How do I configure PHP on my hosting?

Procédure

What is PHP?

PHP is a programming language that can be integrated into HTML pages.

It is used to automate repetitive tasks, in particular by communicating with a database (the most common use of PHP).

The PHP programming language is essential for the smooth operation of CMS such as Wordpress, Joomla, Prestashop, etc., as well as for all e-mail forms.

This article is aimed solely at customers who have chosen Linux shared web hosting.

If you have a Virtual Private Server (VPS), find out how to modify php.ini

How do I access the PHP settings for my hosting?

First of all, you need to log in to your LWS account and access the shared hosting for which you want to modify the PHP settings.

Then click on the"PHP Configuration" icon in the"Database & PHP" section:

How do I install a PHP version and select the default PHP version for hosting?

PHP, which stands for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor", is a programming language widely used for web development. A PHP version refers to a specific iteration of this language, with its own features, improvements and bug fixes.

Choosing the right version of PHP for your website is crucial for a number of reasons. Firstly, each new version brings improvements in terms of performance and security. Using an obsolete version can expose the site to security risks and reduce page loading speed. Secondly, recent versions offer new functionalities and greater compatibility with modern web technologies, making it possible to create more sophisticated and functional sites. Finally, keeping your PHP version up to date ensures better compatibility with plugins and themes, which are essential for content management systems such as WordPress.

However, some sites or applications may not be fully operational with the latest version of PHP, in which case using an earlier version may be the solution. If you have several applications on your hosting, they may each need a different version of PHP.

In the first tab that appears,"Installing and selecting PHP", you can determine which versions of PHP you want to use with the different applications on your hosting.

All you have to do is tick or untick the box corresponding to the PHP version so that it can be installed or uninstalled after clicking on the"Save" button.

You can also specify which version of PHP will be used by default on your hosting. This setting is particularly useful if you need to use several versions of PHP.

Select the PHP version and indicate in the selector whether you want to apply this version only to your site accessible from the main domain name or to all the sites on the hosting. Then click"Save" to apply the change.

How do I configure a different version for the sites on my hosting?

From the"PHP configuration by sites" tab, you can specify a different PHP version for all the sites on your hosting.

This page lists all the additional domains added to your hosting as multi-domains, as well as all the sub-domains created.

You then have the option of choosing the PHP version to be applied for each domain or sub-domain in the listing by selecting the version in the selector.

Then click the"Save" button at the bottom of the page to apply the changes.

How do I change the PHP settings for my hosting?

Various PHP parameter settings are available in the"General PHP configuration" tab.

The PHP settings configured in this tab apply to your entire hosting, regardless of the PHP version used.

The values that can be configured for certain parameters (memory_limit, max execution-time, etc.) differ depending on the hosting package chosen.

The parameters available for configuration are as follows:

• Installation of ATOS/PAYBOX binaries if your site uses a payment module requiring these binaries
• allow_url_fopen, which authorises access to files via a URL, and allow_url_include, which allows remote files to be included in the code of your website.
• Display_errors, which displays PHP-generated errors on your site (ideal when the site is under development or being deployed).
• error_reporting allows you to specify different levels of reporting of PHP errors in the PHP logs of your hosting.
• Memory_Limit limits the memory allocated to PHP scripts (maximum value depends on the formula)
• Max_execution_time which limits the maximum execution time of a PHP script (maximum values depend on the formula)
• Max_upload_size which limits the maximum size of files that can be uploaded (depends on the Memory_limit value selected)
• Post_max_size which limits the size of files that can be submitted via the POST method (depends on the Memory_limit value selected)
• Max_file_uploads, which limits the number of files that can be uploaded simultaneously
• OPcache, which caches compiled PHP code to improve performance
• TimeZone, which determines the time zone your website will be based in.

How can I check the version of PHP actually used by my website?

You can check which version of PHP is running in a folder by creating a phpinfo.php file in that folder with the following contents:

You can use the FileManager available on your hosting to create and edit the file.

Then visit the following page via your web browser: http://domaine.com/dossier/phpinfo.php (replace "domain.com" with your domain name and "folder" with the folder where you have placed your php file)

The following page should be displayed, showing the PHP version used by this folder and the various PHP settings and libraries installed.

Conclusion

You are now able to configure PHP on your shared hosting with LWS. PHP configuration lets you change the PHP version used for your hosting. You can also modify a few PHP directives.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our technical support team via a trouble ticket.