---
title: "Install Éclair on o2switch"
description: "Install Éclair on o2switch: PHP 8.3 in cPanel, Let's Encrypt certificate, file upload, firewall and TigerProtect. Prices checked on November 1, 2026."
url: "https://eclair.academy/en/hosting/o2switch"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-11-02"
updated: "2026-11-02"
---

# Install Éclair on o2switch

> **Key takeaways** — To install Éclair on o2switch, first switch PHP from the native 8.1 to 8.3 in cPanel, generate the Let's Encrypt certificate, then upload the contents of the eclair folder to public_html, hidden files included. Then open your site over https:// to start the wizard. If you plan to use the AI assistant, test outgoing connections: o2switch's firewall is strict.

You can install Éclair on o2switch in half an hour, certificate included. o2switch's cPanel has everything you need, except for two settings: the PHP version, left at 8.1 by default, and HTTPS, which no checkbox enforces. This guide follows each screen, from **Select PHP Version** to the final checks, then details the pitfalls specific to this web host.

> **Before you start** — Time: 30 minutes. Plan: Grow, Cloud or Pro, o2switch's three web hosting plans. Have at hand: the “Bienvenue chez o2switch” welcome email (cPanel credentials), a domain linked to your hosting and the [eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms/raw/main/dist/eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip) archive (480 KB). o2switch's help shows cPanel in French: this guide uses cPanel's English names, and quotes in French, with a translation, the labels whose English version isn't documented. The general requirements are in [Prepare your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation).

## The plan and control panel at a glance

| Item | At o2switch |
| --- | --- |
| Control panel | cPanel, with in-house tools (TigerProtect, LSCache…) |
| Web server | “Serveur Web PowerBoost” (PowerBoost web server) behind a “Load-Balancer LiteSpeed Web ADC”; `.htaccess` and URL rewriting supported |
| PHP version | 8.1 by default (native version); 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5 available |
| Public folder | `public_html` (`www` is only a shortcut to it) |
| ZIP extraction | Yes, in the **File Manager** |
| Outgoing connections | Strict firewall, port 443 not documented: test it |
| Price checked on November 1, 2026 | Grow: €7.00 excl. VAT/month, i.e. €84.00 excl. VAT a year, no promotion ([o2switch pricing](https://www.o2switch.fr/hebergement-illimite/), in French) |

These prices are in euros, as shown on o2switch's French site, and exclude VAT: the price including VAT is calculated at checkout based on your country. Cloud goes from €1.86 excl. VAT/month in the first year to €16.00 excl. VAT/month afterwards, and Pro from €6.25 to €24.00 excl. VAT/month.

## Step 1: choose PHP 8.3

1. Log in to cPanel with the credentials from the welcome email, for example at `https://your-domain.com:2083`. If port 2083 is blocked on your network, use `https://cpanel.your-domain.com` instead.
2. In the **Software** section, open **Select PHP Version**.
3. Choose **8.3** in the drop-down list, then click **Apply**.
4. Check that the current version now shows 8.3.

Why this setting? Éclair works from PHP 8.1, but its wizard will advise you to switch to 8.3, and the Security page won't tick the “Supported PHP version” line. If a module is missing, the **Extension** tab of the same tool turns it on.

## Step 2: turn on the HTTPS certificate

1. In cPanel's **Security** section, open the Let's Encrypt tool.
2. Click **Générer** (Generate) next to your domain.
3. Untick the names ending in `.odns.fr` or `.o2switch.net` and the subdomains that don't point to o2switch, then confirm.
4. Open `https://your-domain.com`: the padlock should appear.

o2switch has no checkbox to force HTTPS, and you don't need one: Éclair enforces it itself. When you run the wizard over `https://`, it ticks **Force HTTPS**; once the site address is verified, every visit is also redirected to the official address. For a server-side rule, once step 4 is done, paste o2switch's official code at the top of Éclair's `.htaccess`, and add it back after each update.

```apache
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP:X-Forwarded-Proto} !https
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !on
RewriteRule ^(.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
```

## Step 3: empty the public folder

o2switch doesn't document any placeholder page. Open `public_html` anyway. An old site or a forgotten `index.html` file could load instead of Éclair: move it to a backup folder. Leave the `.well-known` folder in place if there is one, as it's used for certificates.

## Step 4: upload Éclair's files

The **File Manager** extracts archives. o2switch recommends it for small folders, and Éclair's 480 KB archive is one.

1. In cPanel's **Files** section, open **File Manager**.
2. Click **Settings**, at the top right, and turn on the display of hidden files.
3. Open `public_html`, upload the `eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip` archive, then extract it.
4. Open the resulting `eclair` folder, select all of its contents, `.htaccess` included, and move them to `public_html`.
5. Delete the empty `eclair` folder, the archive and the three `.txt` files that come with it.

Prefer FileZilla? The main FTP account uses the same username and password as cPanel. Upload the contents of the `eclair` folder to `public_html`, then turn on **Server › Force showing hidden files** to check that `.htaccess` has arrived. SFTP uses port 22, once your IP address is allowed in **Autorisation SSH** (SSH authorization).

![The contents of the eclair folder copied from the computer to public_html at o2switch](https://eclair.academy/media/2026/11/eclair-academy-upload-en.png)
*What goes to the server: the contents of the eclair folder, not the folder*

## Step 5: run the setup wizard

Open `https://your-domain.com`, making sure you use `https://`: the wizard starts. Its first screen checks the server; the “Clean URLs (URL rewriting)” line must show “Active”. Click **Let's go**, then answer the 4 questions detailed in [Install Éclair step by step](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/install-eclair). You have 2 hours from this first visit.

![First screen of the Éclair setup wizard, checking the o2switch server](https://eclair.academy/media/2026/11/eclair-academy-install-welcome-en.webp)
*The wizard checks PHP, the extensions, write permissions and HTTPS*

## Step 6: check after installation

1. In the admin, open **Security**. The “Encrypted connection (HTTPS) enforced”, “Site address verified” and “Supported PHP version” lines must be ticked.
2. If the address isn't verified, click **Verify the site address**.
3. In the “Folder protection test”, every file must show **Protected**.
4. For the AI assistant, paste your key in **Settings › AI assistant**, then click **Test the connection**. “Connection successful” proves that your server can reach the provider.

## Pitfalls specific to o2switch

- **PHP 8.1 by default**: without step 1, your site stays on the native version.
- **A strict outgoing firewall**: 5 exceptions at most, only for SSH (port 22), MongoDB (ports 27017 to 27019) and port 8888. o2switch states that no other port can be opened, even through support, apart from widely used services such as GitHub. Port 443 isn't documented: test it.
- **TigerProtect and Mod Security** filter requests. Their rule against direct access to `.php` files shouldn't bother Éclair, which only goes through `index.php`.
- **A load balancer in front of the server**: hence the `X-Forwarded-Proto` header in o2switch's official code. Éclair reads it too, as well as `X-Forwarded-SSL`, and recognizes HTTPS without any redirect loop.
- **File limits**: 500,000 inodes per hosting account and 20,000 files per folder, according to o2switch's 2019 terms of sale. Éclair stores its images in monthly folders, which keeps it far from the second limit.

## Install Éclair on o2switch: what if something goes wrong?

| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Orange item “Works, but switch to PHP 8.3 or later…” | Native version 8.1 kept | **Select PHP Version**, **8.3**, **Apply**, then reload |
| 404 error on every page except the home page | `.htaccess` not uploaded | Show hidden files through **Settings** and upload it again |
| 403, 406 or 429 error after saving | TigerProtect or Mod Security rule | Turn off Mod Security on the domain to test, then the **Règles de sécurité par défaut** (default security rules), or write to support with the URL |
| “Can't reach Claude (Anthropic)…” | Outgoing connection blocked | Ask support whether the provider's address can be allowed, or use the MCP connector |
| Redirect loop | HTTPS rule without `X-Forwarded-Proto` | Replace it with o2switch's official code, or delete it |

## Key points

- Switch from PHP 8.1 to 8.3 in **Select PHP Version** before anything else.
- Generate the Let's Encrypt certificate, then run the wizard over `https://`: Éclair then forces HTTPS itself.
- Upload the contents of the `eclair` folder to `public_html`, hidden files included.
- Test outgoing connections before relying on the AI assistant.

## Going further

- [Prepare your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation): the checklist before you upload a single file.
- [Install Éclair step by step](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/install-eclair) and [Troubleshooting](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/troubleshooting): the wizard's screens and the known errors.
- [Essential settings before launch](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/essential-settings) and [Turn on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).
- [Choosing your web hosting for Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/hosting) to compare, and the [universal cPanel method](https://eclair.academy/en/hosting/cpanel-plesk-directadmin).
- o2switch's official help, in French: [PHP versions](https://faq.o2switch.fr/cpanel/logiciels/hebergement-php-multi-version/), [forcing HTTPS](https://faq.o2switch.fr/guides/webmastering/forcer-https/) and [TigerProtect](https://faq.o2switch.fr/cpanel/o2switch/tiger-protect-waf).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which o2switch plan should I choose for Éclair?

Grow, at €7.00 excl. VAT/month billed annually, is enough for an Éclair site, which weighs less than 1 MB. Cloud and Pro add resources and more days of backups.

### Does Éclair work with PHP 8.1, the native version?

Yes, it's the minimum required. The wizard will still advise you to switch to 8.3 or later, versions that o2switch offers.

### Does o2switch back up my site?

Yes, every day: 30 days of history with Grow, 45 with Cloud and 90 with Pro, which you can restore with the JetBackup tool. Also keep your own copy with **Security › Download a backup**.

### What if the AI assistant can't reach Claude or ChatGPT?

Ask support. Otherwise, the [MCP connector](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/understanding-mcp) works the other way round: Claude or ChatGPT connects to your site, with no outgoing connection from your server.