More simultaneous readers/editors, expensive templates and extensions increase PHP and database pressure.
Public or collaborative wikis.متطلبات أجهزة MediaWiki: ذاكرة الوصول العشوائي (RAM)، والتخزين، وقاعدة البيانات، وقابلية التوسع
خطّط لمواصفات أجهزة MediaWiki من حيث ذاكرة RAM والتخزين وPHP وMariaDB أو MySQL وعمليات رفع الملفات وحركة المرور العامة، مع توصيات عملية للتثبيت المخصص على ZimaOS.
MediaWiki requirements at a glance
MediaWiki publishes a tiny official floor for a simple single-computer website, but warns that it is not sufficient for a busy public or upload-heavy site.
- RAM
- Official recommended minimum: 256 MB for a single-computer website.
- CPU
- No numerical official CPU minimum published; concurrency, parsing, thumbnails and extensions drive CPU demand.
- Storage
- Official minimum: 85 MB for the application baseline; database content, uploads, thumbnails and backups are additional.
- Software stack
- Current MediaWiki requires PHP 8.3+, a web server, and MariaDB 10.3+, MySQL 5.7+, PostgreSQL 10+ or SQLite 3.31+.
- GPU
- No dedicated GPU is required for standard MediaWiki hosting.
- Best Zima starting point
- ZimaBoard 2 832 is already far above the official floor; move to 16 GB or ZimaCube 2 when the wiki becomes public, media-heavy or multi-service.
From official requirements to the right setup
Start with the upstream floor, then size the whole system around PHP concurrency, database activity, media uploads, extensions and backup retention.
-
Official requirements
Treat 256 MB RAM and 85 MB storage only as a simple single-computer baseline; upstream explicitly says this is not enough for a busy public or upload-heavy site.
-
Confirm your needs
Choose the database and PHP/web stack. MariaDB/MySQL is the most-tested route, while PostgreSQL and SQLite are also supported.
-
Leave room to grow
Estimate uploads, thumbnails, extensions and public concurrency. VisualEditor, advanced search, caching and image processing can add separate resource pressure.
-
Run it on ZimaOS
On ZimaOS, use Install Custom App with a MediaWiki container plus a persistent database, then verify HTTPS, backups and thumbnail generation before scaling.
Check every playback client
- Private or public wiki
- Expected concurrent readers/editors
- Database choice
- Upload growth
- Extensions
- Caching/search requirements
- Backup retention
- Other ZimaOS apps
Official minimum requirements
Current MediaWiki documentation publishes a small hardware floor plus exact software-version requirements.
The 256 MB RAM and 85 MB storage figures are genuine upstream numbers, but they describe a tiny site rather than a comfortable production ZimaOS host.
| Requirement | Official minimum | What this supports |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 256 MB recommended minimum | For a single-computer website; not sufficient for a busy public or upload-heavy site. |
| Storage | 85 MB minimum | Application baseline only; database, media and backups are additional. |
| CPU | No numerical official minimum published | Depends on PHP concurrency, parsing, database load, extensions and image processing. |
| PHP | PHP 8.3.0+ | Current stable MediaWiki requirement. |
| MariaDB / MySQL | MariaDB 10.3.0+ or MySQL 5.7.0+ | The most-tested upstream path. |
| Other databases | PostgreSQL 10.0+ or SQLite 3.31.0+ | Supported but less tested than MariaDB/MySQL. |
When to upgrade your hardware
Upgrade when PHP/database workload or media growth—not the MediaWiki code size—becomes the bottleneck.
PHP and database latency rises
Uploads and thumbnails grow
Extensions add separate services
Media libraries increase storage use and image-processing work.
Documentation sites with screenshots, diagrams or file uploads.Advanced search, caching or VisualEditor can add new processes and dependencies.
Feature-rich public or enterprise-style wikis.Plan hardware growth with confidence
Scale database, cache and media storage before treating raw CPU as the only answer.
Move database and uploads to SSD
Database latency and frequent file access matter more as the wiki becomes active.
Add SATA/NVMe SSD storage to ZimaBoard 2 or use ZimaCube 2 SSD tiers.Add RAM for PHP and database cache
More memory helps PHP workers, database cache and object cache avoid disk-heavy operation.
ZimaBoard 2 1664 provides a compact 16 GB tier.Separate media and backups
Keep live data on fast storage while retaining backups on larger disks.
ZimaCube 2 fits larger local media and backup retention.Add search/caching services only when needed
Optional services improve larger sites but add their own CPU/RAM requirements.
Scale after monitoring identifies the actual bottleneck.Can it run on ZimaOS?
MediaWiki is not currently presented as a verified public one-click ZimaOS App Store page. It can still run through Install Custom App with a MediaWiki container plus a database service.
Custom install MediaWiki in ZimaOS
Use Install Custom App with MediaWiki and MariaDB/MySQL or another supported database. Persist LocalSettings.php, images/uploads and database storage.
Custom install MediaWiki in the ZimaOS app ↗Match current MediaWiki requirements
Use PHP 8.3+ and a currently supported database version; MariaDB/MySQL is the best-tested route.
Review MediaWiki installation requirements ↗Protect config, uploads and database backups
The durable wiki state lives in its database, LocalSettings.php and uploaded media.
Review MediaWiki backup guidance ↗Choose Zima hardware for MediaWiki
MediaWiki itself is light; database cache, upload storage, extensions and public concurrency drive the real host decision.
Is this a small private wiki or a larger public/media-heavy knowledge base?
Private or small-team wiki
8 GB is already far above the official minimum; prioritize durable SSD-backed persistence.
- Best starting pointZimaBoard 2 832
- More app headroomZimaBoard 2 1664
Public or media-heavy wiki
Choose more storage expansion and CPU/memory headroom for extensions, database cache and backups.
- Storage-first platformZimaCube 2 Standard
These are workload-based recommendations, not page-view or editor-count guarantees.
| Zima hardware | Best for | Example workload | Core configuration | Recommended boundary | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZimaBoard 2 832 | Private and small-team wikis. | MediaWiki, MariaDB/MySQL, uploads and backups. |
|
Add SSD storage for the database/uploads and keep independent backups. | Get Now |
| ZimaBoard 2 1664 | Extension-heavy or multi-app wiki hosts. | More PHP workers, cache, database activity and companion services. |
|
16 GB is whole-host headroom, not an official MediaWiki requirement. | Get Now |
| ZimaCube 2 Standard | Media-heavy knowledge bases and larger backup retention. | MediaWiki with larger uploads, database and multi-drive storage. |
|
Choose it for storage topology; its 8 GB memory is not automatically better than a 16 GB ZimaBoard for memory-heavy extensions. | Get Now |
What the Press Says
Highlights from trusted reviewers worldwide.
“ZimaCube 2: Not just another NAS, tested with 25TB storage, local AI agents, 4K transcoding, and real homelab workflows.”Read full review
“The ZimaBoard 2 is a compact x86 server board that can be turned into a mini NAS, home server, media box, or self-hosting hub.”Read full review
“ZimaCube 2: A modern, high-performance NAS with plenty of room to grow—built for users who want more than basic storage.”Read full review
“Coverage focused on ZimaCube 2's open hardware foundation, no monthly fee, and self-hosting flexibility.”Read full review
Loved by the Community
Stories and reviews from people who build with Zima every day.
★★★★★
Zima Blade Little yet Powerful
Maybe I am not digital natives but I live with PCs since 12 years old in 1984 when IBM PC clone come to my home. Many years have passed and many operating system I've tried. For me Zima blade and CasaOS was a quantum leap for home PC enthusiast and server lab machine to make me stay curious and relevant for this era.
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Very good!!
I use ZimaCube Pro as 5th Proxmox cluster node. It runs several VMs and containers, including a VM with GPU passthrough to run a self-hosted LLM. A specific LXC container runs a Samba server for NAS capabilities using four of six RAID 6 SATA HDDs with ZFS.
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Great innovation for mini server!
It is very useful and makes a powerful mini server for many purposes, including university and college students in engineering and electronics. Thank you so much for making this server.
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Avaliação ZimaBoard 2
Construí um servidor de uso pessoal. O desempenho está muito bom e funciona perfeitamente onde quer que eu esteja. A surpresa é não dependermos de grandes estruturas para termos nosso próprio servidor de dados. Como iniciante, estou gostando bastante do ZimaOS, pois ele é simples e eficiente.
Frequently asked questions
These answers cover MediaWiki RAM, CPU, database, storage and ZimaOS deployment.
How much RAM does MediaWiki need?
MediaWiki lists 256 MB RAM as the recommended minimum for a single-computer website, while warning that it is not enough for a busy public or upload-heavy site.
How much storage does MediaWiki need?
The official baseline is 85 MB, but real storage must also cover the database, uploads, thumbnails, logs and backups.
How many CPU cores does MediaWiki need?
MediaWiki does not publish a numerical CPU minimum; request concurrency, templates, extensions and image processing determine CPU need.
Which database should MediaWiki use?
MariaDB/MySQL is the most-tested route. PostgreSQL and SQLite are also supported.
Does MediaWiki need an SSD?
SSD is not an official hard minimum, but SSD-backed database and upload storage is a strong practical choice.
Does MediaWiki need a GPU?
No dedicated GPU is required for normal wiki hosting.
Can ZimaBoard 2 run MediaWiki?
Yes. Even the 8 GB model is far above the official memory floor; add SSD-backed persistence and size for extensions and concurrency.
What makes MediaWiki hardware needs grow?
Public concurrency, larger databases, uploads, thumbnails, complex templates and optional search/caching services are the main drivers.
What sources informed this MediaWiki hardware guide?
Current MediaWiki documentation was used for upstream requirements; Zima pages were used only for hardware matching.
