SUPPORT DESK // KNOWLEDGE INTERCEPT
Field answers, engineer to engineer
The questions that reach our desk most often — licensing, deployment, air-gapped operation — answered the way we would answer over a terminal session.
Does OnionZero work on shared hosting (cPanel, Plesk)?
License signature, expiry and domain-lock checks work on shared hosting too. However, since shared hosting plans cannot load custom PHP extensions, code encryption (ozguard) and the hardware device lock are unavailable there. If you need code encryption and device locking, you need a VPS or a dedicated server; on shared hosting the correct model is domain locking.
What happens to my customer's application when the license expires?
The application is not deleted and no data is lost. On expiry the application shows a license notice and new operations stop; once you renew the license, the customer continues exactly where they left off without reinstalling anything. In offline deployments, the application keeps running for the grace period you defined.
Can a license be transferred if my customer changes servers or machines?
Yes. Device-bound licenses are locked to a hardware fingerprint; on a machine change, the old activation is removed on request and the license is re-issued for the new machine. Your customer simply uses the updated license file on the new machine; the machine-quota terms of your package apply.
Can one license be used on multiple servers?
Device licenses are limited to the defined number of machines; additional machines can be attached to the same license. For load-balanced or multi-server deployments we recommend a multi-machine (fleet) license — tell us about your setup and we will define the right model together.
Can I get a trial or evaluation license? What is your refund policy?
We can provide a time-limited evaluation license so you can test the full flow in your own environment before purchasing. For digital license deliveries, refund and withdrawal terms are confirmed in writing at the time of sale; contact our sales team with any questions.
Will encryption slow down my application?
ozguard decrypts files in memory during PHP's compile phase. The decryption cost is on the order of milliseconds per file, and the runtime speed is practically identical to the unencrypted build. You can measure it in your own scenario with a trial license.
Which PHP versions are supported?
The ozguard extension is built for every PHP 8.0–8.5 minor release: NTS and TS on Windows, NTS and TS (ZTS) on Linux — every cell is downloadable from the runtime matrix. Before a PHP upgrade, grab the build for the new version from the matrix first; the extension is compiled per PHP minor version. If you only need license verification without the code-encryption layer, PHP 8.1+ with the sodium extension is sufficient.
Can licenses be verified offline, in air-gapped networks?
Yes. License files are verified through their digital signature and need no internet connection; device and domain locks also work offline. Connectivity-dependent features such as online verification and automatic updates only engage when network access exists; if the connection drops, the grace-period rules defined in the license apply.
Can I integrate it with my existing project (CodeIgniter, Laravel or plain PHP)?
Yes. License enforcement is added to your application as a single filter / middleware and does not disrupt your existing structure. A ready-made filter example for CodeIgniter and step-by-step integration guides live in the Guides section of your member panel; ready client libraries for .NET and Node.js products are also available.
Can encrypted files be recovered by online "decoder" services?
OZP1 is not static obfuscation: every file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM under its own randomly generated key, and the source code never exists on disk in plain form. With the device-bound encryption option, files can only be decrypted on the licensed machine; even if the whole package is copied to another server, it cannot be opened.
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