Install Éclair on LWS

You install Éclair on LWS from the LWS Panel in half an hour, including the time your changes take to apply. The file manager extracts the archive and the Let's Encrypt certificate is usually already active. Above all, remember two quirks: the public folder is called htdocs, and the ModSecurity firewall, on by default, can block some admin actions.

The plan and control panel at a glance

These are euro prices for the French market, from lws.fr. The pricing page states that the discount applies to the first year only. LWS Starter costs €3.49 excl. VAT/month (€4.19 incl. VAT), instead of €5.99. The commitment period couldn't be verified.

Step 1: choose PHP 8.3

1. In your customer area, click Manage next to your plan.
2. In the Database & PHP section, open PHP Configuration.
3. In the PHP installation and selection tab, tick PHP 8.3 among the versions to install, choose it as the default version (main domain only, or all sites), then click Save.
4. To set another domain or a subdomain, use the PHP configuration by site tab.

The change isn't instant: a support reply in 2022 mentioned 15 to 20 minutes. The General PHP configuration tab sets memory_limit, max_execution_time, OPcache and the time zone.

Step 2: turn on the HTTPS certificate

The Let's Encrypt certificate is usually activated automatically. To check it or restart it:

1. Under Manage, in the Security section, open SSL.
2. On the SSL Service line, choose Activate, then click Validate.
3. To force HTTPS on the server side, open the Auto HTTPS redirection tab, turn it on, then click Validate. Allow about an hour.

LWS advises against this redirect for WordPress and PrestaShop. For Éclair, it remains optional: if you run the wizard over https://, Éclair checks Force HTTPS on its own, then redirects every visit to the official address once that address is verified.

Step 3: delete the welcome page

After purchase, LWS shows a welcome page until your site is published, without naming the file involved. Open htdocs in the file manager: if an index.html is there, delete or rename it so that it doesn't take precedence over Éclair.

Step 4: upload Éclair's files

1. Under Manage, in the Files section, open File Manager, then the htdocs folder.
2. Upload eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip.
3. Select the archive, click Extract, then choose htdocs as the destination.
4. Open the eclair folder you get, select all of its contents, .htaccess included, and move them to htdocs.
5. Delete the empty eclair folder, the archive and the three .txt files that come with it.

With FileZilla, the username and host are listed under Files, then FTP Account(s). The password isn't displayed: click Change to set one. Shared plans have no SSH access, so connect over FTP, turn on Server › Force showing hidden files, then upload the contents of the eclair folder to htdocs.

Step 5: run the setup wizard

Open https://your-domain.com. The wizard's first screen checks PHP, the extensions, write permissions and HTTPS. Look at the “Clean URLs (URL rewriting)” line: “Active” proves the .htaccess arrived; “Inactive” usually means it stayed in the eclair folder or on your computer. Then click Let's go and follow Install Éclair step by step, within 2 hours.

Step 6: check after installation

1. On the Security page, check “Encrypted connection (HTTPS) enforced” and “Site address verified”. If needed, click Verify the site address.
2. The “Folder protection test” must show Protected for each file.
3. Save a test page in the editor: a 403 error would come from ModSecurity.
4. If you use the AI assistant, click Test the connection in Settings › AI assistant: LWS doesn't document its outgoing rules.

Pitfalls specific to LWS

• The folder is called htdocs: LWS warns that creating a public_html folder can make your site malfunction.
• ModSecurity on by default: if it conflicts with your application, LWS says you can turn it off on its ModSecurity page by unticking Activate, then clicking Validate.
• No SSH access on shared plans, only a “Web terminal and WP CLI”: extraction happens in the file manager.
• Delays before changes apply: 15 to 20 minutes for PHP, about an hour for the HTTPS redirect.
• LWS Perso's limits: 384 MB of memory and 90 seconds of execution time for PHP, the tightest among the web hosts reviewed, plus 3 sites and 1 FTP account. If a long request to the AI assistant stops halfway, think of these 90 seconds.
• Several domains: the Multi-Domains tool, in the Domain management section, creates a folder named exactly after each domain you add. Once you use this tool, you create subdomains there too.

Install Éclair on LWS: what if something goes wrong?

Éclair's other messages are explained on the Troubleshooting page.

Key points

• LWS's public folder is htdocs, never public_html.
• You choose PHP 8.3 in PHP Configuration, and it applies within 15 to 20 minutes.
• Extract the archive with Extract, then move the contents of the eclair folder up.
• ModSecurity is the first suspect for a 403 error.

Going further

• Prepare your installation and Install Éclair step by step.
• Essential settings before launch and Turn on the built-in AI assistant.
• Choosing your hosting: LWS compared with the other web hosts reviewed.
• LWS's official help, in French: configure PHP, HTTPS redirect and web application firewall.