diff --git a/sources/tech/20180221 Create a wiki on your Linux desktop with Zim.md b/sources/tech/20180221 Create a wiki on your Linux desktop with Zim.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..9929e45536 --- /dev/null +++ b/sources/tech/20180221 Create a wiki on your Linux desktop with Zim.md @@ -0,0 +1,115 @@ +Create a wiki on your Linux desktop with Zim +====== + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-full-size/public/lead-images/OSDC_bees_network.png?itok=NFNRQpJi) + +There's no denying the usefulness of a wiki, even to a non-geek. You can do so much with one—write notes and drafts, collaborate on projects, build complete websites. And so much more. + +I've used more than a few wikis over the years, either for my own work or at various contract and full-time gigs I've held. While traditional wikis are fine, I really like the idea of [desktop wikis][1] . They're small, easy to install and maintain, and even easier to use. And, as you've probably guessed, there are a number a desktop wikis available for Linux. + +Let's take a look at one of the better desktop wikis: [Zim][2]. + +### Getting going + +You can either [download][3] and install Zim from the software's website, or do it the easy way and install it through your distro's package manager. + +Once Zim's installed, start it up. + +A key concept in Zim is notebooks. They're like a collection of wiki pages on a single subject. When you first start Zim, it asks you to specify a folder for your notebooks and the name of a notebook. Zim suggests "Notes" for the name, and `~/Notebooks/` for the folder. Change that if you want. I did. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim1.png) + +After you set the name and the folder for your notebook, click **OK**. You get what's essentially a container for your wiki pages. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim2.png) + +### Adding pages to a notebook + +So you have a container. Now what? You start adding pages to it, of course. To do that, select **File > New Page**. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim3.png) + +Enter a name for the page, then click **OK**. From there, you can start typing to add information to that page. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim4.png) + +That page can be whatever you want it to be: notes for a course you're taking, the outline for a book or article or essay, or an inventory of your books. It's up to you. + +Zim has a number of formatting options, including: + + * Headings + * Character formatting + * Bullet and numbered lists + * Checklists + + + +You can also add images and attach files to your wiki pages, and even pull in text from a text file. + +### Zim's wiki syntax + +You can add formatting to a page using the toolbar, but that's not the only way to do the deed. If, like me, you're kind of old school, you can use wiki markup for formatting. + +[Zim's markup][4] is based on the markup that's used with [DokuWiki][5]. It's essentially [WikiText][6] with a few minor variations. To create a bullet list, for example, type an asterisk. Surround a word or a phrase with two asterisks to make it bold. + +### Adding links + +If you have a number of pages in a notebook, it's easy to link them. There are two ways to do that. + +The first way is to use [CamelCase][7] to name the pages. Let's say I have a notebook called "Course Notes." I can rename the notebook for the data analysis course I'm taking by typing "AnalysisCourse." When I want to link to it from another page in the notebook, I just type "AnalysisCourse" and press the space bar. Instant hyperlink. + +The second way is to click the **Insert link** button on the toolbar. Type the name of the page you want to link to in the **Link to** field, select it from the displayed list of options, then click **Link**. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim5.png) + +I've only been able to link between pages in the same notebook. Whenever I've tried to link to a page in another notebook, the file (which has the extension .txt) always opens in a text editor. + +### Exporting your wiki pages + +There might come a time when you want to use the information in a notebook elsewhere—say, in a document or on a web page. Instead of copying and pasting (and losing formatting), you can export your notebook pages to any of the following formats: + + * HTML + * LaTeX + * Markdown + * ReStructuredText + + + +To do that, click on the wiki page you want to export. Then, select **File > Export**. Decide whether to export the whole notebook or just a single page, then click **Forward**. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim6.png) + +Select the file format you want to use to save the page or notebook. With HTML and LaTeX, you can choose a template. Play around to see what works best for you. For example, if you want to turn your wiki pages into HTML presentation slides, you can choose "SlideShow_s5" from the **Template** list. If you're wondering, that produces slides driven by the [S5 slide framework][8]. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim7.png) + +Click **Forward**. If you're exporting a notebook, you can choose to export the pages as individual files or as one file. You can also point to the folder where you want to save the exported file. + +![](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/u128651/zim8.png) + +### Is that all Zim can do? + +Not even close. Zim also has a number of [plugins][9] that expand its capabilities. It even packs a built-in web server that lets you view your notebooks as static HTML files. This is useful for sharing your pages and notebooks on an internal network. + +All in all, Zim is a powerful, yet compact tool for managing your information. It's easily the best desktop wiki I've used, and it's one that I keep going back to. + +-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +via: https://opensource.com/article/18/2/create-wiki-your-linux-desktop-zim + +作者：[Scott Nesbitt][a] +译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID) +校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID) + +本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出 + +[a]:https://opensource.com/users/scottnesbitt +[1]:https://opensource.com/article/17/2/3-desktop-wikis +[2]:http://zim-wiki.org/ +[3]:http://zim-wiki.org/downloads.html +[4]:http://zim-wiki.org/manual/Help/Wiki_Syntax.html +[5]:https://www.dokuwiki.org/wiki:syntax +[6]:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikilink +[7]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_case +[8]:https://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/s5/ +[9]:http://zim-wiki.org/manual/Plugins.html