The downloadable repository is the durable copy of InfoPreserver. Wiki.js provides navigation, topic explanations, editorial context, and links; the repository contains the PDFs, folder guides, manuals, images, and other files that a steward can keep independently of the live site.
Download the full archive when creating a new local copy. After that, use periodic incremental archives to keep the copy current without downloading the entire repository again.
Printable guide: Download the beginner-friendly PDF version
Think of the full archive as a complete, labeled bookshelf. It gives you every folder and file needed to make a working local copy of InfoPreserver. An incremental is a small shipping box containing only the books or revised pages added since a particular release.
An incremental is not a replacement for the full archive and is not useful by itself. A new steward downloads the newest full archive. An existing steward keeps that full archive and applies each later incremental in order. Every incremental release is accompanied by a refreshed full archive containing all current content. New stewards should use that current full archive and never need to reconstruct the history from incrementals.
The Wiki.js library must not advertise an external PDF as though it were part of the repository. A PDF listed as a local document must exist at the matching path in the repository release before the Wiki.js page links to it. External URLs may appear only as clearly labeled provenance, source, rights, or further-reading references. This keeps regional stewards from building fragmented collections and ensures that every claimed repository resource is available in the archive. Local additions may be shared with the wider InfoPreserver community only after review and inclusion in the central repository.
Library, Assets, Manuals, and Theme.Create one dedicated folder for the repository. Choose a location with enough free space for the unpacked archive, not only the compressed ZIP. Do not unpack an incremental into a temporary folder and then drag the temporary folder itself into the repository; open the incremental and merge the folders inside it with the existing repository root.
The safest routine is:
.sha256 file into a temporary downloads folder.The most common placement mistake is creating an extra layer such as InfoPreserver/repo-incremental/Library. The intended result is InfoPreserver/Library, with the incremental's contents merged into that existing root.
.sha256 file. The values must match exactly.Library is directly inside it. Add the release name and checksum to your steward log.If using 7-Zip instead of File Explorer, the same rule applies: extract the contents of the incremental into the existing repository root, not into a new folder named after the ZIP.
.sha256 file.Library folder at the repository root rather than a nested Library/Library.Library, Assets, Manuals, and Theme directly.These commands calculate a checksum; they do not install, delete, or modify the repository. Run them from the folder containing the downloaded ZIP and checksum file.
The current full archive is the baseline release for this repository version:
The archive contains the complete Library, including source PDFs and a readable *_Wiki_Page.pdf companion for every folder README. It also contains the root README, Manuals, Assets, and Theme directories. Internal editorial manifests and rights-review staging files are not included in the public archive.
After downloading the ZIP, calculate its SHA-256 hash and compare it with the checksum file. On Windows PowerShell:
Get-FileHash .\InfoPreserver_v1.8_FULL_20260929.zip -Algorithm SHA256
On Linux or macOS:
sha256sum InfoPreserver_v1.8_FULL_20260929.zip
Do not unpack an archive whose checksum does not match. Download it again or compare the result with another steward before using it as a repository baseline.
After the full baseline is established, periodic releases may be published using names like:
repo-incremental-2026-W31.zip
repo-incremental-2026-W31.sha256
An incremental contains files added or changed since the previous release baseline. It is not a complete repository and cannot be used by itself. Every time an incremental is published, maintainers also publish a new full archive that includes the incremental and all earlier content. New users download only that current full archive; existing stewards may apply the smaller incremental if they already have the named baseline.
The update sequence is:
.sha256 file.The public release is an authoritative distribution copy, not a place for unreviewed local edits. Before applying an incremental, preserve local additions in a separate working area or make a backup. New local files should be submitted for review rather than silently merged into the public tree.
If a local steward has edited a README, changed a filename, or added a document, compare the local change with the incoming release before replacing it. Keep a record of the decision. A future release may intentionally revise a folder page, move a document to a better A-level, or replace a file after a rights review.
The archive is designed to remain useful without an internet connection:
*_Wiki_Page.pdf files provide readable, printable versions of those guides.The live wiki remains useful for search, cross-links, current release notices, and human-readable navigation. The archive is the copy to preserve, mirror, print, and carry forward.
Each release should have a matching checksum and a recorded publication date. Future release notes should identify added, changed, moved, and removed files. When a document is removed for rights or quality reasons, the release notes should say so without leaving a broken link in the public navigation.
For questions about a missing file, a checksum mismatch, or an incremental that appears out of order, use the current Wiki.js page and contact the InfoPreserver maintainers before modifying a preserved baseline.