Introduction

PHP is the most commonly used programming language when it comes to web programming and creating dynamic websites in particular. Because of this fact, the PHP Programming Language has secured its top spot amongst support web programming languages with every single web hosting provider around the globe. Of course, HostArmada does not fall short of that and fully supports PHP in every single package we offer.

PHP is natively supported with every Web Hosting package, along with a few other programming languages. As every trending programming language PHP constantly evolves in order to improve its already existing functionalities and to introduce new ones. With every new PHP version, we are enjoying faster and faster websites at the cost of fewer resources being consumed. When a website in PHP is created, a specific PHP version is typically being used. This is the default PHP version for the website and with it, the programmer guarantees that the website's functionality will be working 100%  as expected by the developer or their customer.

However, as we have mentioned PHP constantly evolves releasing newer versions, therefore the need for an adequate PHP version selector arises. With our Shared Hosting Packages our customers are provided with the option to select the specific PHP version for their Web Hosting Accounts that their websites are requiring and in the following lines of this tutorial, we will review in detail the "PHP Selector" feature of cPanel. 

Accessing the PHP Selector feature in cPanel 

To be able to use any of the features cPanel has to offer you will first have to successfully login to the cPanel service.

Once logged you should see all the features presented in separate feature groups. To access the "PHP Selector" feature, you will need to either use the search tool provided at the top of the page, or you will need to locate the "Software" features group where the "PHP Selector" feature resides. 

When you locate the feature, please click on it, so that cPanel can redirect you to the default page for controlling the PHP version of your cPanel web hosting account. There you will be able to perform any further modifications on the PHP version as well as on the included PHP Modules.

Changing the default PHP Version for your Web Hosting Account

When every cPanel account is created, we will also automatically set a default PHP version for the same. That is the PHP version any PHP script uploaded on your Web Hosting Account will be utilizing. Please note that the default version might differ depending on how often PHP releases new versions. 

When you access the default page for the "PHP Selector" feature you will be presented with several options to choose from. Right at the top of the page, you will see a section with two tabs - "Extensions" and "Options". The default one that the Selector will have opened is the "Extensions" tab, which will show the currently active PHP version for your entire Web Hosting Account along with all the active PHP extensions for that specific PHP version.

The second tab, namely - the "Options" tab, will unveil various PHP directives that you can manipulate for the specific PHP version you are using, such as max_input_time, max_execution_time, memory_limit, and many others.

To change the default PHP version of the cPanel web hosting account, please click on the actual number for the version, and please choose the required PHP version, from the drop-down list that will appear.

Once you do that, the PHP selector will present you with a "Apply" button, right next to the drop-down menu click. To actually change the version, please click on the "Apply" button. After a brief loading time, the change will be accepted, and the new version will be applied.

Configuring the PHP Modules for the selected PHP version

The flexibility of PHP allows it to be extended with a large number of additional PHP Modules. Of course, to operate properly and to be compliant with most of the Opensource applications these days, we have already preselected a set of modules required for the proper operation of the websites hosted on our Web Hosting Service.

However, you might need some other module that is not included by default. In such cases, you will need to activate the module on your own. To do that the "PHP Selector" feature provides you with a large list of already installed modules. Using this list, you can quickly activate or deactivate PHP modules with a simple click. 

To activate a PHP Module for the selected PHP Version, please go ahead and select the module by checking the checkbox provided for every module. 

The module will then be activated immediately, and you will be provided with a status message at the top right corner of the page. 

Deactivating a module is basically the same as activating one. Simply remove the check for the module you would like to disable and cPanel will immediately disable the module for you. 

When the PHP Module is disabled cPanel will once again display a status message in the top right corner of the page.

If you are wondering what the meaning of some of the modules is, you can hover over the name of every module, and cPanel will display a short tooltip with additional information for the chosen module. 

Finally, if you have enabled or disabled multiple PHP Modules and you would like to reset the active modules to their defaults, please use the "Reset to default" button displayed at the top of the page right next to the name of the feature. 

Please bear in mind that some of the modules might be conflicting with others. If that is the case, cPanel will update you on the status text displayed after the activation of the selected PHP module. Therefore, please pay attention to the status of the activation once you choose a PHP module. 

Configuring the PHP options for the selected PHP version

Often, you might need to configure the so-called variables used by the PHP service. PHP variables are the settings used by the PHP service when executing scripts on your Web Hosting Account. Such are for example:

• allow_url_fopen
• display_errors
• error_reporting
• max_execution_time
• max_input_time
• memory_limit
• post_max_size

and many more. These are referred to as PHP options in the  "PHP Selector" feature. 

To change any of the PHP Options, you will need to click on the "Options" tab located right next to the default "Extensions" tab at the the top of the page. 

Changing an option is a relatively simple task. Depending on its value, you can configure it in different ways: select from a list of predefined values, enable or disable an option by checking its checkbox, or enter the value of the option manually. 

Please remember that you do not have to save anything. Once you configure an option, cPanel will automatically save it for your convenience. 

Understanding how the PHP Service can be configured and how you can change its versions is critical when it comes to the proper functioning of your websites. We would like to congratulate you for reading this tutorial since it will bring you one step closer to managing your Web Hosting Account in the best way possible. In case you need any additional information on the matter or if you are experiencing any difficulties managing the PHP versions and options, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced Technical Support Crew since then will be able to assist you with any PHP-related issue you might be experiencing.