how to set default php version in ubuntu with code examples

Setting the default PHP version in Ubuntu can be done using the update-alternatives command. This command allows you to change the default version of a program, in this case, PHP.

First, check the current PHP version by running the following command:

php -v

Next, check which PHP versions are available on your system by running:

sudo update-alternatives --list php

This will display a list of all PHP versions available on your system.

To set a specific version of PHP as the default, use the following command:

sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php[version number]

For example, to set PHP version 7.4 as the default, use the following command:

sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php7.4

You can also use the update-alternatives command to manage other PHP executables, such as php-config and phpize, by replacing the “php” in the above commands with “php-config” or “phpize”.

Additionally, you can also use the a2enmod command to enable or disable PHP versions for the Apache web server.

sudo a2dismod php[version number]
sudo a2enmod php[version number]

For example, to enable PHP 7.4 and disable PHP 7.3 on Apache, you would run the following commands:

sudo a2dismod php7.3
sudo a2enmod php7.4

It's important to note that after you have set your desired PHP version as the default, you will need to restart your Apache server for the changes to take effect. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo service apache2 restart

Now, check your PHP version again using the command php -v to ensure that the desired version is now the default.

In conclusion, you can set the default PHP version in Ubuntu by using the update-alternatives command. You can also use the a2enmod command to enable or disable PHP versions for the Apache web server. Remember to restart the Apache server for the changes to take effect.

In addition to setting the default PHP version, there are a few other related topics that may be of interest.

One topic is managing multiple PHP versions on a single system. This can be useful if you need to run different applications that require different PHP versions. Ubuntu's update-alternatives command can be used to switch between different PHP versions, but you can also use tools such as phpbrew or php switcher to manage multiple PHP versions more easily.

Another topic is configuring PHP for a web server. Once you have set your desired PHP version as the default, you will need to configure your web server to use that version of PHP. For Apache, this can be done by editing the PHP module configuration file, typically located at /etc/php/[version number]/apache2/php.ini. This file contains various settings such as memory limit and upload file size limit. You can edit this file to suit your specific needs.

Another important thing to keep in mind is security. As PHP is a server-side scripting language, it is important to keep your PHP installation up to date to protect against security vulnerabilities. Ubuntu's package manager, apt, can be used to easily update PHP to the latest version.

Lastly, you may also want to consider using a PHP version manager such as phpbrew or phpenv to switch between different versions of PHP. This can be especially helpful if you need to run multiple applications that require different versions of PHP. These version managers can also be used to easily install and manage different PHP extensions.

In summary, setting the default PHP version in Ubuntu is just the first step in managing PHP on your system. Other related topics include managing multiple PHP versions, configuring PHP for a web server, keeping PHP secure, and using a PHP version manager.

Popular questions

1. What command can be used to check the current PHP version on Ubuntu?
   Answer: php -v

2. How can you check which PHP versions are available on your Ubuntu system?
   Answer: sudo update-alternatives --list php

3. How can you set a specific version of PHP as the default on Ubuntu?
   Answer: sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php[version number]

4. How can you enable or disable specific PHP versions for the Apache web server on Ubuntu?
   Answer: sudo a2dismod php[version number] and sudo a2enmod php[version number]

5. What command should be run after setting the default PHP version to make the changes take effect?
   Answer: sudo service apache2 restart

Tag

PHPversioning