README

This is a fork of CodeIgniter 3, with the goal of keeping it up to date with modern PHP versions. There is no intention to add new features or change the way CI3 works. This is purely a maintenance fork.

PHP Compatibility:

• ✅ PHP 5.4 - 8.1 (as per original CI3 support)
• ✅ PHP 8.2
• ✅ PHP 8.3
• ✅ PHP 8.4
• ✅ PHP 8.5 (and beyond as they are released)

The original CodeIgniter 3.x branch is no longer maintained, and has not been updated to work with PHP 8.2, or any newer version. This fork is intended to fill that gap.

If the original CodeIgniter 3.x branch is updated to work with PHP 8.2+, and starts to be maintained again, this fork might be retired.

Maintenance Policy

This fork commits to:

• Maintaining compatibility with each new PHP version while still supporting PHP 5.4+
• Applying critical security fixes
• Keeping changes minimal to preserve CI3 behavior
• Reverting breaking changes in CodeIgniter 3.2.0-dev to maintain backward compatibility (e.g. restoring the Cart library, Email helper, and other deprecated-but-removed functionality)
• Running the full CI3 test suite on PHP 8.2+

If you find something that was removed in CI 3.2.0-dev and breaks backward compatibility for your application, please open an issue. We're happy to restore it.

This fork does NOT:

• Add new features
• Change existing CI3 behavior
• Provide commercial support
• Make migration to CI4 any harder (or easier)

Issues and Pulls

Issues and Pull Requests are welcome, but please note that this is a maintenance fork. New features will not be accepted. If you have a new feature you would like to see in CodeIgniter, please submit it to the original CodeIgniter 3.x branch.

Server Requirements

PHP version 5.4 or newer, same as the original CI3 requirements.

Installation

You can install this fork using Composer:

composer require pocketarc/codeigniter

After installation, you need to point CodeIgniter to the new system directory. In your index.php file, update the $system_path variable:

$system_path = 'vendor/pocketarc/codeigniter/system';

Alternative Installation (Manual)

If you prefer the traditional approach of replacing the system directory:

1. Download this repository
2. Replace your existing system/ directory with the one from this fork
3. No changes to index.php are needed with this method

Note: The Composer method makes future updates easier with composer update, while the manual method requires downloading and replacing the system directory each time.

Upgrading from Original CI3

This fork is based on the unreleased CodeIgniter 3.2.0-dev. For most applications the upgrade is straightforward: install via Composer, update your $system_path, and review the upgrade guide.

The upgrade guide covers both 3.1.x and 3.2-dev users: upgrade_320.rst