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Minimum Requirements

MINI is designed to run on minimal infrastructure with basic server requirements.

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PHP Version

PHP 5.3.0+

MINI was originally built for PHP 5.3.0 but works perfectly with modern PHP versions.
Supported PHP Versions:
  • PHP 5.3.0+ (original requirement)
  • PHP 5.6.x (tested, stable)
  • PHP 7.0.x, 7.1.x, 7.2.x, 7.3.x, 7.4.x (tested, stable)
  • PHP 8.0+ (should work, but not extensively tested)
For PHP 7.0+, the framework uses the class name “Problem” instead of “Error” due to PHP 7’s internal Error class. See troubleshooting for details.

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Database

  • MySQL 5.x or higher (required)
  • PDO MySQL extension enabled
  • Database with proper character encoding support (UTF-8 recommended)
The framework uses PDO for database operations, providing protection against SQL injection when used correctly.

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Web Server

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Apache

  • Apache 2.2 or 2.4
  • mod_rewrite module (required for clean URLs)
  • .htaccess support enabled (AllowOverride All)
Without mod_rewrite, the application will not work. If you need a non-mod_rewrite solution, check out TINY, MINI’s smaller brother.

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nginx

nginx is supported with proper configuration. See Server Setup for details.

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PHP Extensions

Required extensions:
  • pdo
  • pdo_mysql
  • mod_rewrite (Apache only)

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Optional Tools

Not required by default. The framework runs without Composer dependencies. However, if you plan to extend the application with additional packages, Composer can be useful.
Recommended for version control and easy updates. The Vagrant setup automatically installs Git.
Optional but helpful for database management. Included in the Vagrant setup.

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Server Recommendations

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Production Environment

Minimum Specs

  • 512 MB RAM
  • 1 CPU core
  • 500 MB disk space

Recommended Specs

  • 1 GB+ RAM
  • 2+ CPU cores
  • 5 GB+ disk space

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Development Environment

MINI works seamlessly in common development environments:
  • XAMPP (Windows, Mac, Linux)
  • MAMP (Mac)
  • WAMP (Windows)
  • AMPPS (Windows, Mac)
  • EasyPHP (Windows)
  • LAMPP (Linux)
  • Vagrant (all platforms) - see installation guides
For automated setup, MINI includes a Vagrant configuration that installs everything automatically. See the Vagrant documentation.

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Hosting Compatibility

MINI runs on most shared hosting providers that meet the basic requirements: ✅ Compatible with:
  • Most shared hosting (cPanel, Plesk, etc.)
  • VPS and dedicated servers
  • Cloud platforms (DigitalOcean, AWS, Azure, etc.)
  • Docker containers
  • Vagrant environments
❌ Not compatible with:
  • Hosting without mod_rewrite support
  • Servers with PHP < 5.3.0
  • Hosting without PDO MySQL support

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Security Considerations

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File System Requirements

The web server’s document root MUST point to the /public folder, not the project root.
This security measure ensures:
  • Application code is not directly accessible
  • Configuration files are protected
  • .git folder cannot be accessed
  • Only public assets are exposed

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File Permissions

Recommended permissions:
  • Directories: 755 (read/execute for all, write for owner)
  • PHP files: 644 (read for all, write for owner)
  • Configuration files: 600 (read/write for owner only)

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Quick Compatibility Check

Use this command to verify your PHP installation: 
php -v  # Check PHP version
php -m | grep pdo  # Check PDO extension
php -m | grep pdo_mysql  # Check PDO MySQL extension
For Apache mod_rewrite: 
# Ubuntu/Debian
apache2ctl -M | grep rewrite

# CentOS/RHEL
httpd -M | grep rewrite

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Next Steps

Server Setup

Configure Apache or nginx for MINI

Troubleshooting

Fix common deployment issues

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