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Multi-PHP and Web Server Installation Guide for Debian 12 and 11

Step 1: Update and Upgrade the System​

First, ensure your system is up-to-date:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Add External Repository​

Debian's default repository provides PHP 8.3 and 7.4. To install additional versions such as PHP 8.2, 8.1, 7.3, or 5.6, you'll need to add Ondřej Surý's PHP repository:

sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https lsb-release ca-certificates wget
wget -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/php.gpg https://packages.sury.org/php/apt.gpg
echo "deb https://packages.sury.org/php/ $(lsb_release -sc) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/php.list
sudo apt update

Step 3: Install Apache Web Server​

Install Apache:

sudo apt install -y apache2

Enable and start the Apache service:

sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Step 4: Install PHP Versions​

You can install multiple PHP versions based on your needs:

Install PHP 8.3​

sudo apt install -y php8.3 libapache2-mod-php8.3

Install PHP 8.2​

sudo apt install -y php8.2 libapache2-mod-php8.2

Install PHP 7.4​

For older applications:

sudo apt install -y php7.4 libapache2-mod-php7.4

Step 5: Configure Virtual Hosts in Apache​

Create a configuration file for each application with a specific PHP version.

Example Configuration for PHP 8.3​

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/php83.example.com.conf

Add the following content to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName php83.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/php83_app

    <Directory /var/www/php83_app>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    <FilesMatch \.php$>
        SetHandler "proxy:unix:/var/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost"
    </FilesMatch>
</VirtualHost>

Enable the configuration and restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite php83.example.com.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Example Configuration for PHP 7.4​

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/php74.example.com.conf

Add the following content to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName php74.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/php74_app

    <Directory /var/www/php74_app>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    <FilesMatch \.php$>
        SetHandler "proxy:unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost"
    </FilesMatch>
</VirtualHost>

Enable the configuration and restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite php74.example.com.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Verify PHP Installation​

Create an info.php file for each application:

sudo nano /var/www/php83_app/info.php
sudo nano /var/www/php74_app/info.php

Add the following content to both files:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Access the files in your browser:

  • PHP 8.3: http://php83.example.com/info.php
  • PHP 7.4: http://php74.example.com/info.php

Step 7: Switch Between PHP Versions for CLI (Optional)​

You can switch PHP versions for the command line using the following commands:

Switch to PHP 7.4​

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

Switch to PHP 8.3​

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

With these steps, you can easily manage multiple PHP versions and configure Apache web server on Debian 12 and 11.

Explanation:​

  • Step 1: Updates the system to ensure all packages are current.
  • Step 2: Adds the Ondřej Surý repository for additional PHP versions.
  • Step 3: Installs the Apache web server and starts the service.
  • Step 4: Installs various PHP versions based on project requirements.
  • Step 5: Configures Apache to use different PHP versions for different virtual hosts.
  • Step 6: Verifies the PHP installation by creating a phpinfo() page.
  • Step 7: Allows switching between PHP versions in the command line interface (CLI) using update-alternatives.