Bundler FAQ
This page is for bundlers who want a quick answer first. Every answer links to the page with the details. Licensing answers are not legal advice.
Warning
.htaccess slows down every request. When .htaccess files are enabled (AllowOverride anything but None), let alone
used, Apache looks for them and reads and evaluates them on every request, in every directory of the path, and
page loading times go up drastically (measured). The only real fix is to switch the feature off for
the virtual host: AllowOverride None in the HTTPS virtual host, and the rules in the virtual host's own
configuration as mod_rewrite rules. That is far faster in production speed tests and well worth the time it takes
to optimize a production configuration. Switch over right away: copy the rules of the
example HTTPS virtual host into your virtual host (with the static cache, also
staticcache_offload.conf), set AllowOverride None, run apachectl configtest, reload Apache and
test the site. The same rules for other servers: nginx, LiteSpeed,
Caddy, IIS, Velocity (built in); where virtual host rules go in a control
panel: Plesk, cPanel, DirectAdmin, ISPConfig.
On LiteSpeed or OpenLiteSpeed, the server's own page cache can also answer anonymous visitors and crawlers without PHP: Page caching with LiteSpeed and OpenLiteSpeed.
Contents
Licensing
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| May we sell a bundle with Exponential in it? | Yes. You may charge for the bundle, distribution and services; the GPL applies to the Exponential parts (GPL obligations). |
| May we sell "Exponential licenses"? | No such license exists; "Using Exponential under the terms of the GNU GPL is free of charge" (Licensing for partners). |
| Must we publish our own extensions? | If you distribute them with Exponential, ask counsel whether they must be GPL-compatible; code you do not distribute is not affected (Licensing for partners). |
| What must we ship? | License texts, notices, the source offer, the third-party list (License texts and notices). |
| May we include the documentation? | Yes, under the GFDL 1.3: keep the notices and include the license (Documentation to ship). |
The vendor/ folder has Apache 2.0 packages. Is that a problem? | No. They are the kernel's libraries, the expcomponents (since 6.0.15 Exponential's fork of the Zeta Components); ship them with their LICENSE.txt and list them as third-party components. The kernel's "GPL version 2 or later" lets the combination go under GPL 3, with which Apache 2.0 is compatible. Not legal advice (Third-party components). |
Building
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is there an official Dockerfile? | No; the repository has none. Velocity publishes images on ghcr.io/se7enxweb/exponential-velocity (Container images). |
| Is there an official deb or rpm of the CMS? | No; Velocity has deb and rpm packages (Linux distribution packaging). |
| Which version do we build on? | A published release tag, found with a version sort, not a name sort (Versions, tags and pinning). |
Why is there no composer.lock? | The lock file "is not part of the repository"; your bundle keeps its own (Lock files). |
| Which PHP? | 8.0 to 8.5 for the 6.0.15 line; published tags v6.0.8 to v6.0.14 need 8.1 (Getting the code). |
| Which database? | SQLite 3 by default, then PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, Oracle, MySQL (Database choices). |
Installing
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do we install without a browser? | php bin/php/console exp:install --apply or the kickstarter (The three installers). |
| Can we ship an installed site? | Not for real sites: install at first boot (First boot and install once). |
| What is the administrator password? | Generated by the installer unless you pass an acceptable one; it is in var/log/initial-admin-password (Default credentials). |
Can we use publish as in old guides? | Only in a public demo with EXP_DEMO_MODE=1 (Demo mode in bundles). |
| Does it install offline? | Yes, when every package is imported first (Offline bundles). |
| The site shows 503 during first boot. | Maintenance mode is on while the installer works, and stays on after a failure (The three installers). |
How do we create .htaccess and config.php? | ./console exp:setup:htaccess --apply and ./console exp:setup:config --apply copy them from .htaccess_root and config.php-RECOMMENDED, with the template's mode and, run as root with --allow-root-user, its owner (--owner=www-data:www-data names another); a second run changes nothing (Setting up .htaccess and config.php from the console). |
How do we change a config.php setting without an editor? | ./console exp:config:set <NAME> <value> --apply (backup first, php -l before it lands), exp:config:get to read one, exp:config:list --only-set to review them (Setting up .htaccess and config.php from the console). |
After release
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do recipients update? | Code and database, by the route your bundle defines (Updates and upgrade paths). |
| A published bundle release is wrong. | Publish the next one and say what was wrong; never move the tag (Versions, tags and pinning). |
| Who supports the recipients? | You, first; 7x through partner or paid support; the community without obligation (Support boundaries). |
| We found a bug in Exponential. | Report it upstream; security problems privately to [email protected] (Contributing fixes back). |
Brand and partnership
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can we call our bundle "Exponential"? | Name it yourself and say "based on Exponential"; agree any use of the name in a product with 7x (Naming and branding). |
| Is there an OEM program? | "OEM Resale Opportunities" is a benefit at every level; details are not published: ask the partner team (OEM and the partner program). |
| What does partnership cost? | Per level, from Student to Platinum, on Partner plans and prices. |
| How do we join? | Apply, pay first, then sign (How to apply). |
| Who do we ask? | [email protected] |
Related pages
- Bundler glossary
- Partner FAQ
- Bundlers: start here
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.
Copyright and copyleft
Since 29 October 2026 the copyright of Exponential is held by the Exponential Foundation and 7x together, the Foundation named first: "Exponential Copyright © 1998-2026 Exponential Foundation and 7x", in files "Copyright (C) 1998 - 2026 Exponential Foundation and 7x. All rights reserved." Who holds it and why, what the GPL lets you do, the third-party notices that stay and how to write the notice in new files and extensions: Copyright and copyleft.