Requirements

What a server needs to run Exponential 6 (6.0.15). The setup wizard's System check page tests all of it and prints, for each failure, the cause and the fix; exp:install and the kickstarter run the same tests and stop with the same messages.

PHP

Composer refuses PHP older than 7.4. The release tags v6.0.8 to v6.0.14 require PHP 8.1; on PHP 7.4 or 8.0 install the 6.0.15 line. A 64-bit PHP is needed for more than 30 languages.

Exponential uses PHP twice: the web server's PHP (PHP-FPM, mod_php or Velocity's workers) and the command line PHP (Composer, the installers, the console, cronjobs). Both must be the same version with the same extensions. On hosts with several PHP versions, call the right binary by its path, for example /opt/plesk/php/8.5/bin/php.

PHP extensions

Check what the command line PHP has, and, with Velocity installed, compare the machine with the extension set it expects and print the install command for your system:

php -v
php -m
php bin/php/console exp:velocity ext check
php bin/php/console exp:velocity ext install-hint intl xsl

php.ini settings

After editing php.ini, reload what runs PHP: PHP-FPM, Apache with mod_php, or Velocity (php bin/php/console exp:velocity restart). php --ini shows which files the command line PHP reads; PHP-FPM pools can set their own values.

Databases

Supported, in order of preference:

For a database server, create the database and a user that may create tables in it before you install; the installers do not create databases or users. Microsoft SQL Server has no driver in 6.0.x. More: Database support and Databases.

Composer

Composer 2, a current release (the installer plugin needs 2.2 or later). Composer installs the Zeta Components, the extensions and Exponential Velocity, and regenerates the class maps after every install or update. composer --version names the Composer version and the PHP it runs with: run it with the PHP the site will use.

Web servers

Only the setup wizard needs a web server during the install; exp:install and the kickstarter do not. Setting each one up: Virtual host setup.

Operating systems

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9: the stock PHP 8.0 runs Exponential and Velocity.

dnf install php php-fpm php-mysqlnd php-gd php-intl php-mbstring php-xml php-pdo php-opcache

php-xml brings dom, simplexml and xsl; php-pdo brings sqlite3; php-process brings pcntl; php-pgsql adds PostgreSQL. For a newer PHP use the AppStream module streams (dnf module enable php:8.3) or the Remi repository.

• Debian and Ubuntu: packages named php<version>-<extension>, for example php8.3-xml, php8.3-mbstring, php8.3-intl, php8.3-sqlite3, php8.3-gd, php8.3-curl.
• Plesk: each PHP version under /opt/plesk/php/<version>/, and each domain's PHP-FPM pool run by the service plesk-php<XY>-fpm. Run Composer and the console with the domain's PHP.
• Windows, macOS, the BSDs and others: see Installing Exponential on Windows and Operating system support.

Memory and disk

PHP needs at least 64M memory_limit. One Velocity worker takes about 10 MB of private memory, and Velocity ships with 4 workers. A MongoDB installation needs 512 MB of RAM at least (2 GB recommended) and 2 GB of disk (10 GB recommended).

The complete chapter, with every setup test and its fix: Requirements in the installation book. Notes for one older system: Install notes for Exponential on RHEL 6.