When using ISPConfig, by default, you only have the main PHP version for your distribution. This guide will show you how to install multiple PHP versions (5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3) on a Ubuntu server with ISPConfig. A similar guide for multiple PHP versions is available for Debian systems, which can be found here.
After installing the additional versions, you can select them on specific websites in PHP-FPM and FastCGI mode in ISPConfig. This guide is compatible with the Apache web server and also the Nginx web server.
1 Preliminary Note
In this guide, you will add the SURY repository additional repository to install the PHP packages from with apt. Because other packages as OpenSSL, are updated too, the installed packages from sury.org can not simply be removed after installation. So do not remove SURY as a repository source later on.
Please note that PHP-FPM can be used on Apache and Nginx servers, while FastCGI is available only for Apache servers.
2 Add SURY repository
Add the repository:
add-apt-repository -y ppa:ondrej/php
Now update the package list:
apt-get update
To upgrade already installed packages from the new repository use this command:
apt-get upgrade
3 Install additional PHP versions
You don’t have to install every version listed here, install the ones you need.
3.1 Install PHP 5.6
To install PHP use this command:
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
3.2 Install PHP 7.0
To install PHP use this command:
apt-get install php7.0 php7.0-cli php7.0-cgi php7.0-fpm php7.0-gd php7.0-mysql php7.0-imap php7.0-curl php7.0-intl php7.0-pspell php7.0-recode php7.0-sqlite3 php7.0-tidy php7.0-xmlrpc php7.0-xsl php7.0-zip php7.0-mbstring php7.0-soap php7.0-opcache php7.0-common php7.0-json php7.0-readline php7.0-xml
3.3 Install PHP 7.1
To install PHP use this command:
apt-get install php7.1 php7.1-cli php7.1-cgi php7.1-fpm php7.1-gd php7.1-mysql php7.1-imap php7.1-curl php7.1-intl php7.1-pspell php7.1-recode php7.1-sqlite3 php7.1-tidy php7.1-xmlrpc php7.1-xsl php7.1-zip php7.1-mbstring php7.1-soap php7.1-opcache php7.1-common php7.1-json php7.1-readline php7.1-xml
3.4 Install PHP 7.2
To install PHP use this command:
apt-get install php7.2 php7.2-cli php7.2-cgi php7.2-fpm php7.2-gd php7.2-mysql php7.2-imap php7.2-curl php7.2-intl php7.2-pspell php7.2-recode php7.2-sqlite3 php7.2-tidy php7.2-xmlrpc php7.2-xsl php7.2-zip php7.2-mbstring php7.2-soap php7.2-opcache php7.2-common php7.2-json php7.2-readline php7.2-xml
3.5 Install PHP 7.3
To install PHP use this command:
apt-get install php7.3 php7.3-cli php7.3-cgi php7.3-fpm php7.3-gd php7.3-mysql php7.3-imap php7.3-curl php7.3-intl php7.3-pspell php7.3-recode php7.3-sqlite3 php7.3-tidy php7.3-xmlrpc php7.3-xsl php7.3-zip php7.3-mbstring php7.3-soap php7.3-opcache php7.3-common php7.3-json php7.3-readline php7.3-xml
3.6 Install PHP 7.4
To install PHP 7.4 use this command:
apt-get install php7.4 php7.4-cli php7.4-cgi php7.4-fpm php7.4-gd php7.4-mysql php7.4-imap php7.4-curl php7.4-intl php7.4-pspell php7.4-sqlite3 php7.4-tidy php7.4-xmlrpc php7.4-xsl php7.4-zip php7.4-mbstring php7.4-soap php7.4-opcache libonig5 php7.4-common php7.4-json php7.4-readline php7.4-xml
3.7 Install PHP 8.0
To install PHP 8.0 use this command:
apt-get install php8.0 php8.0-cli php8.0-cgi php8.0-fpm php8.0-gd php8.0-mysql php8.0-imap php8.0-curl php8.0-intl php8.0-pspell php8.0-sqlite3 php8.0-tidy php8.0-xsl php8.0-zip php8.0-mbstring php8.0-soap php8.0-opcache libonig5 php8.0-common php8.0-readline php8.0-xml
3.8 Install PHP 8.1
To install PHP 8.1 use this command:
apt-get install php8.1 php8.1-cli php8.1-cgi php8.1-fpm php8.1-gd php8.1-mysql php8.1-imap php8.1-curl php8.1-intl php8.1-pspell php8.1-sqlite3 php8.1-tidy php8.1-xsl php8.1-zip php8.1-mbstring php8.1-soap php8.1-opcache libonig5 php8.1-common php8.1-readline php8.1-xml
3.9 Install PHP 8.2
To install PHP 8.2 use this command:
apt-get install php8.2 php8.2-cli php8.2-cgi php8.2-fpm php8.2-gd php8.2-mysql php8.2-imap php8.2-curl php8.2-intl php8.2-pspell php8.2-sqlite3 php8.2-tidy php8.2-xsl php8.2-zip php8.2-mbstring php8.2-soap php8.2-opcache libonig5 php8.2-common php8.2-readline php8.2-xml
3.10 Install PHP 8.3
To install PHP 8.3 use this command:
apt-get install php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-cgi php8.3-fpm php8.3-gd php8.3-mysql php8.3-imap php8.3-curl php8.3-intl php8.3-pspell php8.3-sqlite3 php8.3-tidy php8.3-xsl php8.3-zip php8.3-mbstring php8.3-soap php8.3-opcache php8.3-common php8.3-readline php8.3-xml
4 Set the OS default PHP back to the correct version
The default PHP of the operating system has to remain at the original version. To fix that, run these commands one by one:
update-alternatives --config php
update-alternatives --config php-cgi
update-alternatives --config php-fpm.sock
On Ubuntu 20.04, choose 7.4, on Ubuntu 22.04, choose 8.1.
5 Add PHP versions to ISPConfig
In ISPConfig 3, you can configure the new PHP versions under System > Additional PHP Versions > Add new PHP version.
Add the distribution’s default PHP version
First, you have to add a new version for the already installed PHP version. The default version depends on the release you are on:
Ubuntu 20.04: PHP 7.4
Ubuntu 22.04: PHP 8.1
Ubuntu 24.04: PHP 8.3
See below for the configuration for your version.
Configuration for the additional PHP versions
PHP 5.6
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi5.6
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/5.6/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php5.6-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/5.6/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/5.6/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php5.6
PHP 7.0
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi7.0
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.0/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php7.0-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.0/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/7.0/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php7.0
PHP 7.1
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi7.1
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.1/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php7.1-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.1/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/7.1/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php7.1
PHP 7.2
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi7.2
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.2/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php7.2-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.2/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/7.2/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php7.2
PHP 7.3
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi7.3
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.3/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php7.3-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.3/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/7.3/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php7.3
PHP 7.4
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi7.4
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.4/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php7.4-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/7.4/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/7.4/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php7.4
PHP 8.0
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi8.0
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.0/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php8.0-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.0/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/8.0/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php8.0
PHP 8.1
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi8.1
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.1/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php8.1-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.1/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/8.1/fpm/pool.d/
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php8.1
PHP 8.2
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi8.2
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.2/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php8.2-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.2/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/8.2/fpm/pool.d
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php8.2
PHP 8.3
Fast-CGI settings:
Path to the PHP FastCGI binary: /usr/bin/php-cgi8.3
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.3/cgi/
PHP-FPM settings:
Path to the PHP-FPM init script: php8.3-fpm
Path to the php.ini directory: /etc/php/8.3/fpm/
Path to the PHP-FPM pool directory: /etc/php/8.3/fpm/pool.d
The cli version for e.g. cron jobs has the name php8.3
6 Conclusion
You can now choose an additional PHP version for your websites. It is not recommended to change default PHP version of the OS (switch PHP version) as many packages incl. ISPConfig depend on that and this would likely break your server. If you have any questions, open a thread in the forum.
