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EasyApache 4 and the ea-php-cli Package

Last modified: September 26, 2024

Overview

The ea-php-cli package is EasyApache 4’s replacement for the system-provided /usr/bin/php binary. This package determines the PHP version that the user’s application requires from the system. While the stock version of the /usr/bin/php binary assumes a single version of PHP, cPanel & WHM’s ea-php-cli package determines the correct version of PHP to execute.

PHP binaries

The ea-php-cli package installs the following PHP binaries to ensure that your system uses the correct PHP handler for your request:

  • /usr/bin/php — This executable uses the php-cgi binary for the specified PHP version.
  • /usr/local/bin/php — This executable uses the php-cli binary for the specified PHP version.

The /usr/bin/php binary calls the PHP CGI handler, which allows you to execute PHP applications through the mod_cgi or mod_cgid Apache modules.

The /usr/local/bin/php binary calls the PHP command-line handler. This works with most systems’ default PATH settings.

The Litespeed binary

When you install a PHP version, the system also installs the ea-php-cli-lsphp package. This package contains the /usr/bin/lsphp binary. This executable uses the lsphp binary for the specified PHP version to ensure the system correctly calls Litespeed.

Managing the Litespeed binary

The ea-php-cli-lsphp package manages the /usr/bin/lsphp binary. The /usr/bin/lsphp binary calls the lsphp binary. If you cannot call this binary, install the ea-php-cli-lsphp package manually with the following command:

Operating SystemCommand
CentOS 7yum install ea-php-cli-lsphp
AlmaLinux OS and Rocky Linux™dnf install ea-php-cli-lsphp
Ubuntu®apt install --purge ea-php-cli-lsphp

Note:
  • You can also use /usr/local/bin/lsphp to call the lsphp binary.
  • The lsphp binary works with most systems’ default PATH settings.

The system default PHP configuration file

The system uses the /etc/cpanel/ea4/php.conf file to determine the system’s default PHP version and the PHP handler that each PHP version uses.

If a PHP file’s PHP version is not explicitly set, the system uses the default entry in the /etc/cpanel/ea4/php.conf file to determine which version of PHP to use.

You can set the system’s default PHP version and an individual domain’s PHP version in WHM’s MultiPHP Manager interface (WHM » Home » Software » MultiPHP Manager). You can also set the system’s default PHP version with the /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf script. For more information, read our PHP documentation.

Important:
  • If you manually edit the php.conf file, your settings may not persist.
  • If you configure a file or the system with an invalid package, the executable exits with an error message.
  • If you configure the file or system with a package that does not contain the necessary binary, the executable displays a warning message and uses the system default version of PHP.
  • If both a file’s configured version of PHP and the system default version of PHP are unavailable, the executable exits with an error.

Execute PHP files from the command line

To execute a PHP file from the command line, call the ea-php-cli binaries to ensure that the system uses the correct PHP handlers.

To call the binaries, run the one of the following commands, where filename.php represents the PHP file that you wish to execute:

  • /usr/bin/php <options> filename.php
  • /usr/local/bin/php <options> filename.php
  • /usr/bin/lsphp <options> filename.php

Your command might resemble the following example:

/usr/bin/php /home/example/public_html/domain/app/sample-file.php

The system will use the user’s configured PHP path to determine which PHP version it calls.

The first time you call one of the ea-php-cli binaries, the system creates the .ea-php-cli.cache symlink to the PHP version that the directory requires. This symlink provides a quick way for the system to determine the proper version of PHP and reads as broken by design. For example, if the PHP script requires PHP 8.1, then the symlink will point to ea-php81.

Warning:

We strongly recommend that you do not delete these symlinks. The system will recreate any broken symlinks you delete the next time that you call one of the ea-php-cli binaries.

Override the default ea-php-cli behavior

If you want to override the file’s configured version of PHP, use the /usr/bin/ea-php## symlink, where ## represents the two-digit PHP version that you wish to use. Your command might resemble the following example:

/usr/bin/ea-php81 filename.php

If you want to override the file’s configured version of PHP with a custom .ini file, run the following command, where ## represents the two-digit PHP version that you wish to use:

ea-php81 -c /custom/directory/custom-file.ini my_script.php

You can also use the --ea-reference-dir=directory option to tell the system to use the PHP version set in the specified directory. Your command might resemble the following example, where directory represents the path to the directory that you wish to reference:

/usr/bin/php --ea-reference-dir=directory /usr/local/share/whatever.php

The system passes all other options that you provide to the PHP binary.

For more information, read our About PHP documentation.

Additional Documentation