How to Upgrade PHP 7.4 to 8.0 in Ubuntu

Websolutionstuff | Nov-06-2023 | Categories : PHP

Hey there! I recently faced the need to upgrade my PHP version from 7.4 to the latest 8.0 on my Ubuntu server. It might seem like a daunting task, but don't worry; I'm here to guide you through each step. Keeping your server up-to-date is crucial for security and performance, and I'll show you how to make the transition to PHP 8.0 a breeze.

Let's get started with the upgrade!

Upgrading PHP from version 7.4 to 8 in Ubuntu involves several steps, including adding a new repository and installing the updated PHP version. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you with this process:

Step 1: Check Your Current PHP Version

Before upgrading, make sure you're running PHP 7.4. You can check your current PHP version using the command:

php -v

This command will display your PHP version. If it's 7.4, proceed with the upgrade.

Step 2: Add PHP 8 Repository

To upgrade to PHP 8, you need to add the repository for PHP 8. You can use the ondrej/php repository, which is a popular source for PHP updates:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt-get update

Step 3: Upgrade PHP

Now, you can install PHP 8 and the necessary PHP modules. Use the following command:

sudo apt-get install php8.0 php8.0-common php8.0-cli

You can also install additional PHP extensions depending on your project's requirements.

Step 4: Verify PHP 8 Installation

After the installation is complete, check the PHP version to make sure you're now running PHP 8.

php -v

It should display PHP 8.x.

Step 5: Remove PHP 7.4 (Optional)

You can remove PHP 7.4 if you no longer need it. Use the following command:

sudo apt-get purge php7.4-common
sudo apt-get autoremove

Removing the old version is optional and depends on your specific use case. Be sure to back up your configuration and project files before doing this.

Step 6: Update Your Web Server Configuration

If you are using a web server like Apache or Nginx, you'll need to update the configuration to use PHP 8. For Apache, you can use the following command to enable the PHP 8 module:

For Apache:

sudo a2enmod php8.0

For Nginx, update your site configuration to use PHP 8.

Step 7: Restart Your Web Server

After updating the web server configuration, restart your web server to apply the changes:

For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

For Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 8: Test Your PHP Configuration

Create a PHP info file to test if PHP 8 is functioning correctly. Use a text editor to create a file named info.php in your web server's root directory (e.g., /var/www/html/) and add the following content:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Access this file from your web browser (e.g., http://your-server-ip/info.php) and verify that it shows PHP 8 information.

Step 9: Cleanup

You can remove the info.php file after testing, and you may also want to remove PHP 7.4-related configuration files if you've chosen to remove the old version.

That's it! You've successfully upgraded PHP from version 7.4 to 8 on your Ubuntu server.

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