How to check your hosting for AVMScript requirements? Create your own phpinfo file!

Checking your hosting environment for AVMScript requirements is relatively straightforward! The easiest and most foolproof way to check everything at once is by creating a simple diagnostic file called a phpinfo page.

Here is your step-by-step guide to checking your cPanel. More step-by-step guides here!

Step 1: Check your PHP Version & Extensions

Most modern cPanel hosts provide a tool that lets you see and change your PHP settings visually.

1. Log in to your cPanel dashboard.
2. Scroll down to the Software section.
3. Look for and click on Select PHP Version (on some hosts, this might be called MultiPHP Manager).
4. Check the Version: Right at the top, you will see your current PHP version. If it says 8.4 or higher, you are good! If it is lower (like 8.1 or 8.2), click the dropdown menu, select 8.4, and click Set as current.
5. Check the Extensions: Click on the Extensions tab. Look through the alphabetical list and ensure the following checkboxes are ticked:
   
   • pdo & pdo_mysql (if you are getting a “conflict” error, read the section “Enabling pdo & pdo_mysql” below!)
   • openssl
   • mbstring
   • fileinfo
   • curl
   • ioncube_loader

⚠️ NOTE: If you can’t see the “Extensions” tab, please contact your hosting provider to get these details from them. This usually means you are on a shared hosting plan.

Step 2: The Bulletproof Method (The phpinfo Test)

To verify the deeper requirements (like file_get_contents, IonCube Loader 14, and File Uploads), we will make a temporary file.

1. Go back to the cPanel main page and click File Manager (under the Files section).
2. Double-click the public_html folder (this is where your website files live).
3. In the top-left menu, click + File to create a new file. Name it check.php and click Create New File.
4. Right-click your newly created check.php file and choose Edit.
5. Copy and paste the following exact line of code into the editor:
   
   <?php phpinfo(); ?>
   
6. Click Save Changes in the top right, then close the editor.

How to read your results:

Open a new tab in your web browser and go to: https://yourdomain.com/check.php (replace yourdomain.com with your actual website).

You will see a large page filled with data. Use Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on Mac) to search for these exact items:

• IonCube: Search for “ionCube”. You should see a section that says “with the ionCube PHP Loader v14.x.x (or higher)…” If you don’t see it, it is disabled.
• File Uploads: Search for file_uploads. Ensure the “Local Value” and “Master Value” say On.
• file_get_contents: Search for allow_url_fopen. This is the setting that controls file_get_contents(). Ensure it says On.

⚠️ Security Note: Once you are done looking at this page, go back to your cPanel File Manager and Delete the check.php file so hackers can’t see your server configurations.

Step 3: Check your SSL Certificate Requirement

AVMScript strictly requires an SSL certificate (meaning your site loads with https:// and has a padlock icon).

1. On the cPanel home page, scroll to the Security section.
2. Click on SSL/TLS Status.
3. You will see a list of your domains. Look for a green padlock icon next to your primary domain name.
4. If it is red or expired, look for a button at the top that says Run AutoSSL and click it. cPanel will automatically issue a free Let’s Encrypt or Sectigo SSL certificate for you within a few minutes.

Step 4: Database Storage Engine (InnoDB Required)

AVMScript requires InnoDB in order to support its unique features. So you will have to use InnoDB instead of MyISAM, etc.

If you have complete access provided by your host:

• Go to your cPanel dashboard and open phpMyAdmin.
• Click your database name on the left.
• Drop/Delete any existing tables so the database is completely empty.
• Look at the top menu tabs and click on the SQL tab.
• Copy and paste this single line into the text area:
  
  SET storage_engine=InnoDB;
  
• Click the Go button to run it.

If you don’t have complete access (on limited WHM and shared hosting panels), fire off a support ticket to ask the hosting provider to change the setting from MyISAM or any other engine to InnoDB.

What happens if I continue to use MyISAM with AVMScript?

If you run into the notorious 1071 Specified key was too long error during installation, it usually means your hosting provider is using an outdated database configuration running the legacy MyISAM storage engine. While it might be tempting to modify the script’s code to force a quick fix, doing so will break core functionalities down the line. Bypassing the error on a MyISAM database means modern features like emojis will not work, and long email content will be corrupted or completely truncated.

To ensure the script functions properly, your database must use the modern InnoDB engine. If your cPanel defaults back to MyISAM, the best course of action is to contact your web hosting support team immediately. Simply ask them to switch your database’s default storage engine to InnoDB and ensure that innodb_large_prefix is enabled. Modern scripts require modern database standards, and any reliable hosting provider will be able to toggle this setting for you in just a few minutes.

What if something is missing?

If your PHP version can’t go up to 8.4, or you notice IonCube Loader 14 is missing, don’t panic! Simply copy the requirement list you provided in your prompt, open a support ticket with your web hosting company, and say:

“Hi , I am trying to install a script that requires PHP 8.4, IonCube Loader 14+, PDO, OpenSSL, Mbstring, Fileinfo, cURL, allow_url_fopen, and file uploads enabled. Could you please ensure my account is configured with these settings?”

Most quality hosts will toggle these on for you in a matter of minutes!