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 How to add a custom PHP version in Plesk for Linux?

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Alexander Tsmokalyuk
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Plesk for Linux kb: how-to ABT: Group A

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  • Plesk for Linux

Question

How to add a custom PHP version in Plesk for Linux?

Answer

Warning: All the instructions below are to be performed at own will and risk. These steps are provided for demonstration purposes only and not supported by Plesk. Depending on the operating system and the desired configuration, installation steps might differ significantly. When installing an additional PHP version on the server, read the official PHP documentation on installation. It's recommended to perform the installation on a test environment before modifying the production environment.

On Linux systems, you can install any PHP version you need and then make it available in Plesk by registering it with the plesk bin php_handler command-line utility.

Click on a section to expand

1- Install the custom PHP version

Install the desired PHP version on the server. For installation guidelines, refer to the official PHP documentation available at http://php.net/manual/en/install.php. In brief, the installation includes the following main steps.

  1. Connect to the server via SSH

  2. Install C compiler and XML library with the following commands:

    • RHEL based OSes:

      # yum install gcc -y && yum install libxml2-devel -y

    • Debian based OSes:

      # apt-get install build-essential && apt-get install libxml2-dev

  3. Download the PHP source you need from the official website (http://php.net/downloads.php or http://php.net/releases/) to the server and unpack it:

    # gunzip php-NN.tar.gz

    # tar -xf php-NN.tar

  4. Configure and build PHP:

    Note: In this step, it's possible to customize PHP with various options, such as specifying which extensions will be enabled in the compiled PHP version. Run ./configure --help to see a list of the available options.

    # cd ../php-NN

    # ./configure --prefix /usr/local/phpNN --enable-fpm --with-fpm-group=www-data

    # make

    # make install

  5. Set up the php.ini:

    Note: Edit the .ini file to set the desired PHP options. If it's required to configure the  php.ini file in another location, run the configure utility with the option --with-config-file-path=/some/path in the previous step.

    # cp php.ini-development /usr/local/lib/php.ini

2- Register the custom PHP version in Plesk

  1. Connect to the server via SSH

  2. Register the new PHP version in Plesk:

    Note: More information can be found with the following command: plesk bin php_handler --help

    2.1- CGI/FastCGI example:

    # plesk bin php_handler --add -displayname <NN> -path <path to php-cgi binary> -phpini <path to php.ini> -type <php handler> -id <NN-custom> -clipath <path to php cli>

    Where:

        • -displayname <NN>: It's the PHP version name that will be shown in the Plesk UI. It's recommended to include the version number in the displayname, for example: 7.4.5-custom
        • -path <path to php-cgi binary>: It's the location of the PHP CGI binary file. The location is shown in the output shown by the command make install in the line Installing PHP CGI binary. For example, if the output contains the line Installing PHP CGI binary: /usr/local/bin/, the location to specify is /usr/local/bin/php-cgi. Learn more at: http://php.net/manual/en/install.unix.commandline.php
        • -clipath <path to php cli>: It's the location of the PHP CLI binary file. The location is shown in the output of the command make install in the line Installing PHP CLI binary. For example, if the output contains the line Installing PHP CLI binary: /usr/local/bin/, the location to specify is /usr/local/bin/php. Learn more at: http://php.net/manual/en/install.unix.commandline.php
        • -phpini <path to php.ini>: It's the location of the php.ini file, for example: /usr/local/lib/php.ini 
        • -type <php handler>: It's the type of the PHP handler associated with the installed PHP version. This example is for cgi , fpm or fastcgi PHP handlers and the mod_php is not supported
        • (Optional) -id <NN-custom>: It's the identifier that will be used for referring to this PHP version when adjusting or removing it via plesk bin php_handlers utility

    2.2- FPM example (Notes: systemctl unit should also be created manually, if it specific for OS distribution; To add the PHP handler as a dedicated application, append '-fpm-dedicated' to the hander ID when registering; To add PHP as a 'usual' FPM application, add the handler second time, without the '-fpm-dedicated' ):

    # plesk bin php_handler --add -displayname <NN> -path <path to php-fpm binary> -phpini <path to php.ini> -type fpm -id <NN-custom> -clipath <path to php cli> -service <PHP FPM service name> -poold <path to php-fpm.d pool folder>

    Where:

        • -path <path to php-fpm binary>: It's the location of the PHP FPM binary file. The location is shown in the output shown by the command make install in the line Installing PHP-FPM binary
        • -service <PHP FPM service name>: It's the PHP FPM service name
        • -poold <path to php-fpm.d pool folder>: It's the location containing the pool configuration files
3- Assign the custom PHP version (Plesk GUI)

Once the custom PHP versions are registered after applying the steps above, the custom PHP versions will be available:

  1. Log in to Plesk GUI

  2. Assign the custom PHP version:

    • Service Plan level: Go to Service Plans > Service Plan Name > PHP Settings

    • Domain level: Go to Domains > example.com > PHP Settings

PHP_versions

Additional Information

Official Plesk documentation: Adding Custom PHP Versions (Linux)

Comments

40 comments

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  • Avatar
    Ivan Postnikov

    Hello Vương Công Minh

    To unregister handler from Plesk you will need this command:

    plesk bin php_handler --remove -id 123

    ID 123 is n example, for more information use this documentation article: https://docs.plesk.com/en-US/obsidian/cli-linux/using-command-line-utilities/php_handler-php-handlers.72490/

    Custom PHP version packages are to be removed from the server manually.

     

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  • Avatar
    moonone

    Hello

    Here are the steps I have used to achieve the installation of php 5.6 on Debian 10 (Buster) with Plesk 18.0.29

    Installation of PHP 5.6
    - Source : https://deb.sury.org/
    - Source : https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/how-to-install-php-7-for-ispconfig-3-from-debian-packages-on-debian-8-and-9/

     

    Commands :

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt upgrade

    sudo apt install ca-certificates apt-transport-https lsb-release
    wget -q https://packages.sury.org/php/apt.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -
    echo "deb https://packages.sury.org/php/ $(lsb_release -sc) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/php.list

    sudo apt update
    sudo apt-get install php5.6 php5.6-cli php5.6-cgi php5.6-fpm php5.6-gd php5.6-mysql php5.6-imap php5.6-curl php5.6-intl php5.6-pspell php5.6-recode php5.6-sqlite3 php5.6-tidy php5.6-xmlrpc php5.6-xsl php5.6-zip php5.6-mbstring php5.6-soap php5.6-opcache libicu65 php5.6-common php5.6-json php5.6-readline php5.6-xml

    /usr/local/psa/bin/php_handler --add -displayname 5.6.40 -path /usr/bin/php-cgi5.6 -phpini /etc/php/5.6/php.ini -type fastcgi -id 5.6.40 -clipath /usr/bin/php5.6

    Hope it helps

    Kind regards

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  • Avatar
    Alexey Lapshin

    Hello @moonone

    Thank you for sharing this!

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  • Avatar
    moonone (Edited )

    You're welcome ! @...

    Don't hesitate to vote "yes" with the arrow up icon on any of those comments you find useful.

     

    Regards

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  • Avatar
    Joe

    @Robert unfortunately php installed using your guide result in php files being downloaded instead of executed.

    However this guide for Ubuntu 18 worked for me https://dx3webs.com/blog/enable-php-56-ubuntu-plesk-1804

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  • Avatar
    Stefano Poggioli

    How can I add the older PHP version in Plesk GUI as mod_php and not FastCGI ?
    Thanks in advance

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  • Avatar
    John D'Orazio

    I tried following the instructions here and in the Official Documentation Page, to add PHP 8.1 as a handler, seeing that it will probably be a while before it becomes available in Plesk. However I would like to start testing it on some projects of mine, so I would like to be able to assign "PHP 8.1" to the subdomains of my choosing.

    After installing PHP 8.1 on my system using Ondrej Sury's deb repository, and installing the related extensions, I ran this command:

     sudo plesk bin php_handler --add -displayname "PHP 8.1" -path /usr/bin/php8.1 -clipath /usr/bin/php8.1 -phpini /etc/php/8.1/php.ini -type fpm -service php8.1-fpm -poold /etc/php/8.1/fpm/pool.d

    However when attempting to select "PHP 8.1" for a subdomain I get this error:

    phpinimng failed: configuration test '['/usr/bin/php8.1', '--test']' failed with code 1, and message: Error in argument 1, char 1: no argument for option - Usage: php8.1 [options] [-f] <file> [--] [args...] php8.1 [options] -r <code> [--] [args...] php8.1 [options] [-B <begin_code>] -R <code> [-E <end_code>] [--] [args...] php8.1 [options] [-B <begin_code>] -F <file> [-E <end_code>] [--] [args...] php8.1 [options] -S <addr>:<port> [-t docroot] [router] php8.1 [options] -- [args...] php8.1 [options] -a -a Run as interactive shell (requires readline extension) -c <path>|<file> Look for php.ini file in this directory -n No configuration (ini) files will be used -d foo[=bar] Define INI entry foo with value 'bar' -e Generate extended information for debugger/profiler -f <file> Parse and execute <file>. -h This help -i PHP information -l Syntax check only (lint) -m Show compiled in modules -r <code> Run PHP <code> without using script tags <?..?> -B <begin_code> Run PHP <begin_code> before processing input lines -R <code> Run PHP <code> for every input line -F <file> Parse and execute <file> for every input line -E <end_code> Run PHP <end_code> after processing all input lines -H Hide any passed arguments from external tools. -S <addr>:<port> Run with built-in web server. -t <docroot> Specify document root <docroot> for built-in web server. -s Output HTML syntax highlighted source. -v Version number -w Output source with stripped comments and whitespace. -z <file> Load Zend extension <file>. args... Arguments passed to script. Use -- args when first argument starts with - or script is read from stdin --ini Show configuration file names --rf <name> Show information about function <name>. --rc <name> Show information about class <name>. --re <name> Show information about extension <name>. --rz <name> Show information about Zend extension <name>. --ri <name> Show configuration for extension <name>.

    Any ideas on what the problem could be or how to fix it?

     

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  • Avatar
    Samuel Boczek

    John D'Orazio, I think you need to specify the php-fpm binary for the -path argument, not the cli php binary. In your case the argument would probably look like this:

    -path /usr/sbin/php8.1-fpm
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  • Avatar
    John D'Orazio

    Samuel Boczek thank you for pointing me in the right direction. Using the php-fpm binary in the -path argument, and also fixing the correct location of php.ini both made it work, I used this:

    sudo plesk bin php_handler --add -displayname "PHP 8.1" -path /usr/sbin/php-fpm8.1 -clipath /usr/bin/php8.1 -phpini /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini -type fpm -service php8.1-fpm -poold /etc/php/8.1/fpm/pool.d

    And now I can correctly assign PHP 8.1 to a subdomain without any errors.

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  • Avatar
    youssef yamani

    hello i'm on ubuntu 14 and plesk 17.1 i need php 7.4 but the problem i cant format the server since there is a webmail service that it used by a client and cant stop it. is there a way to manually add php 7.4 because in 17.8 there is 7.3.5 but not 7.4 why ?

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