Technical notes
Cases met on Dolibarr installations, with the cause, the check that was made and the way out. Nothing is published here that has not been read in the code or reproduced on a test instance. There is no promised publishing schedule: there are 37 notes.
Dolibarr theme: change the colors, the logo and the look without a module
Changing the Dolibarr theme step by step on version 24: the Eldy and MD themes, your colors, the logo in the menu (and the squared logo trap), dark mode, the login page, custom CSS, each user's own theme and the TakePOS point of sale.
· Dolibarr 22.0.5, 23.0.4 and 24.0.1 upgraded to 24.0.2 (official .tgz archives) · Debian 13, PHP 8.4, MariaDB 11.8Upgrading Dolibarr from the command line: the commands, the traps and a tested script
Upgrade Dolibarr without the web wizard: upgrade.php, upgrade2.php and step5.php, one step per version, the upgrade.unlock trap that blocks step 2 without any error, and a complete script with backup and rollback, tested from 22 to 24.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (official archive, installed with the web wizard; PHP 8.2) · same check in older versions, sometimes without the brackets"Dolibarr config file content seems to be not correctly defined": find the cause and fix it without reinstalling
The "Dolibarr config file content seems to be not correctly defined" message reproduced cause by cause on Dolibarr 24: what the brackets tell you, server moves, the missing file, scheduled jobs, and why re-running /install on an existing instance is not harmless.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (official archive, installed with the web wizard; PHP 8.2)Dolibarr not sending emails: SMTP setup and what each error message means
Dolibarr 24 email sending tested against three SMTP servers: the right settings for ports 587 and 465, what each error message means, the password that stops working after a migration, and the settings that silently redirect your emails.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (official archive, installed with the web wizard; PHP 8.2, MariaDB 11.4)Computed fields in Dolibarr: writing a formula, examples that work, and what shows in lists, PDFs and the database
Dolibarr 24 computed fields tested on a fresh install: where to write the formula, working examples (price incl. tax, cartons per order line, third party trade name), why lists sometimes show another value, and the hidden option that stores the result in the database, with its trap.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (official archive, installed with the web wizard; PHP 8.2, MariaDB 11.4)Securing a hosted Dolibarr instance: install.lock, IP restriction, 2FA, file integrity check and vulnerability tracking
The Dolibarr 24 security settings tested one by one on a fresh install: install.lock, conf.php, IP and CIDR range restriction, two-factor authentication, captcha, file integrity check, DoliSecure, and the visible version number.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (tested: official Docker image 24.0.1 with its code replaced by 24.0.2, which was not on Docker Hub on 14/10/2026; MariaDB 11.4)Importing data into Dolibarr from a CSV or Excel file: the import wizard step by step, updates and the most common errors
The Dolibarr 24 import wizard tested with real CSV and Excel files: third parties, contacts, products, stock, vendor prices, categories, updating by key, and the exact messages of the most common errors.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (tested: official Docker image 24.0.1 with its code replaced by 24.0.2, which was not on Docker Hub on 14/10/2026; MariaDB 11.4)Physical stock, virtual stock and inventory in Dolibarr: what moves the stock, and why the virtual stock looks wrong
What moves physical and virtual stock in Dolibarr 24, six tested reasons why the virtual stock looks wrong, and the built-in inventory step by step, including the closing button bug in 24.0.2.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (tested: official Docker image 24.0.1 with its code replaced by 24.0.2, which was not on Docker Hub on 14/10/2026; MariaDB 11.4, PHP 8.2)Printing receipts with TakePOS (Dolibarr 24): browser, ESC/POS receipt printer, receipt template and cash drawer
The three ways TakePOS prints a receipt in Dolibarr 24, tested with a simulated ESC/POS printer: settings, receipt template and tags, automatic printing, cash drawer, and the faults that leave the receipt blank or cut short.
· Dolibarr 24.0.1 (tested); the line order flaw is also in the code of 24.0.2 and of the development branch on 13/10/2026Dolibarr REST API: create the API key, then a complete invoice with curl (tested on 24)
Enable the Dolibarr REST API, create an API key for a dedicated user, then create a customer, an invoice, its PDF and its payment with curl. Including the trap of invoice lines that change order.
· Dolibarr 24.0.1 (tested); the list of templates changed in 24.0 (crabe removed)Customize the Dolibarr 24 invoice PDF: no-code settings, ODT template, and a custom template that survives upgrades
Logo, legal mentions, VAT exemption note, late payment terms, IBAN, watermark, ODT template and PDF conversion, PHP template in custom: every step tested on Dolibarr 24.0.1, with the traps.
· Dolibarr 24.0.1 (tested, official Docker image, MariaDB 11.4); the principle applies to all recent versionsBack up and restore Dolibarr, or move it to another server: the tested method, and the key everyone forgets
The four things to back up, Dolibarr's built-in automatic backup, and a restore tested on a fresh instance. Without the key in conf.php, customer IBANs and API keys stay unreadable.
· Official dolibarr/dolibarr image 24.0.1 (latest published image on 13/10/2026), MariaDB 11.4; all three traps come from the startup script shared by every version of the imageInstall Dolibarr with Docker Compose (official image): a tested setup, and three traps in the official example
A complete docker-compose.yml for Dolibarr 24 and MariaDB, tested end to end. With the official example, passwords are stored as MD5 with a cleartext copy, and scheduled jobs never run: how to avoid all three.
· Dolibarr 24.0.2 (official archive) · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (PHP 8.3, MariaDB 10.11, Apache 2.4.58) · Debian 13 (PHP 8.4, MariaDB 11.8, Apache 2.4.68)Install Dolibarr on Ubuntu or Debian: the tested commands, and the four settings the wizard leaves out
Install Dolibarr 24 on Ubuntu 24.04 or Debian 13 with Apache, MariaDB and PHP, with tested commands. Plus what the wizard does not do: install.lock, the 2 MB upload limit, the documents folder, the cron key.
· Same logic in the installer of versions 19, 22 and 24 · tested on 24.0.1install.lock in Dolibarr: where to put it, and how to upgrade with it
The install.lock file closes Dolibarr's installation pages. The right folder, the htdocs trap, and upgrade.unlock to upgrade without deleting it.
· Same check in the installer of versions 19, 22 and 24 · tested on 24.0.1 (Apache, PHP 8.2)“Setup not allowed by conf.php permissions”: unblocking the Dolibarr installer
The Dolibarr installer refuses to start because of the conf.php file. What the message means, the command that fixes it, and the chmod 666 trap.
· Database method accepted by the login code of versions 17, 19, 22 and 24 · tested on 24.0.1 (MariaDB)Lost Dolibarr admin password: three ways to reset it
Nobody knows the Dolibarr administrator password any more. The “Password forgotten?” link, another administrator, or the database, without breaking the hashing.
· Check present in the installer of versions 19, 22 and 24 · tested on 24.0.1 (Apache, PHP 8.2)“Your PHP installation does not support functions Intl”: what it affects in Dolibarr, and how to enable it
The Dolibarr installer says PHP does not support Intl. It is only a warning: what really depends on it, and how to enable the extension on your server.
· Dolibarr 24.0.0 to 24.0.2 and development branch · field always shown up to 23 · tested from 23.0.4 to 24.0.1Dolibarr 24: the title field (Mr, Mrs…) has disappeared from contacts
After moving to version 24, the title (Mr, Mrs, Dr…) no longer shows on contact cards. It is intended, and one constant brings it back.
· Dolibarr 24.0.0 and 24.0.1, with third-party search by typing · 23 not affected · fixed in the 24.0.2 code (not yet announced on 4 October 2026)Dolibarr 24.0.0 and 24.0.1: when adding a contact, the third-party list only shows lines
In the Contacts tab of a proposal, an order or a project, the third-party search only offers empty lines. A bug in 24.0.0 and 24.0.1 when third-party search by typing is enabled.
· Dolibarr 23 and 24 · no whitelist in 22 · tested in 22.0.5, 23.0.4 and 24.0.1Dolibarr computed field rejected since version 23: the $dolibarr_main_restrict_eval_methods whitelist
Since version 23, a computed field can no longer call any function, include a file or concatenate with a dot. The exact rules, the messages, and the clean way to call a module's code.
· Dolibarr 20 to 24.0.2 · tested in 20.0.4 and 24.0.1 · fixed only in the development branch (25.0.0-alpha)Dolibarr: the shipping method does not appear on the shipment PDF (Espadon template)
You chose a shipping method, but the Espadon PDF does not show it. It is only printed when there is a tracking number. Two ways to get it.
· Upgrade from version 21 or older to 22, 23 or 24 · tested from 21.0.4 to 24.0.1Dolibarr upgrade stops: "commonsubtotal.class.php: Failed to open stream"
During an upgrade to 22, 23 or 24, the wizard stops on a missing subtotals file. It is not an external module: the copy of the files is incomplete.
· Dolibarr 20 to 24 · tested in 20.0.4 and 24.0.1 · same code in 24.0.2 and in the development branchDolibarr: in a bill of materials, a service cost shows 3,600 times too much
A 10-minute service on a €30/h workstation should cost €5, and the bill of materials line shows €18,000. One reproduced cause: the short label of the hour in the units dictionary.
· Dolibarr 20 to 24.0.1 · reproduced in 23.0.4 and 24.0.1 · fixed in the 24.0.2 code (not yet announced on 4 October 2026)Dolibarr: the product description is no longer translated on the PDF after editing a line
A proposal for an English-speaking customer comes out in English, then switches back to the original language as soon as a line is edited. The cause: the rich text editor and a description on several lines. Three ways out.
· Dolibarr 20 to 24 · tested in 20.0.4 and 24.0.1 (seller and customer in France)Dolibarr: the VAT of a customer price is not applied to the proposal line
You entered a customer price with 10% VAT, and the proposal line comes out at 20%. Where the VAT rate offered on a line comes from, and how to get the right one.
· Dolibarr 16 to 24 · findings checked on 24.0.0Dolibarr error 500 or blank page: find the cause in a few minutes
A 500 error in Dolibarr shows nothing, and Dolibarr's own log does not contain it. Where to read the real message, how to understand it, and the four causes that come back almost every time.
· Dolibarr 16 to 24 · latest announced release on 04/10/2026: 24.0.1 (24.0.2 released on 02/10 on SourceForge, not yet announced on dolibarr.org)Upgrading Dolibarr without breaking anything: the method, and what changes from version 16 to 24
What really breaks when you upgrade Dolibarr, the checklist before you start, the procedure, how to roll back, and the upgrade path table for versions 16 to 24: PHP, removed modules, traps.
· Official dolibarr/dolibarr image, versions 16 to 24, with MariaDB or MySQLUpgrading Dolibarr in Docker (official image): why you must never skip a version
With the official Docker image, going from 20 to 24 in one go leaves an incomplete database, without any error. What happens, how to check your own instance, and the right procedure, tested.
· Dolibarr 24.0.0 · fixed in 24.0.1“Access denied” when creating a bank account in Dolibarr 24.0.0
In Dolibarr 24.0.0, creating a bank account is refused depending on the reference entered, even as an administrator. The real cause, and the fix in 24.0.1.
· Dolibarr 23.0.0 to 24.0.1 · column present in 22 · restored in 24.0.2, released on 02/10 on SourceForge but not yet announced on dolibarr.org on 4 October 2026Dolibarr 23: the “Private” field of email templates has disappeared from the screen
Since Dolibarr 23, the “Private” column has disappeared from the email templates administration. The field still exists and still filters. Cause and workaround.
· Dolibarr 24 · different behaviour in 23.0.4Dolibarr 24: the sender (“From”) frame is drawn over the PDF logo
In Dolibarr 24, on the Eratosthene and Proforma templates, the sender frame moves up over the logo when the La Poste address position is enabled.
· Dolibarr 23.0.4 and 24Tracking the margin per site day with Dolibarr alone
The Projects module, the average hourly rate and the time spent are enough to know what a day on site has earned. Method replayed in 23.0.4 and 24.
· Dolibarr 23Dolibarr refuses to create a project without a lead status
Dolibarr requires a lead status when creating a project because a checkbox is ticked by default. Just untick it. Verified in 23.
· Dolibarr 24.0.x · fix present in the development branchDolibarr 24: the vendor reference entered on a purchase order is not saved
In Dolibarr 24.0.x, the reference entered on a purchase order is lost if the product has no buying price with that vendor. Two workarounds.
· Dolibarr 24 for the verification · renaming made in version 12Retained warranty in Dolibarr: the constants you are looking for no longer exist
The constants quoted on the web for retained warranty were renamed in version 12. The setting now lives in situation invoices.
· Dolibarr 23.0.3 · code identical in 23.0.4 on this point“Token not provided” after two-factor authentication: which token is it
The message is not about your six-digit code but about Dolibarr’s anti-CSRF token. What the 23.0.3 code says, and where to start the diagnosis.
Does one of these notes describe a need that one of the modules covers? The reference is written into the note itself, never added afterwards.