System Requirements
Verify that your server meets the minimum requirements before installing VistoShield.
Operating System
| Distribution | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS | Fully supported |
| Debian | 12 (Bookworm) | Fully supported |
| AlmaLinux | 8, 9 | Fully supported |
| CentOS Stream | 9 | Fully supported |
Tip: VistoShield may work on other RPM or DEB-based distributions, but only the ones listed above are officially tested and supported.
PHP
- PHP 7.4 or newer (PHP 8.x recommended)
- Required extensions:
json,pcre,posix,sockets - CLI access (
phpbinary in$PATH)
Firewall Backend
VistoShield requires one of the following firewall backends:
| Backend | Minimum Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| nftables (preferred) | 0.9+ | Full IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack support with native sets. Default on Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04+. |
| iptables (legacy) | 1.6+ | Fallback for older systems. Uses VS_BLOCK chain for IPv4 and VS_BLOCK6 via ip6tables for IPv6. |
Tip: Check which backend is available with
nft --version or iptables --version. The installer will auto-detect the best option.
Hardware
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 512 MB | 1 GB+ |
| Disk Space | 50 MB (daemon + configs) | 200 MB (with logs and signatures) |
| CPU | 1 core | 2+ cores |
The daemon itself is lightweight. RAM usage grows proportionally with the number of tracked IPs and active connections.
Network
- Root or sudo access to manage firewall rules
- Outbound HTTPS access for signature updates (port 443)
- Ports you want protected must be listed in
TCP_IN/UDP_INconfiguration
Supported Control Panels
VistoShield integrates natively with the following hosting panels (all optional):
- DirectAdmin — Admin and user-level plugin with full dashboard
- Webmin — Complete CGI module with config editor and log viewer
- cPanel / WHM — Coming soon
WordPress Plugin Requirements
- WordPress 5.8 or newer
- PHP 7.4 or newer
- Write access to
wp-content/for scanner quarantine - The VistoShield daemon is not required — plugins work standalone, but gain server-level integration when the daemon is present.
Verify Your Server
Run the following one-liner to check all requirements at once:
curl -fsSL https://vistoshield.com/check.sh | bashThis will report your OS, PHP version, firewall backend, available disk space, and installed control panels.