How to Install, Upgrade PHP Version & Customize PHP Settings With xCloud Hosting?

Managing PHP versions and settings is an important part of maintaining a fast, secure, and compatible website. With xCloud Hosting, you have complete control over installing, upgrading, and customizing PHP to meet your website’s specific requirements. 

Whether you need the latest PHP features, compatibility with older versions, or optimization for performance, xCloud allows a single interface to manage it all. Follow the steps to Install, Upgrade, & Customize PHP Settings with xCloud

PHP Configuration for Server

If you want to keep default settings for your server so that all sites created under it use the same configuration, you can set a default PHP configuration for that server. When a site is created under that server, it will automatically use those settings.

Step 1: Install a PHP Version

First, go to your Server from the xCloud dashboard. Then navigate to the ‘Management’ →‘Manage PHP’ to access all the available PHP versions and manage them easily.

Under the ‘PHP Version Configurations’, get access to all available PHP versions. Choose the ‘PHP Version’ and click on the ‘Install’ button beside the version that you want to install. 

Step 2: Set a Default PHP Version

Next, to keep your installed PHP version default, simply click on the ‘Set As Default’ button and the preferred version will be set as default. 

Step 3: Configure PHP Settings

You can now easily customize your PHP as well. Just click on the three dot icon beside the version you have installed or set as default or want to configure. The following options can be modified:

1. Max Execution Time
2. Max Input Time
3. Memory Limit
4. Max File Upload Size
5. Max Input Vars
6. Post Max Size
7. Session GC Maxlifetime

Customize the options according to your preferences and click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Step 4: Enable OPCache

Enabling OPcache can significantly improve the efficiency of your PHP applications. To enable OPCache, just go to the ‘OPCache’ column from the dashboard and toggle the button to enable OPCache with just one click. 

Note: The OPCache toggle works for every installed PHP version, including PHP 8.5.

Step 5: Install PHP Security Patches

When PHP publishes a security release, you get it as a patch for the PHP version you already run, for example 8.3.35 → 8.3.36. Your sites stay on the same PHP version, so you don’t need to switch versions or change any site settings. xCloud checks every installed PHP version for a newer patch and lets you install it with one click.

Check for patches. On the ‘Manage PHP’ page, xCloud checks for patches automatically when you open it, if the last check was more than 24 hours ago. To check right away, click ‘Scan Patch’ at the top right. ‘Last checked’ next to the button shows when the last scan ran. A scan refreshes the server’s package lists first, so it can take a minute.

Install a patch. When a patch is available, the ‘Patch’ column shows the installed version and the new one, for example 8.3.35 → 8.3.36. A dash means no newer build is available for your server. On Ubuntu 22.04 or newer, that means the version is up to date. On Ubuntu 20.04, it means no more patches are published for that server at all, so a dash there does not mean patched. See why your Ubuntu version decides which PHP you get.

To install it:

1. Click the three dot icon in the row of the PHP version that has a patch.
2. Click ‘Update to 8.3.36’ (the version number matches the patch shown).
3. Click ‘Yes, Update!’ to confirm.

The update runs in the background and takes a few minutes. When it finishes, you see ‘PHP 8.3 updated successfully’ and the ‘Patch’ column shows a dash again. Repeat the steps for each installed PHP version that shows a patch.

Patching happens per server: one update covers every site on that server that uses that PHP version. If you manage several servers, patch each one.

During the update, xCloud upgrades the PHP packages for that version and the extensions it installed with it, then reloads NGINX or OpenLiteSpeed. PHP-FPM restarts as part of the upgrade, so on busy sites choose a quiet time.

Note: Patches work the same way on NGINX and OpenLiteSpeed servers. A patch appears only after the package repository publishes the new build (Ondřej Surý’s PHP packages on NGINX, LiteSpeed’s own PHP packages on OpenLiteSpeed). This can take a few hours or more after a release on php.net, and the two stacks don’t always get it at the same time. If nothing shows right after an announcement, click ‘Scan Patch’ again later.

Install PHP Patches Automatically

By default, a server’s automated security updates install Ubuntu’s security updates, not PHP patch releases. To have the server install PHP patches on its own:

1. Go to your server and open ‘Security’ → ‘Security Update’.
2. Turn on ‘Managed Service Updates’.
3. Pick an ‘Update Time’ and click ‘Save Settings’.

The server then installs patch releases for the services xCloud installed, including PHP, once a day at that time. The ‘Components on this server’ list on the same page shows each service and whether it is up to date. Services restart when they update, so choose a quiet time for your sites. You can still install an urgent patch immediately with ‘Scan Patch’ and ‘Update to’.

To learn more about automated updates, read How Automated Security Updates and Auto Reboot Work in xCloud.

Step 6: Uninstall PHP Versions You No Longer Use

Every PHP version installed on a server needs its own security patches, even if no site uses it. Old, unused versions, especially end-of-life ones such as PHP 8.1, 8.0 or 7.4, add risk and nothing else. Removing them leaves fewer versions to keep patched.

1. Go to your server and open ‘Management’ → ‘Manage PHP’.
2. On the version you want to remove, click the three-dot icon and choose ‘Uninstall’.
3. Confirm with ‘Yes, Uninstall!’. This cannot be undone. You can install the version again later from the same page, as long as your server’s Ubuntu version still offers it (see the PHP versions compatibility table). On Ubuntu 20.04, only PHP 7.4 can be installed again.

xCloud only uninstalls a version that nothing depends on:

• Sites still use it? xCloud shows a ‘Sites Using PHP’ list instead of uninstalling. Switch those sites to a supported version first under Site → Site Settings → PHP Configurations, then try again.
• It’s the server’s default? Set another version as the default (Step 2) before uninstalling it.
• PHP 8.3 can’t be uninstalled for now while a compatibility issue is being fixed.

Tip: before you uninstall an old version, move its sites to PHP 8.3 or newer and test them on a staging site first.

PHP Configuration for Sites

With xCloud, you can also manage your site’s PHP settings separately. Just go to your site, navigate to the ‘Site Settings’ option in the sidebar. You can manage your PHP settings for these sites easily. 

👉 To learn more about PHP settings for your site**,** read this documentation

Currently Supported PHP Version in xCloud Hosting

With xCloud Hosting, you can select from a wide range of PHP versions to match your website’s specific needs, whether you require compatibility with older versions or want to use the latest features.

Available PHP versions depend on your server’s stack, Ubuntu version and CPU. See the PHP version compatibility table. New sites use PHP 8.3 by default.

You can also add and connect freshly installed Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04 LTS x64 servers from any provider to xCloud, with full support for both NGINX and OLS stacks. Ubuntu 20.04 servers are no longer accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to change my site’s PHP version to get a PHP security patch?

No. A security patch is a newer release of the same PHP version, for example 8.3.35 to 8.3.36. Your sites stay on the version they use now. Install the patch from Management → Manage PHP on the server.

Are PHP security patches installed automatically?

Not by default. Automated security updates install Ubuntu’s security updates. To have the server install PHP patch releases on its own, turn on ‘Managed Service Updates’ under Security → Security Update on the server.

Does PHP patching work on OpenLiteSpeed servers?

Yes. The Scan Patch button, the Update action and the automatic option work on both NGINX and OpenLiteSpeed servers. OpenLiteSpeed servers use LiteSpeed’s own PHP packages, so a patch can appear there at a different time than on NGINX servers.

Why doesn’t a patch show up right after PHP announces a release?

xCloud installs PHP from package repositories, and a patch appears only after the repository publishes the new build. This can take a few hours or more after the release on php.net. Click ‘Scan Patch’ again later.

Should I remove PHP versions I no longer use?

Yes. Every installed PHP version needs its own security patches, so an unused version is extra work and extra risk. Go to Management → Manage PHP, open the three-dot menu on the version, and choose Uninstall. xCloud blocks the uninstall while any site still uses that version.

Why can’t I uninstall a PHP version?

xCloud does not uninstall a version that is the server’s default or that any site still uses. Switch those sites to another version and set a different default first. PHP 8.3 uninstall is also temporarily unavailable while a compatibility issue is fixed.

If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to reach out to our support team for assistance.