Will cPanel keep PHP 5.2 support in Easy Apache?

[Kent Brockman]

Hello there, I have hundreds of accounts with websites capable of running PHP 5.2.17 but still not completely compatible with PHP 5.4, and the migration are not as quick as we'd like to be. As this scenario is shared with several thousand sysadmins around the world, I just want to know if cPanel will continue allowing to deploy php 5.2.17 with easy apache, and till when we can expect this support to keep up.
Thank you!

 

[JaredR.]

PHP 5.2.9 and 5.2.17 are marked as "end of life" and "deprecated", respectively, so they will eventually be removed from EasyApache. There is no timeframe right now for when this will happen, and I am not aware of plans to remove them in the near future, but we apply these labels in EasyApache to give you plenty of notice that they will not always be available in EasyApache.

 

[cPanelKenneth]

The closest we have to a time frame is "sometime prior to the end of 2013." PHP 5.2.9 will disappear first.

 

[Kent Brockman]

ok, can we assume with certain safety that PHP 5.2.17 will dissapear from Easy Apache before 2014?

 

[Infopro]

I think a more important question might be, "can we assume with certain safety that those users still not up to date with their website software, should be, before 2014?" I can't answer your question, but the answer to mine is, I think, yes I hope so.

 

[nospa]

Dont remove 5.2.17 - if someone want to use it - just keep it. We are using it allong with custom patches for latest PHP 5 holes, adopted from 5.3., and everything is working well. So there is no reason to remove 5.2.17 from EA - if it is there, it should be there.

 

[Kent Brockman]

I think a more important question might be, "can we assume with certain safety that those users still not up to date with their website software, should be, before 2014?" I can't answer your question, but the answer to mine is, I think, yes I hope so.

Well, lucky you, Infopro. We are a small hosting company with 250 accounts and nearly the 80% is not ready to migrate now, and probably that amount could be reduced to 30% before 2014. Yet, 30% is not a small figure,

I'd like to propose a poll in order to let other coleagues to vote whether they have customers ready to migrate or not.

 

[SageBrian]

I have to agree with Infopro... the issue is more about the software on the websites.

I'm in the same boat, with so many clients not understanding the NEED to keep their scripts updated. And I'm at the point of giving them a deadline to upgrade or move.

The problem the clients will have is that when they move... guess what, all the newer servers won't run their old software.

I keep one old server around for these stragglers, and keep moving others to newer upgraded, more secure servers. But eventually, THEY have to upgrade.

Remember, if they had just plain old HTML sites, this wouldn't be a problem. But modern PHP interactive websites require constant updating and upkeep. It is the cost of a website.

 

[Kent Brockman]

Well, another good arguments for those who want PHP 5.2 to disappear, and I can verify it in several accounts in my side, is that i.e. if you have customers using Wordpress with lots of plugins, not every Wordpress plugin is 5.4 compatible, and they may not know or be willing to change to another option to replace old plugins. So I'm starting to sell cheap advice to those customers, in order to assure every Wordpress installation is capable of running under PHP 5.4. But, IMHO, that is the tip of the iceberg.

That's one of the good reasons for PHP 5.2 to survive one or two year more: customers not always have time to check and correct their websites' code. Others have lose contact with their developer. There are plenty of situations that make us ask PHP 5.2 support to be extended a bit more.

 

[Infopro]

Wordpress and plugins for it, are easy to update. If a couple of users are running out of date plugins, they are leaving you open to problems.

I would break a too busy to update customers site in a stone cold minute (by updating my server software) if it meant keeping all other accounts, and my server, secure.

PHP didn't just change versions over night, and this is not a new problem. PHP 5.2.0 came out in 2006.

I think Ken's comment could be read as the last warning on this topic:
"sometime prior to the end of 2013."

So, you have the rest of the year to get these users to update, or, move/leave them on an older server that you do not update.

 

[SageBrian]

or just don't update the server at all. Keep it stuck in 2012 software patches for as long as your clients need.

I have a client with a website not on my servers, but on a cheap 1&1 account. And she got an email from 1&1 telling her she will need to update any scripts she has or risk the site going down when they finally update their servers.

I think a lot of customers of the budget hosts are in for a rude awakening as the inevitable server upgrades start happening. I have seen sites running Wordpress 2.x, and some hosts still run PHP4. Budget hosts with thousands of sites on a server can't upgrade their servers with all of these patches without fear of breaking websites, but eventually the server gets upgraded or hacked and taken down.

We have to look at this as an 'education moment' for the clients, explaining to them that with all these bells and whistles come added maintenance and responsibility.

 

[Kent Brockman]

Yep, maintaining a server without updates is not an option. Losing customers neither. Looks like the inevitable awakening will make us print some nice advice and developer bills...