Selecting a PHP Binary

cpsrvd (cPanel & WHM) needs to know the path to the specific PHP binary that should be used to process PHP scripts such as phpMyAdmin. There are likely several PHP binaries from which you can choose and several reasons you may want to pick one PHP binary over another.

The usecpphp File

/var/cpanel/usecpphp, when it exists, causes cpsrvd to use a non-system PHP provided by cPanel. You may want to do this if the version of PHP that you have built for Apache does not have all of the features required to run inside of cpsrvd.

This cPanel-provided PHP binary exists on the system as 1 of the 2 following files:

• /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php
• /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi

Note: php-cgi is preferred over php if both are available and executable.

This particular PHP binary contains all of the necessary options to run inside of cpsrvd. However, if you experience linking issues or require additional features in the PHP binary that cpsrvd uses, you will need to build an additional local PHP binary. You can do this by running the following script:

• /usr/local/cpanel/scripts/makecpphp

This script uses the EasyApache framework to build a PHP configuration that will work with cpsrvd. This PHP binary will exist as 1 of the following 2 files:

• /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php
• /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi

Note: php-cgi is preferred over php if both are available and executable.

However, if /var/cpanel/usecpphp does not exist, WHM will use the PHP binary /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi.

The behavior can be modified in /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php. If the binary exists, is executable, and /var/cpanel/usecpphp exists, then cpsrvd will always use this binary.

Below is a pseudo-logic example for determining which PHP binary cpsrvd will use.

Note: php-cgi is preferred over php if both are available and executable.

WHM:
- Does /var/cpanel/usecpphp exist?
   - Yes
      - Does /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi exist?
         - Yes
            - Use /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi
         - No
             - Does /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php exist?
                - Yes
                  - Use /var/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php
                - No
                 - Does /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi exist?
                  - Yes
                    - Use /u/l/c/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi
                  - No
                    - Use /u/l/c/3rdparty/bin/php
   - No
     - Does /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi exist?
       - Yes
         - Use /u/l/c/3rdparty/bin/php-cgi
       - No
         - Use /u/l/c/3rdparty/bin/php

cPanel:
- Request is for phpmyadmin?
   - Yes
     - Follow logic for WHM
   - No
     - Does /var/cpanel/usecpphp exist?
       - Yes
         - Follow logic for WHM
       - No
         - Does /usr/bin/php-cgi exist?
           -Yes
        - Use /usr/bin/php-cgi
           - No
             - Use /usr/bin/php

Webmail:
   - Follows WHM logic

*Note:*=/usr/bin/php= is only used if usecpphp does not exist and the request is for a third party product.