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Installation

This guide walks you through installing the QR Attendance System on your server.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure your server meets these requirements:

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Required software

  • PHP 7.4 or higher with the following extensions:
    • pdo_mysql - Database connectivity
    • gd - Image processing for QR codes
    • fileinfo - File type detection for Excel imports
    • mbstring - Multi-byte string handling
  • MySQL 5.7 or higher or MariaDB 10.2 or higher
  • Web server: Apache 2.4+ or Nginx 1.18+
  • Composer - PHP dependency manager

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Browser requirements

For QR code scanning functionality:
  • Modern browser with camera access support (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • HTTPS connection (required for camera access)
Camera access for QR scanning requires HTTPS. Use a valid SSL certificate in production.

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Installation steps

1

Download the source code

Clone or download the repository to your web server:
git clone https://github.com/noob-Vix/qr_attendance.git
cd qr_attendance
2

Install dependencies

Install required PHP packages using Composer:
composer install
This will install:
  • phpoffice/phpspreadsheet - Excel file handling for student import/export
3

Configure database connection

Edit config.php to set your database credentials:
config.php
<?php
session_start();
$host = 'localhost';        // Database host
$dbname = 'qr_attendance';  // Database name
$username = 'root';         // Database username
$password = '';             // Database password
The system will automatically create all required tables when you first access the application.
4

Create the database

Create a new MySQL database:
CREATE DATABASE qr_attendance CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
The application will automatically create all required tables on first run, including:
  • students - Student records and QR codes
  • teachers - Teacher accounts
  • admins - Administrator accounts
  • classes - Class definitions
  • class_students - Student-class enrollments
  • class_schedules - Class schedules and timing
  • attendance - Attendance records
5

Configure web server

Point your web server document root to the application directory.Apache configuration example:
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName attendance.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/qr_attendance
    
    <Directory /var/www/qr_attendance>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
</VirtualHost>
Nginx configuration example:
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name attendance.example.com;
    root /var/www/qr_attendance;
    index index.php;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    }
}
6

Set file permissions

Ensure the web server has write access to necessary directories:
chmod 755 /var/www/qr_attendance
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/qr_attendance
7

Access the application

Navigate to your server URL in a web browser:
http://attendance.example.com
You should see the login page. The system is now ready for initial configuration.

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Default credentials

The system creates a default administrator account on first run:
  • Username: admin
  • Password: admin123
Change the default admin password immediately after first login for security purposes.
For camera access in QR scanning, you need HTTPS. Use Let’s Encrypt for free SSL certificates: 
# Install Certbot
sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-apache  # For Apache
# OR
sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-nginx   # For Nginx

# Obtain certificate
sudo certbot --apache -d attendance.example.com      # For Apache
# OR
sudo certbot --nginx -d attendance.example.com       # For Nginx

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Verification

Verify your installation by checking:
  1. Database connection: Access the application - if you see the login page, database connection is successful
  2. Dependencies: Try registering a student - QR code should generate
  3. Camera access: Login as a teacher and open the scanner - browser should request camera permission

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Troubleshooting

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Database connection failed

  • Verify MySQL service is running: sudo systemctl status mysql
  • Check database credentials in config.php
  • Ensure database exists: SHOW DATABASES;

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QR code not generating

  • Check that GD extension is installed: php -m | grep gd
  • Clear browser cache and reload
  • Check browser console for JavaScript errors

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Camera not accessible

  • Ensure site is served over HTTPS
  • Check browser permissions for camera access
  • Verify camera is not in use by another application

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Excel import/export not working

  • Verify Composer dependencies are installed: composer install
  • Check that fileinfo PHP extension is enabled
  • Ensure upload directory has write permissions

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Next steps

Now that installation is complete:
  1. Follow the quickstart guide to configure your first class
  2. Read the teacher guide to learn about class management
  3. Review security configuration for production deployment

Quick Start

Set up your first class

Security Configuration

Secure your installation

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