---
title: "Install on o2switch"
description: "Install Éclair CMS on o2switch in 15 minutes: add your domain in cPanel, pick PHP 8.3, get a free Let’s Encrypt certificate, upload the files, run the wizard."
url: "https://eclaircms.org/en/installation/o2switch"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-10-30"
---

# Install on o2switch

> **Key takeaways** — On o2switch, Éclair installs in 15 minutes from cPanel: add your domain under Domains, choose PHP 8.3 or 8.4 in Software › Select PHP Version, issue the certificate in Security › Let’s Encrypt™ SSL, upload and extract the archive with the File Manager (with hidden files shown), then open your site over https to answer the wizard’s 4 questions.

o2switch is one of the most popular French web hosts, and it’s a perfect match for Éclair: cPanel, PHP up to 8.5, `.htaccess` files and free Let’s Encrypt certificates. This guide takes you menu by menu, from the domain name to your live site. Allow 15 minutes, most of it spent waiting for the HTTPS certificate. It’s also how eclaircms.org is hosted.

## o2switch and Éclair by the numbers

### 15 min

from domain to live site, including the wait for the certificate

### 0

databases to create in cPanel

### PHP 8.4

available in o2switch’s version selector

### €0

for the Let’s Encrypt HTTPS certificate, renewed automatically

## Why is o2switch a good fit for Éclair?

o2switch’s hosting plan includes everything Éclair needs, with no add-ons to buy. The information below comes from the [plan page](https://www.o2switch.fr/hebergement-illimite/) and [o2switch’s documentation](https://faq.o2switch.fr/), both in French, as of October 30, 2026.

| What Éclair needs | At o2switch |
| --- | --- |
| PHP 8.1 or later (8.3 recommended) | Your choice of versions up to 8.5, in cPanel |
| Apache with URL rewriting | Apache, `mod_rewrite` and `.htaccess` |
| HTTPS certificate | Free Let’s Encrypt, renewed automatically |
| File upload | cPanel File Manager, FTP and SSH |
| Database | Not needed for Éclair |

> **Before you start** — You need an o2switch account and a domain name. If you bought the domain elsewhere, point it to o2switch using the DNS servers listed in your customer area, then wait for propagation (anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours).

## Step 1: add your domain in cPanel

If your site is your account’s main domain, it already uses the `public_html` folder: skip straight to step 2. Otherwise:

1. Log in to cPanel from your o2switch customer area.
2. Open **Domains** (*Domaines*), then the list of configured domains.
3. Create a new domain and enter its name, for example `your-site.com`.
4. Keep the **Document Root** (*Racine des documents*) that cPanel suggests: a folder named after the domain, next to `public_html` (for example `/home/username/your-site.com`).
5. Confirm.

Make a note of this folder: that’s where you’ll upload Éclair. The official procedure is described in [o2switch’s documentation on domains](https://faq.o2switch.fr/cpanel/domaines/configuration-domaine/).

## Step 2: choose PHP 8.3 or 8.4

o2switch’s “native” version is PHP 8.1: Éclair works with it, but a recent version is faster and supported for longer.

1. In cPanel, open **Software › Select PHP Version** (*Logiciels › Sélectionner une version de PHP*).
2. Choose **8.3** or **8.4** from the list, then save.

The extensions Éclair needs (`mbstring`, `json`, `dom` and `session`, plus `gd`, `zip` and `curl`) are managed in the same tool: if Éclair’s wizard reports one as missing, check its box here. See [o2switch’s PHP documentation](https://faq.o2switch.fr/cpanel/logiciels/hebergement-php-multi-version/).

## Step 3: turn on the free HTTPS certificate

Do this **before** installing Éclair: the wizard saves the address you use to open the site, so it might as well start with `https://`.

1. In cPanel, open **Security › Let’s Encrypt™ SSL** (*Sécurité › Let’s Encrypt SSL*).
2. Find your domain and click the link next to it that generates the certificate (**Générer** in the French interface), including the `www` version if it’s offered.
3. Wait a few minutes: the certificate then renews automatically.

If something goes wrong (a domain that doesn’t point to o2switch yet, for example), [o2switch’s Let’s Encrypt documentation](https://faq.o2switch.fr/cpanel/securite/lets-encrypt-ssl-gratuit/) details what to check.

## Step 4: upload Éclair with the File Manager

1. [Download Éclair](https://eclaircms.org/en/download) to your computer (the `eclair-cms-1.2.0.zip` archive, 402 KB). No need to unzip it.
2. In cPanel, open **Files › File Manager** (*Fichiers › Gestionnaire de fichiers*).
3. Click **Settings** (*Paramètres*, top right), check **Show Hidden Files (dotfiles)** (*Afficher les fichiers masqués*), then save. This step is essential to see the `.htaccess` file.
4. Open your domain’s folder (the one from step 1, or `public_html`).
5. Click **Upload** (*Charger*) and upload the archive.
6. Back in the folder, right-click the archive and choose **Extract**: an `eclair` folder appears.
7. Open that `eclair` folder, click **Select All** (*Tout sélectionner*), then **Move** (*Déplacer*), and enter your domain’s folder (for example `/your-site.com`).
8. Delete the now-empty `eclair` folder and the archive.

You should now see, directly in your domain’s folder: `app`, `assets`, `cache`, `data`, `media`, `index.php`, `.htaccess` and `eclair-config.exemple.php`.

> **Does your domain’s folder already contain files?** — A default `index.html` or `default.html` file can show up instead of Éclair: delete it. If an old site still lives there, back it up first.

> **Prefer FileZilla?** — Your FTP credentials are in cPanel. Turn on **Server › Force showing hidden files**, then upload the contents of the `eclair` folder to your domain’s folder.

## Step 5: run the setup wizard

Open `https://your-site.com` in your browser. Éclair’s wizard checks your hosting: at o2switch, every item should be green if PHP 8.3 or 8.4 is active and the certificate is in place.

![Éclair setup wizard, welcome screen: 14 checks passed, the hosting is ready](https://eclaircms.org/media/2026/10/en-installer-welcome.webp)

Then answer the 4 questions (your site, your account, your visibility, your admin URL): every screen is shown in [the installation guide](https://eclaircms.org/en/installation). Be sure to **write down your admin URL**, then click **Create my site ⚡**.

> **A 2-hour window** — Installation must be completed within 2 hours of the first visit. If that time has passed, delete `data/install-window.php` in the File Manager, then reload the page.

## Step 6: checks to run after installation

Log in to your admin, then:

1. **Security › Verify the site address**: Éclair calls itself on your domain. Once the address is confirmed, it enforces HTTPS and redirects to the official address, with or without `www`.
2. **Look at the security log** on the same page: the IP address of your login should be yours (compare it with a site like “what is my IP”). If every line shows the same address and it isn’t yours, choose your host’s header in **Settings › Advanced › Site behind a proxy / CDN**, so that brute-force protection and the form limits target the right visitors.
3. **My profile › Two-factor authentication**: turn it on right away.
4. Finish the dashboard’s **Getting started** checklist, explained in detail in [Getting started after installation](https://eclaircms.org/en/documentation/getting-started).

![Security page of the Éclair admin: protection level, folder protection test and integrity check](https://eclaircms.org/media/2026/10/en-security-page.webp)
*The “Verify the site address” button is in the Protection level section.*

There’s no need to turn on any other caching at o2switch: Éclair already serves every page from its own static cache, which clears itself whenever you change something.

## What about contact form emails?

Messages sent through your form go to your administrator account’s email address, and they’re also saved in the admin (**Messages** menu): nothing gets lost, even if an email goes astray. You can choose a different receiving address in **Settings › Contact**. If emails don’t arrive, see [the troubleshooting solutions](https://eclaircms.org/en/documentation/troubleshooting#form-emails).

## Questions about Éclair and o2switch

### Do I need to create a MySQL database at o2switch?

No. Éclair doesn’t use any database: ignore the Databases (*Bases de données*) section of cPanel. Your content is stored in protected files in the `data` folder.

### Which PHP version should I choose at o2switch for Éclair?

PHP 8.3 or 8.4, in Software › Select PHP Version. o2switch’s native version, PHP 8.1, works too, but Éclair’s wizard recommends switching to a more recent version.

### Can I host several Éclair sites on the same o2switch account?

Yes. Add each domain in cPanel, with its own folder, and upload a copy of Éclair to each one. The sites are completely independent.

### The site shows a 404 error on every page except the home page: what should I do?

The `.htaccess` file wasn’t uploaded or moved. In the File Manager, show hidden files (Settings) and check that it sits right next to `index.php`.

### How do I back up my Éclair site at o2switch?

In Éclair’s admin, open Security › Download a backup: you get a ZIP archive of your content and images. Keep it on your computer, in addition to your host’s backups.

[Download Éclair 1.2.0](https://eclaircms.org/en/download)