PHP4 and PHP5 support on same machine ..

[NZMarke]

Hi all,

My understanding from browsing this forum and the numerous posts on it is that now Jag is moving to PHP-cgi rather that using ModPHP, that opens the door to being able to provide both PHP4 and 5 support on the same account.

However my enquiry to support (Nelson) indicates that's not an option. Could someone please clarify?

I'd like to test out ActiveCollab (project management app) on my account, but it's PHP5-only. However I don't want to lose support for some of the PHP4 scripts ...

From previous posts it sounded like once the move to PHP-CGI was completed on servers, parallel support of both PHP4 and PHP5 was a relative "no-brainer"?

Like to know ...

Cheers

Mark

[Connie]

I think what support meant by PHP-cgi or ModPHP not being an option is it is not a choice that you have. I'm fairly certain that most accounts have been upgraded to PHP-cgi at this time. If they haven't they soon will be.

[NZMarke]

Hi Connie.

Thanks for that. Yes I picked up from the forums that the shift to PHP-cgi is underway on all machines .. and we don't have a choice in that (which I really don't mind about anyway).

But what I'm not clear about is whether when the shift to PHP-cgi IS completed on all machines (or at least the one I'm on - Nitrogen) does that mean I will be able to run BOTH PHP4 and PHP5 on my account?

Support outright says "not possible". However if you look at the details for the Longhorn account, it quite clearly says both PHP4 and PHP5 are supported. And the posts in this forum tend to suggest that post PHP-cgi migration, there is no technical reason why PHP4 and PHP5 couldn't run on the same machine ... indeed Les seemed to be suggesting that it would happen in due course.

I don't mind waiting a while to get support for PHP5 added .. but the questions I need answered are:

1) Will it be possible to support both versions on the one account. Or is it either PHP4 or PHP5 but not both?
2) How long is it likely to be before PHP5 support is available if it is coming?
3) Can I get PHP4 + PHP5 on the one account now if I shift onto another machine? My current account has really only got testing stuff on it, so now would be a good time to shift if that's what's required and it's likely to be a long time before Nitrogen is upgraded to support both PHP4 and PHP5 (or that Nitrogen won't be upgraded to support both).

Does that clarify the question? Does anyone know the answers?

Cheers

Mark

[NZMarke]

What support actually said what that it was not possible to have both PHP4 and PHP5 on the same account - the reply was quite explicitly clear on that point ... it's just I wasn't above!

Mark

[jason]

Although it is technically possible to run PHP 4 and PHP 5 on one machine under PHP-CGI, I don't think there was ever an announcemnt that JPC was moving in this direction. Les did say it might be possible, but I don't think it was an official announcement that JPC was moving in that direction.

As for the Longhorn description, there are PHP 5 servers available on request, but it is a one-or-the-other thing right now.

--Jason

[Gwaihir]

I was told the same thing. Right now it (still) can't be offered, certainly not on existing machines. I don't know if this goes for all machines. You could ask about moving your account.

I agree that the specs page for Longhorn / semi-ded clearly state that both are available, as is anything else on that list. It has said so for quite some time now. What stronger announcement can there be? Anyone signing up nowadays should just get that as advertised, no? Whether that is actually happening remains to be seen though.

As the general transation between the two goes on, it will become more common for folks to want to run both an older app that can't stand PHP5 and a newer one that needs it from the same account. So I do hope they'll start supporting that in the next few months if not already and shortly after bring it to existing servers too. If they won't, they should definately update the promises made out on that specs page.

The transition to CGI is still ungoing. It is my guess that the holiday season combined with an unusually high number of servers that got into serious trouble has taken staff attention away from it for now. I still have my hopes up that will be over and done with in a month or two and that after that combining PHP4&5 on machines can make it to their attention.

[NZMarke]

Hi all,

Well Masood has come back with a definitive answer. Plans to provide PHP4 and PHP5 on the same server are NOT on the agenda right now. He says that there are more pressing things on the security front that they'd like to work through first. There's no ETA on having both PHP4 and PHP5 on the same account right now.

Shame that! As Gwaihir says, I suspect that there'll be more and more people who'll want both at the same time ... they have an older PHP4 app they need to continue running, and they want to install a newer PHP5 app ... like me for instance! ;-)

And I do think that on this point, the description of the Longhorn account is misleading. It doesn't say "either PHP4 or PHP5" - it gives the impression that both are supported!

Let's hope Jag revisits the priority on this soon?

I was hoping to try out ActiveCollab - which looks like a very nice PHP5 version of Backpack ... but open-source. Dreamhost has apparently already made this available on their service as a one-click install ...

Cheers all,

Mark

[NZMarke]

Hi all,

One more question related to all this. Does anyone know whether the same list of scripts currently supported through Fantastico under PHP4 will work on an account under PHP5. I'm not a PHP expert, so I don't know to what extent those scripts are PHP4 only, or whether they do in fact work under PHP5?

Anyone able to comment?

Cheers

Mark

[the_ancient]

Just think php6 will be out all too soon and we can have 3 versions to aurgue about

[Gwaihir]

Which will make running multiple versions side by side all but inevitable.. (Though I suspect it will not be necessary to keep PHP 5 in the mix for very long then.)

As for Fantastico: most of the popular current applications (i.e. the ones still actively maintained / developed further) run on PHP5 by now. For the developer of an application it's not all that hard to make it PHP5 proof (just not running under E_STRICT). Doesn't go for all though; some development teams just aren't interested in PHP5 compatibility or postpone it till they are ready with a rewrite that takes full advantage of the new features, rather than just reach compatibility. So, best to check specs before you start to actively use an app.