Script Installation

You install a Microscript script like any normal PHP/MySQL project: files go into the document root, an empty database is created, and access details are entered in the installer or config. Hosting panels usually do not have a one-click installer for our archives, and that is normal. Waiting for an "install script" button in a hosting panel can waste an evening.

Below is the working order we use when diagnosing tickets. The script has already been downloaded and unpacked, and PHP 8 is available on the server. If not, start with PHP and MySQL requirements.

Where to place files

The site root is what the web server serves as /. On shared hosting it is often public_html, www, or httpdocs. In ISPmanager, check the domain root directory. On a VDS with Nginx or Apache, use the path from root or DocumentRoot.

Locally in MicroServer, domain folders live in D:\MicroServer\www and the folder name matches the host. For board.loc, files go to D:\MicroServer\www\board.loc. You do not need to write a separate vhost manually; see virtual host *.loc.

Do not put the script into a subfolder "just in case" if the site must open from the root. Links will shift, and the URL may already be stored in the database. If the archive contains a folder such as upload/ or public/, read the included readme. For most of our products, document root equals the unpacked archive root.

MySQL database before the installer

Create an empty database with utf8mb4. Collation can be utf8mb4_unicode_ci or utf8mb4_general_ci. Avoid old utf8 without mb4: emojis and some symbols will later become broken characters.

• The database user should have rights only to this database, not global privileges by default.
• Database host is usually 127.0.0.1 or localhost. On shared hosting, check the database card; sometimes it is a socket or separate hostname.
• Copy the password without a trailing space. Access denied because of one extra space is surprisingly common.

Locally, phpMyAdmin is convenient: phpMyAdmin. In production, use the hosting panel or CLI. Until the database exists and the user has rights, the installer will fail at the connection step; that is not a script bug.

Directory permissions

Before opening the site for the first time, check that the web server can write to upload, cache, and temporary folders. Typical values are directories 755 and files 644. On shared hosting, 775 for upload may help when file owner and php-fpm user differ. Details: chmod permissions.

Do not set the database config file with passwords to 777. If everything is 777 after unpacking, that is not speed; it is an invitation.

First installer run

1. Open the domain in a browser. The installer or redirect to it should appear. Directory listing means there is no index.php in the root or document root points elsewhere.
2. Enter database host, name, login, and password. Save the same details; they will end up in the config.
3. Set the administrator login and password. Do not leave admin/admin for later.
4. If the script asks you to delete or rename the install folder or installer file, do it immediately.

If the database step shows SQLSTATE[HY000] [1045] Access denied or Unknown database, do not loop through the installer. Go to MySQL connection error and check host, login, and rights.

A white screen or HTTP 500 on the first request means you should read error_log, PHP version, and .htaccess. Checklist: 500 error.

What to check after the first admin login

After logging in, do not close the tab and assume it is fine. Walk through the live basics:

• Public home page opens without a database connection error.
• Catalog, listing, or product sections exist depending on the product.
• One image upload works in the admin panel: file appears on disk and in the card.
• Admin password change, logout, and login work.

Demo content can stay while you inspect the interface. Before showing a customer, clean or hide it. Set project name, sender email, and time zone on day one; otherwise mail and logs look wrong.

Shared hosting, VDS, and local stand

On shared hosting, PHP 8.x from the version selector, one database, and FTP/SFTP are often enough. Configure cron and mail separately; see cron for a script and hosting choice.

On a VDS, you own Nginx/Apache, PHP-FPM, and firewall. It is not harder, just a different responsibility: VDS for PHP, and if needed Nginx + PHP-FPM.

For Windows local work, use MicroServer rather than old Denver on PHP 5. Summary: local server; if you search for Denver, see Denver replacement.

After installation

Change the temporary admin password. Set the site URL as it will be visible externally, with https if SSL is already enabled: SSL on a site. Check mail from forms; shared hosting often needs SMTP instead of bare mail().

A backup after successful installation is not paranoia. Make a dump and file archive while everything is clean. Restoring becomes harder after uploads and edits. See PHP and MySQL backup.

If installation stops halfway and you write support, include product, domain, installer step, and error text without passwords. Support template: support and updates.

Typical first-day traps

• The archive was unpacked into a nested folder, so the installer is under /subdir/ while you open the root.
• The database was created in latin1, causing encoding pain later.
• Shared hosting still uses PHP 7.4 by default.
• The install folder was not removed after setup.
• Cron was forgotten, so scheduled actions do not run a week later.

Cron: manual. PHP version: requirements. Upload permissions: chmod.

SSL now or later

You can install over http and enable SSL immediately after. Then update the site URL to https. Or issue the certificate before installation. Both are fine. The important thing is not to create redirect loops. Production SSL: SSL; locally: HTTPS on .loc.

Several products on one server

Use a separate host or subdomain and a separate database for each script. A shared file pile without isolation ends with someone else's document root and config. On a VDS use separate vhosts: Nginx, VDS. Locally use separate *.loc hosts: virtual host.

When to contact support during installation

If you have an error text from the log, PHP 8 is enabled, the database exists, upload permissions are set, and the installer still fails at a specific step, then contact support. Before that, go through database error and 500. Response expectations: SLA.