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Module installer · User guide

Install modules, right inside FreeScout

With the module installer you install and update modules by other providers right inside FreeScout: choose the ZIP file, look at the check result, confirm. You need no access to the server and do not have to copy any files by hand.

The installer is for administrators only. A module works with all the rights of your FreeScout installation; whoever installs it decides for everyone.

Modules by let’s automate are not installed here but through LaStore, where every package is additionally checked against our signature.

No server access no FTP, no SSH, no hosting login
Check first then unpack, once you confirm
Way back an update that does not start is rolled back
31 languages the module's interface

Where to find it

Under Manage → Module installer. On the left there are three entries: "Install module", "Log" and "All modules". The last one leads to FreeScout's usual module list, where you activate, deactivate and delete modules.

The start page: choose a ZIP file; below it, the modules by other providers that are already installed.
The start page: choose a ZIP file; below it, the modules by other providers that are already installed.

Installing a module

1. Click Choose file and select the module's ZIP file.
2. Click Upload and check.
3. Look at the check result.
4. Leave Activate after installing ticked if the module should run straight away, and click Install.

The file may keep the name it was downloaded with. An archive from GitHub is called something like ticketvorlagen-main.zip; the installer takes the correct folder name from the module itself.

The check result: name, provider, version and contents. Nothing is unpacked before you click "Install".
The check result: name, provider, version and contents. Nothing is unpacked before you click "Install".

After the installation a green message appears at the top, and the module shows up in the list of modules by other providers.

Installed and activated: the new module is in the list.
Installed and activated: the new module is in the list.

What is checked before installing

Before anything lands on the server, the installer reads the ZIP file and checks, among other things:

  • whether it contains exactly one FreeScout module
  • whether it fits your FreeScout version and the required PHP extensions are present
  • whether it would overwrite another module
  • whether it tries to place files outside its own folder
  • whether the PHP files contain syntax errors that would bring FreeScout down. The code is not run for this.

If it finds an error, nothing is installed and you see the reason.

Rejected: the archive tried to place a file outside its folder.
Rejected: the archive tried to place a file outside its folder.

If a module this one depends on is missing, it is installed but not activated. The check result names what is missing.

Updating a module

Many modules by other providers cannot be updated through FreeScout's normal update. For those you proceed exactly as for the first installation: upload the new ZIP file, check, click Update.

The check result shows from which version to which. If the new version is older or the same, a warning is shown.

An update: 1.4.0 is replaced by 1.5.0.
An update: 1.4.0 is replaced by 1.5.0.

Modules that can be maintained through FreeScout's normal update you keep updating there.

If an update does not start

Before every update the installer sets the previous version aside. After the update it starts FreeScout in a separate process and checks that everything still loads.

If it does not, it puts the previous version back in its place and switches it on again. You then see a red message with the reason. The saved version is kept for seven days.

This check finds errors that stop FreeScout from starting. An error that only appears when a particular feature is used is not caught by it.

The log

Under Log every step is listed: when, which module, from which version to which, with which result and by whom. For rejections and rolled-back updates the reason is shown below.

The log: installed, updated, rejected.
The log: installed, updated, rejected.

Good to know

The check does not replace trust

The installer catches faulty and damaged archives. Whether a module does what it promises, it cannot judge. So only install modules from providers you trust, and make a backup before larger changes.

Modules from the FreeScout directory

These can be uploaded too. Because only FreeScout itself checks their licence, they are installed but not activated. Activate them afterwards under Manage → Modules with their licence key.

Size

A ZIP file may be up to 100 MB, unpacked up to 300 MB. If your server accepts smaller uploads, its limit applies; it is shown below the field.

Deleting

You delete a module in FreeScout under Manage → Modules: deactivate it first, then delete it. If the folder is deleted on the server by hand while the module is still active, FreeScout no longer starts.

Not getting anywhere with this? Support

Good to know

Frequent questions

Everything you should know about our modules, licences, updates and support before you buy.

Why does my purchased FreeScout module show an expiry date?

With your purchase you get the module plus twelve months of support, security updates and new features. The expiry date shown refers to those included services — not to your right to use the module at all.

What happens when my licence expires?

The module you have installed keeps working. Once the licence has expired, though, no new security or feature updates arrive and the included support can no longer be used.

You decide for yourself whether to renew the licence or to keep using the installed module without further updates, at your own responsibility.

Others promise lifetime updates. Why don’t you?

Technologies, security requirements and dependencies keep changing. What works reliably today can be outdated or unsupported tomorrow. Good software therefore needs continuous care, testing and development.

Rather than tie you to a permanent subscription, we leave you the choice: renew your licence, or keep using the installed module without further updates, at your own responsibility.

Do I need your LaStore module?

No, but the LaStore module connects your FreeScout instance with the modules you bought, and it brings several advantages:

  • installation with one click
  • automatic detection of available updates
  • easy updating right inside FreeScout
  • verification of the package signature
  • protection against module packages altered or tampered with unnoticed

Our modules do not use the normal update process, because it is not secure. The LaStore module verifies each of our modules before updating. An attacker therefore cannot deliver forged, dangerous updates. Without this module the verification is up to you, and it is a manual process.

without LaStorewith LaStore, autopilot offwith LaStore, autopilot on
learns about new versionsnoyes, dailyyes, daily
installsby hand from the portalat the press of a buttonovernight, without you
verifiedby you, via shasum -a 256yesyes
Do I really get the complete source code?

Yes. Our modules are provided under the AGPL-3.0 licence. The module as delivered contains the complete source code, which you can inspect and adapt within the terms of that licence.

On how many FreeScout instances may I use the module?

One licence covers one active FreeScout instance. Two free server moves are included on top of that.

If an old server is no longer in use, the system releases its activation automatically after 90 days. An instance that is unreachable or already deleted is therefore not counted against your licence for good.

Can I return a module I bought?

You have a 14-day right of return. It ends as soon as you activate the module — not already when the licence key is delivered to you.

So activate the module only once you have finally decided to use it. For consumers in the EEA, the statutory provisions on the right of withdrawal for digital content apply in addition.

Who issues my invoice?

Payment is handled by Paddle. Paddle acts as Merchant of Record and therefore as the seller. That is why Paddle appears as the issuer of the invoice, and possibly also as the payee on your card or bank statement.

Does a module need other FreeScout modules?

That depends on the product. Some modules work entirely on their own and offer additional features when other modules are present. Others have hard dependencies.

The slot finder, for example, strictly needs the Calendar module, because the available appointments are worked out from the calendars kept there.

Required and optional dependencies are stated on each product page.

What can I do if something doesn’t work?

We test our modules carefully. Even so, a feature may not behave as expected in a particular environment.

Every module comes with a detailed guide. If that does not get you any further, you can open a support ticket. Describe the problem briefly and the steps you have already taken — we are glad to help.

Pay securely, worldwideYour payment is handled securely by Paddle. You can pay from anywhere in the world, comfortably in your own currency — proper invoicing included.
Open, auditable, adaptableThanks to AGPL-3.0 you get the complete source code. You can audit the software, adapt it yourself and keep running it independently.
Two server moves includedYour FreeScout instance is moving? You can transfer your licence to a new server up to twice, free of charge, and keep using the module there.
Install once, stay current by itselfWith our LaStore module for FreeScout you install what you bought with a single click. Available updates are checked and installed automatically.

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