Explicitly list the PHP packages needed under System Requirements #247

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1. yorkshire-pudding

   added

   content - documentation

   on Mar 18, 2025
2. schoenid commented on Jul 15, 2025

   

   schoenid

   on Jul 15, 2025

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   I think perhaps most hosts have these by default

   Right.
   But for test installations, if PHP is installed manually on a local system, it's not.

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3. schoenid commented on Jul 15, 2025

   

   schoenid

   on Jul 15, 2025

   Last edited by schoenid

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   However, looking to the original post with the following extensions:

   php-mdb2
   php-pear
   php-xml
   php-mbstring
   php-gd
   php-mdb2-driver-mysql
   php-mysql
   php8.2-mysql

   There are some extensions, I cant find in my actual PHP (8.4.10).
   This leads me to the idea, that it depends from the PHP version, one is using.

   In my installation:

   • xml: is built in (does not need to be activated)
   • mbstring: has to be activated in php.ini
   • gd: has to be activated in php.ini

   There are additional extensions, which have to be activated in php.ini:

   • mysqli
   • openssl (like the documentation says)

   The following extensions do not exist:

   • mdb2
   • mdb2-driver-mysql
   • mysql
   • pear
4. schoenid commented on Jul 21, 2025

   

   schoenid

   on Jul 21, 2025

   Last edited by schoenid

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   Finally I've got the php.ini extension list, I've made to host backdrop locally on my windows machine.

   ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
   ; Dynamic Extensions ;
   ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
   
   ; If you wish to have an extension loaded automatically, use the following
   ; syntax:
   ;
   ;   extension=modulename
   ;
   ; For example:
   ;
   ;   extension=mysqli
   ;
   ; When the extension library to load is not located in the default extension
   ; directory, You may specify an absolute path to the library file:
   ;
   ;   extension=/path/to/extension/mysqli.so
   ;
   ; Note : The syntax used in previous PHP versions ('extension=<ext>.so' and
   ; 'extension='php_<ext>.dll') is supported for legacy reasons and may be
   ; deprecated in a future PHP major version. So, when it is possible, please
   ; move to the new ('extension=<ext>) syntax.
   ;
   ; Notes for Windows environments :
   ;
   ; - Many DLL files are located in the ext/
   ;   extension folders as well as the separate PECL DLL download.
   ;   Be sure to appropriately set the extension_dir directive.
   ;
       ;extension=bz2
   extension=curl
       ;extension=ffi
       ;extension=ftp
   extension=fileinfo
   extension=gd
   extension=gettext
       ;extension=gmp
   extension=intl
       ;extension=ldap
   extension=mbstring
       ;extension=exif      ; Must be after mbstring as it depends on it
   extension=mysqli
       ;extension=odbc
   extension=openssl
       ;extension=pdo_firebird
   extension=pdo_mysql
       ;extension=pdo_odbc
       ;extension=pdo_pgsql
       ;extension=pdo_sqlite
       ;extension=pgsql
       ;extension=shmop
   
   ; The MIBS data available in the PHP distribution must be installed.
   ; See https://www.php.net/manual/en/snmp.installation.php
       ;extension=snmp
   
       ;extension=soap
   extension=sockets
       ;extension=sodium
       ;extension=sqlite3
       ;extension=tidy
       ;extension=xsl
       ;extension=zip
   
       ;zend_extension=opcache
   

   (edited for better readability ...)

   It runs very fine with full features, except some minor issues, because the original site has been built on a linux server and contains some characters in path descriptions, which are not allowed on windows.

   Oh btw, I'm using the nginx server and MariaDB.
5. yorkshire-pudding commented on Jul 24, 2025

   

   yorkshire-pudding

   on Jul 24, 2025

   ContributorAuthor

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   Should be a page under Advanced Installation with a link to this page from the basic install.
   @quicksketch to confirm the list.
6. schoenid commented on Jul 25, 2025

   

   schoenid

   on Jul 25, 2025

   Last edited by schoenid

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   Just to complete my installation settings for local hosting:
   (replace example.com with your domain):

   Web-Server

   https access in nginx.conf:

       # HTTPS server
       #
       server {
           listen       127.0.0.1:443 ssl;
           server_name  example.com;
           root   <your-path>\www\backdrop-folder;
           index  index.php;
   
           ssl_certificate      <your-path>\cert.pem;
           ssl_certificate_key  <your-path>\key.pem;
   
           # ssl_session_cache    shared:SSL:1m;
           # ssl_session_timeout  5m;
   
           ssl_ciphers  HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5;
           #ssl_prefer_server_ciphers  on;
   
           location / {
               try_files $uri /index.php$is_args$args;
           }
   
           location ~ \.php {
               try_files $uri =404;
               fastcgi_split_path_info ^(.+\.php)(/.+)$;
               include fastcgi_params;
               fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
               fastcgi_param SCRIPT_NAME $fastcgi_script_name;
               fastcgi_index index.php;
               fastcgi_pass 127.0.0.1:9123;
           }
       }
   

   Starting CGI-Server (part of your PHP installation) from command line (Windows):
   start php-cgi -b 127.0.0.1:9123 /MIN /B

   Starting Web-Server from command line (Windows):

   cd <your-path>\nginx
   nginx.exe
   

   The command window does not close and should be left open in the background, as long as nginx is running.

   Stopping Web-Server from command line (Windows):
   Open a new command line:

   cd <your-path>\nginx
   nginx -s stop
   

   To stop the CGI-Server just close its windows (if open) or terminate its task in Task-Manager.

   Backdrop settings.php as usual:

   $settings['trusted_host_patterns'] = array(
     '^www\.example\.com$',
     '^example\.com$',
   );
   

   Windows hosts file:

   Add to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

   127.0.0.1 example.com # Test Sites
   127.0.0.1 www.example.com # Test Sites
   

   Site Certification:

   A possibility for self hosted certs is https://github.com/FiloSottile/mkcert
   You can download a windows binary from the realeases page.

   To install the local root CA just use mkcert -install.

   To create the cert files for your local backdrop installation, use:
   mkcert -key-file key.pem -cert-file cert.pem example.com *.example.com
7. schoenid commented on Aug 11, 2025

   

   schoenid

   on Aug 11, 2025

   Last edited by schoenid

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   In mean time I found that even the zip extension has to be activated in php.ini:
   extension=zip
   Otherwise updates will fail.

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