We would like to provide you with notice of an upcoming software change to all of our servers. This specifically affects anyone using PHP v8.0 currently.
Please do read this carefully as it does affect many customers and can lead to your website ceasing to work if not checked.
What are we doing?
On the 26th November this year, we will be removing PHP v8.0 from our servers as after that time it will no longer be supported.
We will be automatically switching any sites still using PHP v8.0 to PHP v8.1 instead so that they are running a supported and secure version and PHP v8.1 is the next closest with the least changes.
Why are we doing this?
As with any software, it reaches a point where the developers will no longer produce any further updates for it as they are concentrating on newer versions. PHP typically has an active lifespan of around 2 years. Once no longer supported, software is a security risk as any vulnerabilities will no longer be addressed.
As of 26th November 2023, this version of PHP will be discontinued and will no longer receive any further updates, even if a security issue is found and so for this reason we will be removing it from our servers as it will otherwise pose a security risk to both sites and our servers.
The official PHP support dates can be found here: http://php.net/supported-versions.php
How does this affect you?
If you are using a website that has PHP scripting on it (any website interactive content such as Wordpress, Joomla, vBulletin, etc) then this potentially may affect you.
For sites that only use e-mail or have plain HTML content, this will not affect your site operation in any way.
As per usual, if you are unsure if this affects you then please feel free to open a support ticket and we can check for you, however if you need us to test your site to see if this is compatible with the newer version for you, this will have a small charge associated for the development time required.
Technical differences between PHP versions are available here: https://www.php.net/manual/en/migration81.php
What do you need to do?
It is important that you check your site for compatibility yourself before opening a ticket for assistance as we normally receive a vast number of enquiries regarding this.
Firstly, check any scripts on your webspace are fully up to date. This includes the main script, plugins, themes, etc. Everything should always be kept up to date regardless to ensure the security of your site, however if you are running much older versions of any scripts then they likely will not be compatible with later versions of PHP.
To then test this, just switch your site to a newer version of PHP using the MultiPHP manager within your cPanel control panel and thoroughly test the site, making sure that everything operates correctly and no errors are generated - you should also check the site error logs. If you have any issues, you can immediately revert back to the older version of PHP whilst you then plan your next steps accordingly. Ideally, if you can then switch your site to use PHP v8.2 as this will offer a longer support duration of another two years.
If you would like more information on how easily MultiPHP operates, we have a brief video tutorial available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnldFax85w4 which explains how to use it.
When are we doing this?
We are removing PHP v8.0 on Sunday 26th November 2023 from all of our servers.
Should you have any questions regarding this work, please open a support ticket and we will be happy to advise or assist further.
Saturday, November 4, 2023
