docs(installation): clarify automated setup with autoconfig.php

[joshtrichards]

☑️ Resolves

Clarifies and modernizes the autoconfig.php installation documentation.

Changes

• Renames the chapter to better describe automated web-based installation.
• Reworks the introduction to distinguish partial setup-form prefilling from fully non-interactive installation.
• Documents the required values for bypassing the setup form.
• Clarifies autoconfig.php cleanup behavior after successful and failed installations.
• Corrects and expands database-account guidance, including conditional database/user creation.
• Adds a security warning for plaintext credentials in autoconfig.php.
• Updates parameter naming guidance and simplifies example descriptions.
• Standardizes PHP examples on short array syntax and labels MySQL/MariaDB accurately.
• Removes duplicated database prerequisite guidance.
• Adds PHP syntax rendering markers so Sphinx renders the code in color.

Note: In parallel I'm cleaning up a couple bugs found in the actual implementation; if any of those changes impact the documentation I'll handle them in a follow-up.

🖼️ Screenshots

✅ Checklist

• I have built the documentation locally and reviewed the output
• Screenshots are included for visual changes
• I have not moved or renamed pages (or added a redirect if I did)
• I have run codespell or similar and addressed any spelling issues

[github-actions]

📖 Documentation Preview

🔍 Open preview →

📄 1 changed documentation page

• admin_manual/installation/automatic_configuration.rst

Last updated: Sat, 01 Aug 2026 21:24:09 GMT