN address as a PM message (personal message message... huh). I have some experience in MarioWiki, but I mainly focus on images, and maintenance. Possibly due to lack of writing time, or that I was very bored lately. So it's been a while since I written/rewritten an article, meaning that I have to warm up my writing skills. x3

fang q · Post by **fang q** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:17 pm

I'll start making pages once I see other pages there. I don't like taking the first step :p

Martijn · Post by **Martijn** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:52 am

fang q wrote:I'll start making pages once I see other pages there. I don't like taking the first step :p

Great! The beginning enthusiasm is there!

The idea is first to copy my whole old website to the wiki, before creating anything new. The website is freely accessible at the moment, but in the future I will make it only accessible for logged in people, because otherwise others can upload and delete anything they want, which we all don't like.

Dark · Post by **Dark** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:42 am

Just wondering if there's any news of this, sinse I really do miss the updates to the Bd site, it was great to find all the levels with short descriptions, and to have comprehensive pages for many bd games as well as rnd.

Obviously it's hard work just for one person to maintain, which is why I liked the Wiki idea, but there hasn't been any news or even any updates to the bd site sinse last July and I haven't heard anything sinse.

RAP · Post by **RAP** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:40 am

Martijn and I have last discussed about the wiki stuff more than a couple of weeks ago (and more of it since January, when the silence had kicked in). He proclaims that he's too busy with his life. He only pops up in certain times of the day in my MSN, but I can't tell if he's popping in tonight, or tomorrow or anything else.

He offered me the ability to work on the website, particularly in the wiki section -- since I actually have a list of Boulder Dash links that are waiting to be used, I have wiki experience, and that I still have a decent interest of the Boulder Dash world. I think he would probably lend me his stuff that he didn't uploaded yet. *smiley face*. The problem is, can I fit this dedication in my schedule when I have other other wikis I'm working on such as NIWA (Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance), and MarioWiki? As it turns out, I created my schedule for this week (without thinking about BD-Fans), I might have a small amount of space to cram in.

So that's the whole situation dear user. Right now, I'm waiting for him; I wonder if he forgot to drop a message to me via MSN... busy as he is. Additionally, he hasn't cleaned up the spam stuff in the wiki and doesn't know how to add in Captcha. :[ Maybe you can help us Dark.

Dark · Post by **Dark** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:39 pm

Well, on the one hand it's encouraging to here someone is actually thinking about the site, ---- on the other it's rather sad that Martijn's dropped out of things slightly and now is looking for someone to take the project on.

I'm afraid I'm really not the person to ask, sinse I'm not all that knolidgeable on bd related matters (one reason I actually found Martijn's site so useful).

Pluss then I have some rather serious commitments related to accessible games on audiogames.net, not to mention moderating a mailing list about the first ever completely audio roguelike/rpg (for which I'm also currently trying to write up a players' handbook).

if the wiki was up and running I'd be glad to contribute if I could, but actually taking the thing on in it's entirety would be a bit much.

I do really hope though that at some point in the future something can be done about the site. It's really just because of Martijn's site that I ended up playing rnd and bd style games in the first place, and I've found it fantastic for extra levels, explanations of features etc in various games (as I said in the help thread, I now actually find it a trifle difficult to know what levels have been bought out for rnd).