                     ionCube PHP Encoder 15.0
                     ------------------------

Thank you for installing this evaluation of the ionCube PHP Encoder.

Please take a moment to review the information here before exploring the
product further.

Product Layout
==============

The product directory is structured as follows:

README.txt              - This file.

ioncube_encoder.sh      - Generic launch script for Encoders. 
                          Run with -h for guidance.


Inside "bin"            - Version 15 Encoders. Each Encoder program supports the PHP
                          language indicated by the program name suffix, and also
                          previous language versions. 
                          e.g. ioncube_encoder84_15.0 can encode scripts using
                          PHP 8.4 language syntax as well as scripts for earlier
                          versions of PHP. 

Legacy and obsolete Encoders - The older version 13 and 14 Encoders are
                          also included so a transition to the latest software can be
                          made at your convenience.

make_license            - The software to create license files for your PHP scripts
                          if desired (Pro and Cerberus editions only).


Inside "docs" - Documentation. 

LICENSE.txt             - Your End User License Agreement.

README-COMPAT.txt       - Information on program compatibility with different
                          FreeBSD versions (FreeBSD version only).

RELEASE-NOTES.txt       - Information about changes in this release.

USER-GUIDE.pdf          - The detailed user guide. Recommended reading, with
                          full details of how to get started.

loader-wizard/          - The ionCube Loader Wizard script for assisting with
                          installing the ionCube Loader on a target server
                          (required for running encoded files). 

loader-wizard/loader-wizard.php
                        - The Loader Wizard script. Note that a more recent
                          version may be available from:

                            https://www.ioncube.com/lw

                          On most servers, the Wizard will automatically
                          detect and indicate if a new version is available.

loader-wizard/README.txt
                        - Wizard documentation.



Using Encoded Files - the ionCube Loader
========================================

A free component called the ionCube Loader is available from ioncube.com
to process encoded files. Loaders are available for many platforms, and
with ionCube being the most widely used industry standard for securing
PHP files, many hosting servers have the Loader component pre-installed
or available as an option via a control panel.

If a manual installation of the Loader is required, this is usually
straightforward and quick to do. See our YouTube video for a walkthrough
of installation on a Linux cloud server.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp5ce9-LQK

A PHP script called the Loader Wizard is also avaiable, which analyses a
server and gives install guidance based on various factors.

Loaders can be downloaded from https://loaders.ioncube.com


What Next?
==========

The User Guide PDF explains all available features, and starts with some simple
examples. It then covers all the available Encoder options in detail.
Further topics such as license file creation and an API in the Loader are
covered in later chapters. For a quick reminder when using the Encoder,
running it with the --help option will give a summary of all available options.

We hope you enjoy using and evaluating the product, and we can be contacted
via our Support Helpdesk at https://support.ioncube.com if you need assistance.


Copyright (c) 2002-2026 ionCube Ltd.
