Requirements

dotPulse is a PHP application with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Any server that runs PHP 8.2 or later behind Apache or nginx can host it. Linux is where it is developed and tested.

PHP

You need PHP 8.2 or later. PHP 8.3 is tested.

The libraries that ship with dotPulse need these extensions. Most PHP packages include them already:

Extension	What needs it
mysqli	The database connection.
mbstring	Text handling throughout, PDF reports and the two-step login QR code.
dom	PDF reports.
session, ctype, filter, hash	Logins and sending mail.

These extensions are optional. dotPulse works without them, but loses something:

Extension	Without it
fileinfo	The type of uploaded files is not detected: every upload is stored as application/octet-stream.
gd	The installer flags it as missing. The PDF library uses it to draw images.
zlib	The Backup module has restricted operation.
curl	The Mantis module cannot reach MantisBT.
ldap	You cannot log in against an LDAP directory or import contacts from one.

PHP settings

The installer checks these and shows a warning for each one that is off:

• file_uploads on. The installer shows the largest file you can upload: the smallest of upload_max_filesize, post_max_size and memory_limit.
• session.use_cookies on, and session.use_trans_sid off.
• A writable session.save_path. You can ignore this one if you keep the default session handling, which stores sessions in the database.

Run PHP as an Apache module or through PHP-FPM. The installer warns that plain CGI mode is likely to have problems.

Database

You need MySQL or MariaDB. dotPulse connects through the mysqli driver. The development sandbox uses MariaDB 10.11.

Create a database user for dotPulse. The installer can create the database itself if that user may create databases; otherwise create an empty database first and give the user full rights on it.

Create the database with the utf8mb4 character set (the example in Installing does), so that text in every language is stored as written.

Web server

Apache is recommended. dotPulse ships .htaccess files that stop the web server from serving code, libraries, uploaded files and other internal files directly. Apache only reads them when the dotPulse directory has AllowOverride All (or at least AuthConfig Limit Options FileInfo). Without it, Apache ignores them silently.

nginx works too, but it never reads .htaccess files. You must copy the same rules into your server block. The deployment security guide has them ready to paste.

Serve the site over HTTPS. You need it for the REST API, and it protects the passwords and session cookies of your users.

Folders the web server writes to

The web server user must be able to write to:

• includes/, during installation only, so the installer can write includes/config.php. If it can't, the installer shows the file's content for you to create by hand.
• files/, where uploaded files are stored.
• files/temp/, for PDF reports and temporary files.
• locales/ and its language folders (and modules/*/locales/), only if you will edit translations in System Admin › Translations. The installer checks locales/en/.

Browsers

Your users need a current browser with JavaScript and cookies turned on. The dotPulse theme adapts to phones and laptops. The installer warns against Internet Explorer.

Optional: cron and mail

dotPulse sends mail for password resets, task assignments, task notifications and reminders. To send it, you need either PHP's own mail() set up on the server, or an SMTP server you can use.

Task notifications, assignment mails and reminders go through an event queue. A cron job must run queuescanner.php every few minutes, or those mails are never sent. Installing shows how.