Accessican: First Installation

Version 0.8.1. This is the complete first-install package. You do not need any previous version. The working installer is install.php at the top level of this ZIP.

1. Prepare the website and database

In GoDaddy cPanel, confirm the document root for your intended Accessican domain or subdomain. Use a separate folder from your other websites.
Enable HTTPS for that domain. The installer requires a secure HTTPS connection.
Open cPanel MySQL Databases or Database Wizard. Create a new empty database and a dedicated database user with a strong password.
Add the database user to the new database and grant all privileges for that database. Keep the full database and user names, including any cPanel prefix.

2. Upload and extract the ZIP

Open cPanel File Manager and enter the document-root folder for Accessican.
Upload Accessican_GoDaddy_First_Install_v0.8.1.zip into that folder and extract it there.
You should immediately see install.php, index.php, INSTALL.html, assets, and accessican-application.php. There is no public folder to move and no configuration file to edit before installation.
Delete the uploaded ZIP after extraction. Keep your downloaded copy on your computer.

3. Run the guided installer

Do this in your browser on the hosted website. Opening a PHP file from your Windows Downloads folder does not run the installer.

Press Control+L. Enter your full website address followed by /install.php, for example https://YOUR-DOMAIN/install.php, and press Enter. If Accessican is in a subdirectory, include that subdirectory.
Review the hosting checks. Required: PHP 8.2 or later, PDO MySQL, cURL, ZIP, mbstring, fileinfo, and authenticated encryption through OpenSSL or Sodium. The installer detects the encryption option automatically; Sodium is not mandatory when OpenSSL AES-GCM is available.
Enter the setup code provided with the download. If needed, open accessican-setup-code.php using cPanel File Manager Edit and copy the code from its comment line. Opening that file in a browser deliberately shows nothing. The code protects your uninstalled site from other visitors.
Enter the full database name, full database username and database password. Database host is usually localhost and port 3306; confirm with your host if those fail.
Enter your name, administrator email and a new administrator password of 14 to 128 characters. Confirm the password.
Confirm the HTTPS website address. Add business contact details now or complete them before launch.
The private application location is filled automatically for standard cPanel hosting. It is outside public_html and must be outside every other website root too. Under Advanced you can correct the path for a custom hosting layout. The parent directory must be writable by your hosting account.
Activate Install Accessican and create administrator. The installer checks the database is empty, unpacks private application code outside the website, writes configuration, creates tables, creates an encryption key and creates your administrator.
When installation succeeds, follow Sign in to Accessican. Enroll your authenticator under My account. The installer disables itself after completion.

JAWS navigation

Use H to move among headings in the JAWS virtual cursor, or Tab and Shift+Tab to move among controls. Enter forms mode when needed to type. Every field has a text label, and setup errors are shown in an alert with an Installation needs attention heading. After an error, passwords and the setup code must be entered again; other values are retained.

If installation needs attention

Database connection: use the complete cPanel-prefixed database and user names. Confirm the user is assigned to that database with privileges.
Database contains tables: use a new empty database. The installer will not overwrite existing data.
HTTPS: use your https address after SSL is enabled. Do not enter database credentials over HTTP.
Private path: do not select a folder inside public_html, another website root or a public subdirectory. If your host restricts access outside public_html, ask it to allow a private folder in your account home.
Unfinished setup: retry with the original database details and setup code. Setup preserves an existing configuration. If extraction failed before configuration was written, remove only the newly created, unused private folder or choose another Accessican private folder name.
Installer disabled: an installation lock is present. Do not delete it to reset accounts. Use the normal sign-in or documented administrator recovery.

After setup

Database installation does not configure outside services automatically. Configure business email delivery and the scheduled worker, institutions and service plans, optional Stripe keys and webhook signing secret, and encrypted backups. The success page displays your private configuration and worker paths. Read the guides in the private docs folder, especially FOUNDERS-AND-PAYMENTS.md, INTEGRATIONS-SETUP.md and LAUNCH-ACCEPTANCE.md.

Verify the complete workflow on your actual hosting, including JAWS, invitations, review delivery and payment reconciliation, before inviting paying customers. Local test results do not establish independently verified WCAG conformance.

Important file locations

Website root: install.php, index.php, assets and other public entrypoints.
Private application: a folder named accessican-private followed by an installation-specific suffix, outside your website root.
accessican-path.php: generated by setup; lets public entrypoints find private code. It contains only a PHP-returned filesystem path.
accessican-application.php: the packaged source bundle. Setup removes it after success; remove any remaining copy after verifying installation.
config.php, storage, uploaded customer documents and encryption key: stored only in the private application folder.

For a fresh installation only. If you later upgrade an installed site, preserve config.php, storage and the database; use the documented upgrade process rather than rerunning setup.