Allow user to select between PHP 4 and 5 in Cpanel

[Netmaking]

Hi guys,

I've read several post in the forums discussing how to build a setup able of running both PHP 4 and 5. However, isn't it time that for the Cpanel guys to build this kind of support into Cpanel, for instance by allowing the user to select between version 4 and 5 in Cpanel?

AFAIK, something similar was done with v. 3 and 4 back in the day.


Sincerely,

Eirik Johansen

[chirpy]

I'm not aware of any such facility in the past. The problem lies squarely with php, not cPanel, because the php developers cannot be bothered to make their language backwards compatible, which is a real sin in the coding world. Beause of that, you have to make the decision to go with one or the other, or go for one of the hacks around, which I would hope would never be a supported solution since it's hacking something that should never have been necessary.

[Netmaking]

I'm well aware of this. However, now that the damage is already done (by php), I think it would be better to try to adapt instead of trying to explain to our clients that "it's the php developers' fault".

Sincerely,

Eirik Johansen

[chirpy]

Sorry, but I fail to see how it can be anyones but the php developers fault. You only have to look at perl to see how a language (or practically any other programming language) should be developed in a modular manner with full backwards compatibility. The fact that php developers cannot be bothered (never mind not bothering to implement a security model needed for a shared hosting environment) makes them the only villains in the story.

Be that as it may, I do take your point that we as hosts and end users are lumbered with the developers shortcomings, but to me it really means explaining these facts to clients and informing them that the issue is with the porrly written and maintained language and its inability to properly integrate into a shared web hosting environment rather than anything that you've done. So, either stick with v4 or go to v5 and accept that they may have problems that cannot be resolved without recoding.

[electric]

Or offer both php4 and php5 hosting.

ie: I suspect the "solution" most hosts will eventually have is to start selling new accounts on servers with php5... If a customer wants to upgrade to php5, then they just get moved to the new server. If they want php4, then they signup on a php4 server.

Clunky, but I can see no other "way" to satisfy both sets of users who demand both php4 and php5.

[chirpy]

Or offer both php4 and php5 hosting.

ie: I suspect the "solution" most hosts will eventually have is to start selling new accounts on servers with php5... If a customer wants to upgrade to php5, then they just get moved to the new server. If they want php4, then they signup on a php4 server.

Clunky, but I can see no other "way" to satisfy both sets of users who demand both php4 and php5.

That actually makes more sense to me if you need to chase those customers that are demanding one or the other.