# Frequently asked questions

## I have a problem

Please open a new issue at [GitHub](https://github.com/kevinpapst/kimai2/issues/).
Add the last entries from your logfile at `var/log/prod.log`.

## I have only FTP available ...

So you want to install Kimai v2 but have no SSH access to your server? 
There is a workaround available, read the additional [installation instructions](installation.md). 

## Error on bin/console doctrine:schema:create

If you get an error during the installation of the database schema that mentions `DC2Type:json_array`, e.g. like the following: 

```
In PDOConnection.php line 109:

  SQLSTATE[42000]: Syntax error or access violation: 1064 You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'JSON
   NOT NULL COMMENT '(DC2Type:json_array)', UNIQUE INDEX UNIQ_B9AC5BCE5E237E06' at line 1
```

Then the most likely case is that you are using a MariaDB database which is too old. You can find out which version is 
used by executing `mysql --version` or by checking the server information e.g. with PHPMyAdmin.

There is a [discussion in the issue tracker](https://github.com/kevinpapst/kimai2/issues/191) about this topic.

There are two solution for this: 

- Update your MariaDB server to at least 10.2.7
- Switch to SQLite (that can be changed in your `.env` file)

Further readings:

- [MariaDB - JSON support was added with 10.2.7](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/json-data-type/)
- [Using JSON fields with Doctrine ORM on PostgreSQL & MySQL](https://symfony.fi/entry/using-json-fields-with-doctrine-orm-on-postgresql-mysql)

## Why is SQLite not recommended for production usage

SQLite is a great database engine for testing, but when it comes to production usage it fails due to several reasons:

- It does not support ALTER TABLE commands and makes update procedures very clunky and problematic/errorsome (we still try to support updates, but they are heavy on large databases)
- It does not support FOREIGN KEY constraints out of the box, which can lead to critical bugs when deleting activities/projects/customers 

## Dotenv::populate() must be an instance of Symfony\\Component\\Dotenv\\void

If you encounter an error like this:

```
PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: Return value of Symfony\\Component\\Dotenv\\Dotenv::populate() must be an instance of Symfony\\Component\\Dotenv\\void, none returned in /var/www/kimai2/vendor/symfony/dotenv/Dotenv.php:95
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/kimai2/vendor/symfony/dotenv/Dotenv.php(57): Symfony\\Component\\Dotenv\\Dotenv->populate(Array)
#1 /var/www//kimai2/public/index.php(15): Symfony\\Component\\Dotenv\\Dotenv->load('/var/www/html/k...')
#2 {main}\n  thrown in /var/www/kimai2/vendor/symfony/dotenv/Dotenv.php on line 95

```

you are running PHP 7.0. Probably you were able to install Kimai v2, because your PHP-CLI uses a different PHP version than your webserver.
Upgrade PHP and the error will be gone.