The End of PHP 4

Back in 2008, all development stopped on PHP 4. Since that time, no features have been added, no bugs have been fixed, and no security holes have been patched up.

After supporting it for years, cPanel recently removed PHP4 as an option from EasyApache. Since Liquid Web relies on cPanel to administer a good number of our servers, we too have stopped fully supporting PHP 4.

While it is in your best interest to move to the most recent version of PHP 5, it may not be possible to do so immediately. cPanel does give us an unsupported way to run PHP 4 in the interim.

Installing cPanel's PHP 4 Module

Running PHP 4.4.9 involves installing a custom module for EasyApache. First, download the module to the proper location:

cd /var/cpanel/easy/apache/custom_opt_mods/
wget http://docs.cpanel.net/twiki/pub/EasyApache/EasyApacheCustomModules/custom_opt_mod-PHP449.tar.gz
tar -zxvf custom_opt_mod-PHP449.tar.gz
rm -f custom_opt_mod-PHP449.tar.gz


To install the module, run an EasyApache as you normally would. PHP 4.4.9 will be a new option in the Short Options list. (If you are not familiar with running EasyApache, it may be best to contact Liquid Web's Heroic Support team for assistance.)

After the installation, check to see that it has been installed:

php -v
php4 -v

You may also need to set the php4 handler:

/usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf--current


Remove When Finished

The goal of this unsupported module is to provide a bit of breathing room while code is migrated over to PHP 5. When all your site code is running on PHP 5, be sure to remove PHP 4 from the server. Leaving PHP 4 on your server when it is not needed could open your server up to security vulnerabilities.

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Liquid Web's Heroic Support is always available to assist customers with this or any other issue. If you need our assistance please contact us:
Toll Free 1.800.580.4985
International 517.322.0434
support@liquidweb.com
https://manage.liquidweb.com/