Update PHP for WordPress on CentOS

Summary

In this post, I will introduce how to update PHP for WordPress.

Conclusion

As usual, I present the following snippets first.

sudo yum remove php-common mod_php php-cli
sudo yum install epel-release
sudo yum install http://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-7.rpm
sudo yum install yum-utils
sudo yum-config-manager --enable remi-php72
sudo yum install php php-mysql –y
sudo systemctl restart httpd

Details

For faster speed and more secure, I want to update the PHP from the default version to the latest one. I did some research and finally, succeed in updating. It is necessary to record it for future maintenance.

Before the update, please read the official guide from WordPress first and back up your site. Use this checker to check the compatibilities of all your plugins.

Now, we start updating.

1. Remove the Old PHP

# php --version
PHP 5.4.16 (cli) (built: Mar  7 2018 13:34:47) 
Copyright (c) 1997-2013 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v2.4.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2013 Zend Technologies

We hate slow and unsecure ones and want to remove them.

sudo yum remove php-common mod_php php-cli

After which, we get

#  php --version
bash: /bin/php: No such file or directory

2. Install a Newer PHP

Turn on EPEL repo on a CentOS sever.

sudo yum install epel-release

Turn on remi repo too.

sudo yum install http://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-7.rpm

Enable remi repo, run:

sudo yum-config-manager --enable remi-php72

Update softwares.

sudo yum install php php-mysql –y

It will find the php 7.2.

==================================================================================
 Package           Arch         Version                    Repository        Size
==================================================================================
Installing:
 php               x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72       3.2 M
 php-mysqlnd       x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72       233 k
Installing for dependencies:
 php-cli           x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72       4.8 M
 php-common        x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72       1.1 M
 php-json          x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72        64 k
 php-pdo           x86_64       7.2.16-1.el7.remi          remi-php72       126 k

Now check the version of php again.

# php --version
PHP 7.2.16 (cli) (built: Mar  5 2019 13:10:50) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.2.16, Copyright (c) 1999-2018, by Zend Technologies

3. Restart Apache

Remember to restart Apache service.

systemctl restart httpd

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