Test the installation

Summary

The final installation step: confirm the API answers on your virtual host, optionally serve it with PHP's built-in server instead, import the Bruno collection to explore the endpoints, and run the unit and functional test suites.

Details

In this final step you will:

• Test the installation of your virtual host.
• Optionally, run a PHP built-in server.

If you are getting server error 500, make sure to check the folder permissions covered in the FAQ page

Running the application

Send a GET request to the home page. You can do so by opening a browser and navigating to your virtual host URL. Alternatively, you can use a tool like Bruno.

The browser should output the following message:

{"message": "Dotkernel API version 7"}

From this point on, you are ready to add custom code to your application.

Importing the Bruno Collection

Bruno is a Git-native API client we recommend using for working with the API.

The endpoint collection is found in documentation/Dotkernel_API_Bruno.zip. Import it in Bruno by following these steps:

• Open the My Workspace dropdown and select Import workspace.
• Either click-and-drag the Dotkernel_API_Bruno.zip file over the form or navigate to it via the choose a file link.
• Click the Import button.

The collection will be saved locally under the Exact Location field.

Bruno also supports the Postman files included in the repository. If you have already imported the collection using the Dotkernel_API_Bruno.zip file, you can skip this step.

Alternatively import the collection into Bruno by using the Postman files:

• Click on + next to Collection and select Import Collection.
• Import Dotkernel_API.postman_collection.json to save the endpoints.
• Select the new collection, then click on 0 collection environments.
• Either click-and-drag the Dotkernel_API.postman_environment.json file over the form or navigate to it via the Import your environments link to save it to the collection.

Sharing the Bruno Collection

Once the collection is imported, you can save it to one of your Git repositories to make it easier to share with your teammates. To do this:

• Hover over the collection name until you see the ... symbol.
• Click ... and select Share.
• Share the collection in one of two ways:
  • Select Initialize Git Repository and follow the instructions (recommended).
  • Alternatively select Export to save to .zip or .yaml files to share them manually.

Old way of doing things, using PHP built-in server

This is an alternative way of accessing the API, without using a virtual host. Run this command from the project root:

php -S 0.0.0.0:8080 -t public

You should see something like this:

[Mon Mar 30 14:53:50 2026] PHP 8.4.15 Development Server (http://0.0.0.0:8080) started

Running tests

The project has two types of tests: functional and unit tests, you can run both types at the same type by executing this command:

php vendor/bin/phpunit

Running unit tests

vendor/bin/phpunit --testsuite=UnitTests --testdox --colors=always

Running functional tests

vendor/bin/phpunit --testsuite=FunctionalTests --testdox --colors=always

FAQ

Q: How do I know the installation succeeded?

A: A GET request to the home page returns {"message": "Dotkernel API version 7"}.

Q: I get a 500 error instead. What should I check first?

A: Folder permissions on data, public/uploads and log. The FAQ page lists the exact error messages and their fixes.

Q: Do I need a virtual host?

A: No. php -S 0.0.0.0:8080 -t public serves the application without one, which is convenient for a quick check.

Q: What is Bruno and why use it?

A: Bruno is a Git-native API client. The repository ships a ready-made collection of every endpoint in documentation/Dotkernel_API_Bruno.zip, so you can exercise the API without writing requests by hand.

Q: Can I import the collection from the Postman files instead?

A: Yes — Bruno also reads the included Postman collection and environment files. If you already imported the .zip, there is no need.

Q: How do I share the collection with my team?

A: From the collection's ... menu choose Share, then either initialize a Git repository (recommended) or export to .zip or .yaml.

Q: How do I run only one kind of test?

A: Pass the suite name: --testsuite=UnitTests or --testsuite=FunctionalTests. Running php vendor/bin/phpunit with no arguments runs both.

Q: Which database do the tests use?

A: The in-memory database configured in config/autoload/local.test.php, not your development database. See Configuration files.