Release news · 19 September 2026

PHP Ledger 1.1.0: install from any web folder

1.1.0 makes installation work the way WordPress does: upload one folder to your website, open its address and the installer starts. It also adds MariaDB support, a chosen username, an optional logo and the first signed update metadata.

What is new in 1.1.0?

• The ZIP unpacks to one folder named phpledger. Upload it anywhere inside a website, such as the domain root, a subfolder like public_html/accounts or XAMPP's htdocs, then open that folder's address. The installer starts by itself; you no longer open /install yourself.
• The package-root index.php and .htaccess route requests and refuse private paths, so this layout needs Apache or LiteSpeed, which most shared hosting uses. Pointing the document root at www/phpledger/public still works and remains the most secure option.
• A normal install needs no setup key. When the database is on the same server (localhost), the installer opens without one. A database on another server needs a one-time code that the installer writes to private storage, and an operator can still require a setup key for every installation.
• MariaDB 10.4 or newer is supported alongside MySQL 8.4. The full battery of 294 tests passed on MariaDB 10.4, 10.6, 10.11 and 11.4 and on MySQL 8.4, and the migration files and their checksums are unchanged. MySQL 8.0 is not supported yet.
• The first account chooses a username as well as an email address and password, and can sign in with either. Existing accounts keep signing in by email.
• An optional logo appears in the menu and on the sign-in page.
• Plain http://localhost is accepted for trying PHP Ledger on your own computer. Real sites still need HTTPS.
• The package is smaller: 1,500 files instead of 1,583, with one short README.txt. The full INSTALL.md and UPGRADE.md guides are on GitHub.
• Sample companies can no longer be started in production through the onboarding preview; only local, test and demo provisioning may create them.

How do updates work from now on?

1.1.0 is the first release with signed update metadata. After you pin the publisher key listed in the release signing guide, later updates can be installed from /maintenance.php, with the automatic matched backup and recovery introduced in 1.0.0.

Moving from 1.0.0 to 1.1.0 is a manual upgrade, because 1.0.0 shipped without signed update metadata. Follow the 1.0.0 to 1.1.0 section of UPGRADE.md: back up the application, private configuration and database first, and never unzip the new version over an installed copy. 1.1.0 adds two migrations, one for usernames and one for the installation logo.

What does 1.1.0 need?

PHP 8.2 or newer, with 8.3 recommended, and the BCMath, PDO MySQL, mbstring, curl, OpenSSL and fileinfo extensions, plus zip for automatic updates. MySQL 8.4 or MariaDB 10.4 or newer, and HTTPS. No terminal, Composer, Node or Docker is needed for setup.

What has not been checked yet?

The installer was checked on MySQL 8.4 and MariaDB 10.4, 10.6, 10.11 and 11.4, in the PHP 8.3 Apache image and on the owner's XAMPP. It has not yet been observed on a real shared host, or with an operator who has not used it before. The assurance limits recorded for 1.0.0 still apply: independent accounting review, independent security review and supervised pilots have not taken place yet.

Where can I download it?

The download page has the package, its SHA-256 checksum and the install steps. The versioned GitHub release holds the same archive, its signed update metadata and the release notes. To look around first, choose a fictional business in the demo.