How to install php 7.4 on Debian

17 de fevereiro de 2025

To install PHP 7.4 on Debian 12, you need to add a third-party repository because PHP 7.4 is not available in the default Debian 12 repositories (which typically include newer versions of PHP). Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any new software, update your system to ensure all existing packages are up to date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Add a Third-Party Repository for PHP 7.4

Debian 12 does not include PHP 7.4 in its default repositories, so you need to add a third-party repository like deb.sury.org (maintained by Ondřej Surý).

Install the required dependencies

sudo apt install -y lsb-release ca-certificates apt-transport-https software-properties-common curl

Add the repository

curl -sSL https://packages.sury.org/php/README.txt | sudo bash -x

Update the package list

sudo apt update

Step 3: Install PHP 7.4

Now that the repository is added, you can install PHP 7.4.

Install PHP 7.4

sudo apt install -y php7.4

Install additional PHP 7.4 modules (optional but recommended)

sudo apt install -y php7.4-cli php7.4-fpm php7.4-common php7.4-mysql php7.4-curl php7.4-gd php7.4-mbstring php7.4-xml php7.4-zip

Step 4: Verify the Installation

Check the installed PHP version to confirm the installation was successful.

php -v

You should see output similar to:

PHP 7.4.x (cli) (built: ...)

Step 5: Configure PHP (Optional)

If you installed php7.4-fpm, you may want to configure it for use with a web server like Nginx or Apache.

Edit the PHP-FPM configuration file

sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/fpm/php.ini

Restart PHP-FPM after making changes

sudo systemctl restart php7.4-fpm

Step 6: Set PHP 7.4 as the Default PHP Version (Optional)

If you have multiple PHP versions installed and want to set PHP 7.4 as the default, use the update-alternatives command.

Set PHP 7.4 as the default CLI version

sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php7.4

Verify the default PHP version

php -v

Step 7: Remove the Repository (Optional)

If you don’t plan to use the third-party repository for other purposes, you can remove it to avoid potential conflicts.

Remove the repository

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/php.list

Update the package list

sudo apt update

Notes:

Security: PHP 7.4 reached its end of life (EOL) on November 28, 2022, and no longer receives security updates. It is recommended to use a supported version of PHP (e.g., PHP 8.x) if possible.
Compatibility: Ensure that your applications are compatible with PHP 7.4 before using it in production.

By following these steps, you should have PHP 7.4 successfully installed on Debian 12.