View Categories

How to Update PHP Version to 8.1 in CyberPanel (From 7.3, 7.4, or 8.0)

📖 Introduction

CyberPanel is a powerful web hosting control panel powered by OpenLiteSpeed. Each website (virtual host or “vHost”) in CyberPanel has its own configuration file that specifies which version of PHP it uses.

When a new PHP version like 8.1 is installed, CyberPanel does not automatically update vHost configurations. If your sites are still using older versions like PHP 7.3, 7.4, or 8.0, you’ll need to manually update these configurations to point to PHP 8.1.

This guide explains how to update the PHP path for all virtual hosts using command-line tools and includes backup and rollback instructions for safety.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide

🔍 Identify vHosts Using Old PHP Versions

Before making any changes, identify which vHost config files are using outdated PHP versions:

grep -r path /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf | grep lsphp73
grep -r path /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf | grep lsphp74
grep -r path /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf | grep lsphp80

✅ What This Does:

  • Scans all virtual host configuration files (vhost.conf) under /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/
  • Looks for entries specifying the path to lsphp73, lsphp74, or lsphp80, which indicate PHP 7.3, 7.4, or 8.0 is being used.

🗃️ Backup Virtual Host Configurations

Before modifying anything, create a backup of all vHost configuration files:

cp -prf /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/ /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts_bk

✅ What This Does:

  • Creates a full backup of all vHost configuration directories and files.
  • If anything goes wrong during the update, you can easily restore this backup.

 ✏️ Update PHP Paths in vHost Files to PHP 8.1

Now, update the configuration files to use the PHP 8.1 binary instead of the old versions:

Replace PHP 7.3 path with PHP 8.1 path

sed -i 's|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp73/bin/lsphp|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp81/bin/lsphp|g' /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf

Replace PHP 7.4 path with PHP 8.1 path

sed -i 's|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp74/bin/lsphp|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp81/bin/lsphp|g' /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf

Replace PHP 8.0 path with PHP 8.1 path

sed -i 's|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp80/bin/lsphp|/usr/local/lsws/lsphp81/bin/lsphp|g' /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf

✅ What This Does:

  • Uses sed to search and replace the old PHP binary path with the PHP 8.1 binary path in all vhost.conf files.
  • Ensures all websites that were using PHP 7.3, 7.4, or 8.0 are now using 8.1.

🔁 Restart OpenLiteSpeed to Apply Changes

Restart the OpenLiteSpeed service to load the updated configuration files:

systemctl restart lsws

✅ What This Does:

  • Applies the configuration changes.
  • Without restarting, the web server may continue using the old settings.

✅ Verify the Changes

Run this command to confirm that all virtual hosts are now pointing to PHP 8.1:

grep -r path /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf | grep lsphp81

Optional:

Also test your websites or create a phpinfo.php file in your site’s root with the following content:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Access the file in your browser to confirm that PHP 8.1 is active.

🔄 Rollback Instructions (If Needed)

If you experience issues after the upgrade, you can easily restore your previous settings:

cp -prf /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts_bk/* /usr/local/lsws/conf/vhosts/
systemctl restart lsws

📝 Additional Notes

  • This process only updates the web server PHP version, not the command-line (CLI) PHP version. If you want to change the system-wide PHP CLI version, use update-alternatives or your package manager (apt, yum, etc.).
  • Ensure that your applications are compatible with PHP 8.1 before making the switch.
  • If PHP 8.1 is not installed yet, install it via CyberPanel or the LiteSpeed script repository.