Installing PHP 8.3 on RHEL-based Systems: A Step-by-Step Guide

PHP stands as a cornerstone of web development, a versatile scripting language and interpreter renowned for its open availability and prevalent use on Linux-based web servers. Keeping your PHP installation up-to-date is crucial for performance, security, and access to the latest features. This guide walks you through the process of installing PHP 8.3 on your Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) based system, leveraging the EPEL and REMI repositories for a streamlined experience.

Adding the EPEL and REMI Repositories

To gain access to a wider range of software packages, including the latest PHP versions, we'll add the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) and the Remi Community Repository (REMI) to your system's package manager. Execute the following commands in your terminal:

Bash

sudo dnf install https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-8.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf -y install https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.2.rpm

Note: The dnf command is the package manager used in modern RHEL-based systems like CentOS, Fedora, and AlmaLinux. The -y flag automatically confirms the installation, so proceed with caution.

Installing Yum Utilities

The yum-utils package provides a collection of helpful utilities for managing your DNF repositories and packages. Install it using the following command:

Bash

sudo dnf -y install yum-utils

While the command mentions yum, it's often a symbolic link to dnf on newer systems, so this command works seamlessly.

Enabling the PHP 8.3 Remi Repository

The REMI repository offers more recent PHP versions than the default RHEL repositories. To enable the PHP 8.3 stream from REMI, you'll first need to reset any active PHP modules and then enable the specific PHP 8.3 module:

Bash

sudo dnf module reset php
sudo dnf module install php:remi-8.3

The dnf module reset php command ensures a clean slate by disabling any previously enabled PHP modules. Following this, dnf module install php:remi-8.3 activates the PHP 8.3 module provided by the REMI repository.

With these steps completed, your system is now configured to install PHP 8.3 and its associated packages from the REMI repository. You can now proceed to install PHP 8.3 and any extensions you require using the dnf install php php-<extension-name> command.