Prerequisites Check
Sentinel's prerequisites check verifies that your PrestaShop server meets the required and recommended PHP configuration and directory permissions, and that your back office is served over a secure origin.
How it works
- Dashboard integration: The prerequisites check is displayed as the Prerequisites Check card of Sentinel > Dashboard, below Your protections and To do
- API-driven: The PHP and directory prerequisites (PHP version, extensions, config, directories) are fetched from the Sentinel API based on your PrestaShop version
- Local verification: The module checks your server's PHP configuration, loaded extensions, and directory permissions against the API-provided requirements, and checks the secure origin by itself
- AJAX loading: The check runs asynchronously when the dashboard loads, so it doesn't slow down page rendering
What is checked
PHP Configuration
- PHP Version: Compared against required and recommended versions for your PrestaShop version
- PHP Extensions: Verifies that required extensions (curl, dom, gd, intl, json, mbstring, openssl, pdo_mysql, etc.) are loaded
- PHP Directives: Checks ini settings like
memory_limit,max_input_vars,post_max_size,upload_max_filesize,allow_url_fopen, etc.
Directories
- Existence: Verifies that essential PrestaShop directories exist (var/cache, var/logs, img, modules, translations, etc.)
- Writability: Checks that these directories have proper write permissions
Secure origin
- HTTPS: Verifies that your back office answers over HTTPS, either directly or through a reverse proxy declared in the Behind a proxy or a CDN? card of the General tab of Sentinel > Configuration
- Never an error: A missing secure origin is only a warning. Browsers only offer passkeys and security keys, two methods of two-factor authentication, over HTTPS; every other Sentinel feature keeps working without it
Status indicators
Each of the three categories (PHP Configuration, Directories and Secure origin) displays a status icon:
- Green check (check_circle): All prerequisites are met
- Orange warning (warning): Some recommended settings are not met, but required ones are satisfied
- Red error (error): Required prerequisites are not met
A category in warning or error also shows the number of items not met, followed by issue(s) detected.
Viewing details
When a category has warnings or errors, clicking on its row, or on the View Details button of its entry in To do, opens a modal dialog with a detailed table showing:
PHP details table
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | PHP directive or extension name |
| Required | Minimum required value |
| Recommended | Recommended value for optimal performance |
| Current | Current value on your server |
| Status | Visual status indicator |
Directories details table
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Path | Directory path relative to PrestaShop root |
| Exists | Whether the directory exists |
| Writable | Whether the directory is writable |
| Status | Visual status indicator |
Secure origin details table
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Item | The secure origin check |
| Status | Visual status indicator |
When the check is not met, a line below it says why: the shop is reached over plain HTTP; or it is served over HTTPS by a proxy it has not declared, with a Declare my proxy link only shown to an employee who can configure the Sentinel module (see Who can change the settings); or Sentinel could not read the configuration of the shop, which usually clears on its own.
In the To do card
Each category that is not met is also added to the To do card of Sentinel > Dashboard, after the actions of the security score: PHP Configuration, Directories or Secure origin, with the number of items not met followed by issue(s) detected, and a View Details button that opens the same details as its row. These entries add no points to the security score. A category whose prerequisites are all met adds no entry.
In the getting started guide
The Prerequisites checked step of the Getting started guide follows the last check, and its See the details button leads to the Prerequisites Check card.
API endpoint
The PHP and directory prerequisites are fetched from:
GET /prerequisites?ps_version=X.Y.Z
This allows the requirements to be adapted based on the PrestaShop version installed, and to be updated server-side without requiring a module release.