Features
Kiwix provides over a rich range of features to help you to get, appreciate and share the content of your wishes.
It would be long and boring to list them all, here are the most important one...
Portable
Kiwix is a portable application; you don't need to install in order to use it. You can copy the Kiwix directory and put it wherever you want: your hard disk, your USB flash drive or a DVD. If you want a better integration in your system, an additional installer is mostly provided.
Kiwix supports a wide range of systems and architectures. You can use it with all main desktop operating systems like Microsft Windows, Apple Mac OSX and GNU/Linux compatibles personal computers. On GNU/Linux, many distributions provide packages of Kiwix.
Kiwix is a really tiny and compatible software, you can install it on pretty old computers. You can also use it on minimal devices like the Raspbperry Pi or plug computers.
User friendly
You already know how to use Kiwix: it works like your Web browser!. Kiwix provides all the features you love to use online with your browser: bookmarks, notes, tabs navigation, history, zoom, key shortcuts.
Kiwix provides over a perfect page rendering. Fully based on Web technologies, Kiwix allows to have a rendering similar (if not identical) to the original. You finally can enjoy Wikipedia exactly like you were online.
Kiwix is translated in in your native language. You don't need to learn English or have your lexicon beside you. Kiwix is localised in more than 80 languages and works perfectly with non-latin languages.
Library
Kiwix has it own library which allows you to gather in one view all the content. Each content is listed with its meta data and you can easily open or remove it. Sorting, filtering and searching features help you to find quickly the content you want to find.
The library provides a practicable view over the online catalog, you can download a new content in one click. This is the easier and most secure way to complete your own local library with content coming from the Internet. At each start, Kiwix will check for new content and update online and notify you about new content available.
Search engine
Kiwix has many search features which will help you to come quickly on target:
- The full text search engine which allows you to search over all the content. It show you the results in a similar way like your favourite Web search engine.
- You can also simply use the title suggestion system which dynamically popups and proposes articles corresponding while you are typing in the search box.
- One time, you have found an article, the search in pagewill help you to come directly to the exact part of the article you want to study.
Web server mode
With Kiwix, you can share your content on your LAN and even on Internet. Kiwix integrates indeed a HTTP/Web server which can be started on demand, directly from the Kiwix user interface. Then, all users sharing the network can simply access to your content using their browser, without installing themself installing Kiwix or downloading any ZIM file.
Called kiwix-serve, this server can also perfectly be started independently ; it's available as a separate command line executable. This can be pretty useful if this is the unique usage of Kiwix, on server or small devices. We use it for example for our Wifi hotspot solution.
Open
Kiwix is an open project, you deserve this openness. We think openness and transparency is not only something needed regarding our users, but also the best way to provide you with the best solution.
Kiwix uses open format and protocols. Kiwix uses the open open Web formats and the file format ZIM which was created and still maintained by the openZIM. It's export feature works with an other ones: PDF, HTML or paper. To exchange data with the Internet servers, Kiwix uses only open protocols like HTTP, Bittorrent and Metalink.
The Kiwix project has adopted an open development process and produce open-source software. Everybody can freely execute, copy, modify and share Kiwix. More, you are invited to join and help to the development, then it will really be yours!
See also