Check PHP Version and Install on Ubuntu 24.04

Find out what version of PHP is installed

You can easily check the PHP version installed on your Ubuntu 24.04 system by opening your terminal and running a simple command.

Run the commands below to check the PHP version in your Ubuntu Linux terminal.

php -v
# OR
php --version

Once you run the command above, it should output lines similar to these:

PHP 7.4.3 (cli) (built: Nov 25 2021 23:16:22) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.4.3, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

Version 7.4.3 is available in the Ubuntu repository, but this doesn’t mean the absolute latest PHP version can be installed.

You can also find more information on the installed PHP version by running the commands below:

apt info php

When you run the commands above, it should list output similar to this:

Package: php
Version: 2:7.4+75
Priority: optional
Section: php
Source: php-defaults (75)
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Original-Maintainer: Debian PHP Maintainers <team+pkg-php@tracker.debian.org>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug

The most reliable way of finding out what version of PHP is used for a specific website is to use the phpinfo() function. This prints various information about the PHP server, including its version.

To use this step to find the PHP version, create a file called phpinfo.php in your web server’s root directory. This is typically located here:

sudo nano /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

Copy and paste the line below into the file, then save and close it.

<?php phpinfo( ); ?>

Next, open your browser and go to localhost/phpinfo.php or your domain name (example.com/phpinfo.php). The PHP server version will be displayed on your screen:

Find out what PHP modules are installed

After checking your PHP version, you might want to see which PHP modules are currently installed and active on your Ubuntu system.

dpkg --get-selections | grep -i php

After executing the commands above, you should see output that resembles the lines shown below.

libapache2-mod-php8.1				install
php-common					install
php-fpm						install
php7.4-cli					install
php7.4-common					install
php7.4-fpm					install
php7.4-json					install
php7.4-opcache					install
php7.4-readline					install
php8.1						install
php8.1-cli					install
php8.1-common					install
php8.1-opcache					install
php8.1-readline					install
ftp

The length of this list can vary based on your environment.

To list modules compiled with PHP, run the commands below:

php -m

Install a specific version of PHP

Ubuntu 24.04 usually installs the latest stable PHP version from its default software sources, but you can install a specific version if needed.

You might need to add a third-party repository to your system if you want to install a specific version that isn’t available in Ubuntu Linux.

Use the commands below to add a repository in Ubuntu Linux. This will let you install specific software versions.

First, install the necessary commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common

Next, run the commands below to add the repository.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
sudo apt-get update

After that, you can search for and install a specific version of PHP.

apt-cache showpkg php

Install a specific version using the command format below:

sudo apt-get install php8.x=<complete version name>

Replace x with the PHP minor version number and <complete version number> with the version number available for Ubuntu.

Here’s an example:

sudo apt install php8.1=8.1.0-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1

Now the new version should reflect as shown below:

PHP 8.1.0 (cli) (built: Nov 25 2021 20:22:03) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.1.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.1.0, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Understanding the PHP version running on your system is crucial for compatibility and security.
• PHP installation on Ubuntu is straightforward and can be tailored to specific versions using third-party repositories.
• The phpinfo() function is a helpful tool for verifying PHP configuration and installed modules.
• Regularly checking for updates and managing PHP versions ensures optimal performance for your web applications.
• Knowing how to list installed PHP modules enhances your ability to troubleshoot and manage your server environment effectively.