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+; macOS CLI/runtime bundles	Windows server releases
PHP	PHP 8.5 Embed by default; PHP 8.4 remains a tested compatibility runtime	Other PHP minor or major versions unless separately tested
Laravel	Laravel 12 and 13	Future Laravel versions until added to the matrix
PAM Native	Android API 26–36; generated UIKit host on iOS 15/18; protocol 1; signed Android and iOS package tooling	Application-owned signing, stores, and physical-device qualification
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.