Installation Guide

Professional step-by-step guide to deploying Preads Platform using our automated installation engine.

Performance Note

Our optimized installation wizard typically completes the full deployment process in under 5 minutes.

🏗️ Pre-Installation Setup

Before launching the automated wizard, ensure your server environment is prepared.

1. Upload Files

Transfer the platform files to your server's web root (e.g., /var/www/html/ or via cPanel File Manager).

# Example using unzip
unzip preads-platform-v1.zip -d /var/www/html/

2. Configure Permissions

The platform requires write access to specific directories for logging and caching.

# Standard Linux/Ubuntu permissions
chmod -R 775 storage bootstrap/cache
chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache

3. Create Database

Create a fresh MySQL (5.7+) or MariaDB (10.3+) database. Note the credentials (host, name, user, and password) for the wizard.

🚀 The Installation Wizard

Access the wizard by navigating to your domain: https://your-domain.com/install/welcome

Step 1: System Audit

The wizard performs a real-time scan of your server to ensure compatibility.

  • PHP Runtime: Version 8.1.0 or higher required (8.2+ recommended).
  • Critical Extensions: openssl, pdo, pdo_mysql, mbstring, tokenizer, xml, ctype, json, bcmath, fileinfo.
  • Write Permissions: Verifies storage and bootstrap/cache accessibility.

Step 2: License Agreement

Review and accept our commercial terms to proceed. This ensures your installation is compliant with our premium licensing.

Step 3: Environment Configuration

Enter your application metadata and database credentials.

  • Database Host: Usually 127.0.0.1 or localhost.
  • Connection Test: The wizard automatically validates your credentials before writing the .env configuration.
  • Automated Import: Upon confirmation, the system imports the full database schema and initializes 50+ system settings and 30+ network drivers.

Step 4: Administrator Account

Create the Super Administrator account. This account has full system-wide privileges.

Security Requirement

Passwords must contain at least 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.

Step 5: Global Settings

Configure your platform's core identity:

  • Site Name: Primary branding used across the portal and emails.
  • Timezone: Sets the base for all transaction logging and stats.
  • Default Currency: Used for all advertiser balances and publisher payouts.

Step 6: Finalization

The system performs final optimizations:

  • Generates a unique APP_KEY for encryption.
  • Production Readiness: Automatically switches SESSION_DRIVER and CACHE_STORE to database for maximum scalability.
  • Locking: Creates a storage/installed.lock to prevent unauthorized re-installation.

🛠️ Post-Installation Checklist

To transition into production mode, follow these critical steps:

  1. Delete/Secure Installer: Ensure you cannot re-run the installer by verifying the existence of storage/installed.lock.
  2. Configure Cron Jobs: Essential for tracking and automated payouts (see Configuration).
  3. Setup SMTP: Enable email notifications in Admin → Settings → Email.
  4. Harden Account: Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in your admin profile immediately.

🆘 Troubleshooting

500 Internal Server Error

  • Cause: Usually missing PHP extensions or incorrect permissions.
  • Solution: Run tail -f storage/logs/laravel.log to identify the exact missing component.

Database Connection Refused

  • Cause: Incorrect host or firewall blocking port 3306.
  • Solution: Verify your database user has ALL PRIVILEGES on the specific database.

Proceed to Configuration →