• Halloween is coming! To celebrate the occasion, we dusted off a couple of old skins, and even created a brand new one (Pixel).
    To get into the festive spirit, install the Skins extension.
  • The new Python extension is now available. It allows customers to deploy and manage WSGI-based Python applications on their websites directly from Plesk.
  • The Plesk Mobile apps for iOS and Android and the Plesk Mobile Center extension have been deprecated, and are no longer available for new installations. In Plesk Obsidian 18.0.84, the Plesk Mobile Center extension will be removed from servers during the upgrade, and the Plesk Mobile apps will lose their server management features.
  • The Social Login extension has been deprecated and will be removed in Plesk Obsidian 18.0.84. After that, it will no longer be possible to log in to Plesk with a Google, Facebook, GitHub account, or with a passkey. Plesk usernames and passwords, as well as logging in with a WebPros Account, are not affected.

Question Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04: Can PHP 5.6 from Ondřej Surý PPA be installed safely as a custom PHP handler?

L

Lordvardus

New Pleskian
Hello,

I am running Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal) and would like to add PHP 5.6 as an additional PHP handler, so that I can select it for legacy websites in Plesk.

Plesk currently offers PHP versions from 7.0 to 8.5, but PHP 5.6 is not available in the Plesk installer.

I found PHP 5.6.40 packages in the Ondřej Surý PHP PPA:

5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1

However, when I simulate installing the packages, APT wants to upgrade libpcre3 from the Ubuntu version 2:8.39-12ubuntu0.1 to the PPA version 2:8.45-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1.

The PHP packages require libpcre3 >= 2:8.41, so keeping the currently installed Ubuntu version results in unmet dependencies.

The simulation shows no packages being removed, but I am concerned about compatibility with Plesk and its components, which also use libpcre3.

My questions are:

  1. Is it safe to upgrade libpcre3 to the version from the Ondřej Surý PPA on a Plesk server running Ubuntu 20.04?
  2. Could this break Plesk components, Apache, ModSecurity, or other system services?
  3. Is there a recommended way to install PHP 5.6 as a custom PHP-FPM handler in Plesk without replacing system libraries?
  4. Is there an officially supported or community-tested alternative for running PHP 5.6 with Plesk?
I understand that PHP 5.6 is end-of-life and intend to use it only for legacy applications.

I would appreciate advice from anyone who has tested this setup.

Plesk Obsidian 18.0.82.1
OS version: Ubuntu 20.04 x86_64
Build date: 2026/10/27 17:00

Thank you!
 
Code: 
 sudo apt-get -s install \
> php5.6-cli php5.6-fpm php5.6-cgi \
> php5.6-mysql php5.6-curl php5.6-gd \
php5.6-mbstring php5.6-xml php5.6-zip php5.6-intl
Paketlisten werden gelesen... Fertig
Abhängigkeitsbaum erstellen
Informationen zum Bundesstaat werden gelesen... Fertig.
Die folgenden Pakete wurden automatisch installiert und werden nicht mehr benötigt:
  dconf-gsettings-backend dconf-service gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 glib-networking glib-networking-common glib-networking-services
  gsettings-desktop-schemas libappstream4 libdconf1 libglib2.0-bin libgstreamer1.0-0 libpackagekit-glib2-18 libproxy1v5 libsoup2.4-1
  libstemmer0d packagekit packagekit-tools python3-requests-unixsocket python3-software-properties unattended-upgrades
Verwenden Sie 'sudo apt autoremove', um sie zu entfernen.
Folgende zusätzliche Pakete werden installiert:
  libpcre3 libzip4 php5.6-common php5.6-json php5.6-opcache php5.6-readline
Folgende NEUE Pakete werden installiert:
  libzip4 php5.6-cgi php5.6-cli php5.6-common php5.6-curl php5.6-fpm php5.6-gd php5.6-intl php5.6-json php5.6-mbstring php5.6-mysql
  php5.6-opcache php5.6-readline php5.6-xml php5.6-zip
Folgende Pakete werden aktualisiert:
  libpcre3
1 aktualisiert, 15 neu installiert, 0 zu entfernen und 39 nicht aktualisiert.
Inst libpcre3 [2:8.39-12ubuntu0.1] (2:8.45-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf libpcre3 (2:8.45-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst libzip4 (1.7.3-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+2 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-common (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-json (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-opcache (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-readline (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-cli (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-cgi (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-curl (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-fpm (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-gd (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-intl (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-mbstring (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-mysql (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-xml (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Inst php5.6-zip (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf libzip4 (1.7.3-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+2 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-common (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-json (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-opcache (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-readline (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-cli (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-cgi (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-curl (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-fpm (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-gd (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-intl (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-mbstring (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-mysql (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-xml (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])
Conf php5.6-zip (5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 PPA für PHP:20.04/focal [amd64])

Code: 
apt-cache show php5.6-cli php5.6-fpm php5.6-cgi \
> | grep -E '^(Package|Version|Depends):'
Paket: php5.6-cli
Version: 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
Abhängigkeiten: libedit2 (>= 2.11-20080614-4), libpcre3 (>= 2:8.41), media-types | mime-support, php5.6-common (= 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1), php5.6-json, php5.6-opcache, php5.6-readline, tzdata, ucf, libc6 (>= 2.29), libssl1.1 (>= 1.1.0), libxml2 (>= 2.8.0), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4)
Paket: php5.6-fpm
Version: 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
Abhängigkeiten: libpcre3 (>= 2:8.41), media-types | mime-support, php5.6-cli, php5.6-common (= 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1), php5.6-json, php5.6-opcache, procps, systemd | systemd-tmpfiles, tzdata, ucf, libacl1 (>= 2.2.23), libapparmor1 (>= 2.7.0~beta1+bzr1772), libc6 (>= 2.29), libssl1.1 (>= 1.1.0), libsystemd0, libxml2 (>= 2.8.0), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4)
Paket: php5.6-cgi
Version: 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
Abhängigkeiten: libpcre3 (>= 2:8.41), media-types | mime-support, php5.6-cli, php5.6-common (= 5.6.40-81+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1), php5.6-json, php5.6-opcache, tzdata, ucf, libc6 (>= 2.29), libssl1.1 (>= 1.1.0), libxml2 (>= 2.8.0), zlib1g (>= 1:1.1.4)

Code: 
apt-cache policy libpcre3
libpcre3:
  Installiert: 2:8.39-12ubuntu0.1
  Kandidat: 2:8.45-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
  Versionstabelle:
     2:8.45-1+ubuntu20.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 500
        500 https://ondrej-ppa-php.program-language.mirror.naxonet.net/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Pakete
 *** 2:8.39-12ubuntu0.1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/main amd64 Pakete
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/main amd64 Pakete
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2:8.39-12build1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TorbHo
Issue PHP TuxCare System Updates: ALT-PHP packages held back due to PHP-FPM dependency conflicts
Replies
4
Views
1K
mow
M
S
Question sw-engine fix for CVE-2026-109618/109619 on Plesk 18.0.72 (Ubuntu 18.04)?
Replies
3
Views
742
WSNHosting
WSNHosting
V
Issue Webmail (Roundcube) returns 500 error due to forced OS PHP 7.4 FastCGI instead of Plesk PHP handler
Replies
10
Views
6K
Sebahat.hadzhi
Sebahat.hadzhi
TorbHo
Question Can TuxCare ELS install older PHP versions on a new Plesk server?
Replies
10
Views
9K
TorbHo
TorbHo
danami
Resolved Plesk PHP packages built with older libavif which breaks yum updates
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sebahat.hadzhi
Sebahat.hadzhi
Back
Top