Compatibility

PAM defines compatibility through executable contracts and pinned protocol rules. A successful boot is useful evidence, but it is not enough to claim complete compatibility.

Platform matrix

Surface	Supported contract	Unsupported or incomplete
Server releases	Linux x86_64 and ARM64, glibc 2.35+	Windows and macOS server releases
PHP	PHP 8.4 Embed	Other PHP minor or major versions unless separately tested
Laravel	Laravel 12 and 13	Future Laravel versions until added to the matrix
PAM Native	PHP 8.4, Android API 26–36, protocol 1; Swift/UIKit renderer source	iOS app host, packaging, device CI, and measured parity
PAM Desktop	Experimental Linux distribution	Windows and macOS distribution

PHP SAPI

HTTP and native application workers truthfully report PHP_SAPI as embed. Code that branches on FPM, Apache, or CLI behavior must be reviewed.

Artisan receives an explicit console lifecycle with arguments, standard streams, exit codes, PHP_BINARY, APP_RUNNING_IN_CONSOLE, and console package discovery.

Native extensions

Extensions work when they can be loaded by the bundled Embed SAPI and their native libraries are present. Official releases ship a reviewed extension set and an isolated INI tree.

Extra extension configuration must be explicit through PAM_PHP_INI_SCAN_DIR. PAM does not accidentally inherit /etc/php.

An extension can be ABI-compatible and still be unsafe in a long-lived process. Test repeated requests, failure cleanup, thread ownership, cancellation, and memory behavior.

Third-party frameworks

The Composer smoke suite exercises selected Symfony, Slim, Illuminate, PSR, HTTP, logging, telemetry, and event-loop behavior. This is evidence for the exact locked fixture, not a promise about every framework feature or future release.

Versioning rule

First-party contracts distinguish stable and experimental surfaces. Native protocol identifiers and coded variants use sequential integers beginning at 1; existing identifiers are not renamed, reused, or renumbered inside a protocol version.

Append-only optional additions may remain compatible. A changed representation or meaning requires a new protocol version and an explicit adapter.

What you should test

Before deployment, add the application’s actual:

Composer packages and lockfile;
PHP extensions and INI configuration;
database, cache, queue, and storage drivers;
authentication and tenant lifecycle;
streamed and binary responses;
cancellation and timeout paths;
WebSocket adapter and reconnect behavior; and
long-duration RSS and application-memory behavior.