Getting Started

Installation Guide

Upload Luster to your web host and run the browser-based Installation Wizard. Everything is set up and ready to go in a few minutes.

Prerequisites

Server Requirements

Not sure if you have these requirements? The installer will automatically check whether your server meets these requirements before letting you proceed.

A web host with PHP support

Almost any shared hosting plan (like Cloudflare, DreamHost, Hostinger, or similar) will work, as long as it supports PHP. Luster needs:

  • PHP 8.1 or later - Your host's control panel (like cPanel) usually shows the PHP version.
  • PHP Extensions: PDO, PDO MySQL - Both have been bundled and enabled by default in PHP since version 7.x, and virtually all shared hosting providers have them switched on.
  • MySQL or MariaDB - most hosting plans include at least one database.

That's it! Everything else Luster needs is included in the download.

A new database for Luster

An empty database for Luster needs to already exist. Luster then creates all the necessary tables within the database for you.

Walkthrough

Installation Steps

  1. Download Luster

    Head to Luster's GitHub Release Page. The most recent version will always be listed at the top of the page. Download the zip file only (named luster-x.y.z.zip).

  2. Extract & Upload

    Extract the release ZIP on your computer, and upload all its contents to your web host inside a folder named luster (or whatever you like).

  3. Run the Installation Wizard

    Once the files are uploaded, go to http://yoursite.com/luster/ - swapping out the folder name or path for whatever or wherever you uploaded Luster.

    Luster will take you to the Installation Wizard automatically. It checks your server, sets up your database tables, and creates your first admin account. No config file editing needed — it writes everything for you.

    When you see "Installation Complete", you're all set!

  4. Delete the Installer

    Once the wizard finishes, click Proceed to Admin Panel, then delete the install/ folder for your own security.

  5. First Login

    You should be automatically logged in and directed to the admin panel. (If not, visit https://yoursite.com/luster/public/admin).

    That's it! You're ready to settle in. Welcome to Luster!

  6. Configure email (optional but recommended)

    Luster uses your host's default mail setup out of the box. If you want more reliable email delivery (or your host doesn't support it), you can connect an SMTP account in Settings → SMTP & Email using your email provide's details.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Blank white page or “Forbidden” error

This usually means the files are in the right place but the web server isn’t reading them correctly.

First, double-check that you’re visiting the right URL. It should end in /luster/public/admin (or wherever you uploaded the files) — not just /luster/. The public part matters.

If the URL looks right:

  • In cPanel, go to Select PHP Version and make sure PHP 8.1 or newer is selected.
  • Check that your host supports .htaccess files. Most shared hosting does. If you’re on a plan that uses nginx instead of Apache, contact your host — they can tell you whether URL rewriting is supported and how to enable it.
404 Not Found page

This usually means the URL rewriting isn’t set up correctly for your install path. Open the file public/.htaccess in a text editor and find the line that starts with RewriteBase. Change it to match where Luster actually lives:

  • If your site is at yoursite.com/luster/public/, that line should read: RewriteBase /luster/public/
  • If it’s at the root of a subdomain (like admin.yoursite.com/), it should read: RewriteBase /

Save the file, upload it back, and try again.

Database connection error in the installer

The most common causes:

  • Wrong credentials — re-check the database name, username, and password. Even one wrong character will cause this. Copy and paste them if you can.
  • Wrong host — most shared hosts use localhost. If your host gave you a different database address, use that.
  • The database doesn’t exist yet — Luster creates tables inside an existing database, but it can’t create the database itself. Go back to your host’s control panel and make sure the database is actually there.
The installer page won’t load at all

Your host might be running an older PHP version. In cPanel, look for Select PHP Version or MultiPHP Manager and switch to PHP 8.1 or 8.2. If you don’t see that option, contact your host and ask them to enable PHP 8.1+ for your account.

Everything installed fine but emails aren’t being received

Go to Settings → SMTP & Email and run the Send Test Email to yourself. If it goes to spam, try setting up SMTP there instead of using the default mail system. If the test email shows an error, check that your Owner Email in Settings → General is a real address you control.

You need help that’s not covered here

Visit the contact page to find ways you can reach out for help.