Installing and Upgrading PHP on Linux Ubuntu/Debian

PHP is the heart of your web server. In a Linux environment (Ubuntu or Debian), installing and maintaining PHP via the terminal is fast and efficient. Below are the steps for a fresh installation and upgrading to the latest stable version 8.3.

Installing PHP

1. Open the terminal and update your system packages:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install PHP (version 8.3 is recommended):

   sudo apt install php

3. Verify the installation:

   php -v

   The current PHP version should be displayed.

4. Install common extensions (for database work, XML, ZIP, etc.):

   sudo apt install php-cli php-mbstring php-curl php-xml php-zip php-mysql

Upgrading to PHP 8.3

1. Add the Ondřej Surý PPA (repository for the latest PHP):

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php -y

2. Update lists and install version 8.3:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install php8.3 php8.3-cli php8.3-common php8.3-curl php8.3-mbstring php8.3-xml php8.3-zip

3. Register and set PHP 8.3 as the default version:

   sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/php php /usr/bin/php8.3 83
   sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php8.3

4. Verify the active version:

   php -v

   The output should now show PHP 8.3.x.