ISPConfig is a powerful open-source hosting control panel that allows you to manage websites, databases, and email servers. In this guide, we will walk you through the installation of multiple PHP versions (5.6, 7.0 - 8.3) with PHP-FPM and FastCGI mode for ISPConfig 3.2 on Debian 10, 11, and 12 using `apt`. Hosting this setup on a WindowsVPS ensures better performance, scalability, and control over your web hosting environment using a VPS server.

Step 1: Update Your VPS Server

Before installing multiple PHP versions, ensure your VPS server is up to date. Run the following commands to update the package lists and upgrade your system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Hosting PHP and ISPConfig on a WindowsVPS gives you the flexibility of dedicated resources, allowing you to run multiple PHP versions seamlessly.

Step 2: Add the SURY Repository for PHP

The SURY repository contains all supported PHP versions for Debian. To install multiple PHP versions, add the SURY repository to your system:

sudo apt install ca-certificates apt-transport-https lsb-release -y
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/sury.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 PHP 5.6 and 7.0 - 8.3

Now that the SURY repository is added, you can install the required PHP versions. Run the following commands to install PHP 5.6 and the versions 7.0, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 with PHP-FPM and FastCGI support:

sudo apt install php5.6-fpm php7.0-fpm php7.4-fpm php8.0-fpm php8.1-fpm php8.2-fpm php8.3-fpm -y

You can also install other PHP extensions needed for your applications (e.g., MySQL, XML, CURL, and more) by running:

sudo apt install php5.6-mysql php7.0-mysql php7.4-mysql php8.0-mysql php8.1-mysql php8.2-mysql php8.3-mysql -y
sudo apt install php5.6-curl php7.0-curl php8.3-curl php5.6-xml php7.0-xml php8.3-xml -y

Step 4: Configure PHP-FPM Pools

PHP-FPM works by creating pools that handle PHP requests. By default, PHP-FPM creates a pool for each PHP version. To configure pools for specific websites or services, navigate to the /etc/php/VERSION/fpm/pool.d/ directory and edit the pool configuration files. For example, to configure PHP 7.4:

sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/fpm/pool.d/www.conf

In this file, you can customize settings such as the listening port or socket, user permissions, and memory limits.

Step 5: Configure ISPConfig for Multiple PHP Versions

ISPConfig supports multiple PHP versions, and you can configure websites to use specific PHP versions (either in PHP-FPM or FastCGI mode). To enable additional PHP versions in ISPConfig, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the ISPConfig control panel.
2. Go to System > Server Config.
3. Under the Web tab, find the option to enable multiple PHP versions.
4. Select the installed PHP versions (5.6, 7.0, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3) and choose whether you want them to run in PHP-FPM or FastCGI mode.
5. Click Save to apply the changes.

Once configured, you can assign specific PHP versions to websites within ISPConfig by editing a site’s settings and selecting the desired PHP version from the dropdown menu.

Step 6: Restart PHP-FPM Services

After installing and configuring multiple PHP versions, restart the PHP-FPM services for all versions to ensure the changes are applied:

sudo systemctl restart php5.6-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php7.0-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php7.4-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php8.0-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php8.1-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php8.2-fpm
sudo systemctl restart php8.3-fpm

Step 7: Verify the Installation

To verify that multiple PHP versions are working, create a simple PHP info file for each version. Place this file in your website’s document root:

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

Add the following content to the file:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Save the file and visit http://your-server-ip/phpinfo.php to see the PHP information page. You can change the PHP version used by editing the site’s PHP settings in ISPConfig.

Step 8: Optimize Your VPS Server for PHP Hosting

To ensure optimal performance when hosting websites using multiple PHP versions, hosting your ISPConfig setup on a WindowsVPS is highly recommended. A VPS server provides the dedicated resources you need to handle different PHP versions and traffic spikes efficiently. You also have the flexibility to scale your resources as your hosting needs grow.

Conclusion

Installing multiple PHP versions (5.6, 7.0 - 8.3) with PHP-FPM and FastCGI mode on Debian 10 to 12 for ISPConfig 3.2 allows you to manage different versions for different websites. By hosting this setup on a WindowsVPS, you can ensure better performance, control, and scalability for your web hosting environment.

For more information about VPS hosting and optimizing your PHP setup, visit WindowsVPS today.