Requirements

Verify your hosting environment meets the baseline system requirements before installing GST Manager:

• AcelleMail compatibility: Built for standard AcelleMail 4.2+ deployments.
• PHP support: Compatible with modern PHP 8.2 through 8.5 runtimes.
• Native extensions: Leverages standard extensions required by AcelleMail core.

Server and software matrix

Requirement	Supported Versions	Notes
AcelleMail	4.2.0 or newer	Core application framework.
PHP	8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5	Standard CLI and FPM runtimes.
ionCube Loader	13.0.2 or newer	Standard PHP loader extension.
SSH Access	Optional / Fallback	Required only if web user lacks write permissions to core files.
License Key	Active license	Required to unlock admin interface.

The ionCube Loader extension

GST Manager distributes ionCube-encoded binaries for security and compliance integrity:

• Shared dependency: Uses the identical loader extension required by AcelleMail.
• Version requirements: Requires ionCube Loader 13.0.2 or newer (compatible with 14.x and 15.x).
• Multi-version support: A single distribution archive supports PHP versions 8.2 through 8.5.

Required PHP extension

If the loader is missing or outdated, activation halts with:

"ionCube Loader required. Contact [email protected]"

Install or upgrade the ionCube Loader in your active php.ini configuration and restart your web server.

Licensing requirements

An active license key is required to use administrative features:

• Admin access: Unlocks the Dashboard, Setup configuration, and Tax Reports.
• Public resilience: Customer checkout and invoice rendering continue functioning using cached offline bindings.

See Licensing.

SSH access requirements

Command-line access is typically not required during normal installation:

• Automatic patching: Plugin hooks are applied automatically during web activation.
• Hardened environments: If restricted permissions block web patching, run the one-line CLI script via SSH.

See Apply the core hook points.

Verification checklist

Run these diagnostic commands to verify environment readiness:

• AcelleMail version: Check the version string in your AcelleMail admin footer (must be ≥ 4.2.0).
• PHP version: Run php -v via CLI or verify through your hosting control panel.
• ionCube Loader: Run php -m | grep -i ioncube to confirm the extension is loaded.
• SSH connection: Confirm CLI access to the AcelleMail root directory if manual patching is required.

Related pages

• Installation — plugin installation steps
• Configuration — merchant tax configuration
• Licensing — license tiers and management
• Troubleshooting — resolving server errors