[GRLUG] PHP & CentOS

[Greg Folkert]

On Wed, 2014-01-22 at 19:10 -0600, L. V. Lammert wrote:
> Looking at upgrading a box from 5.4 to 6.4, .. already did the 5.4 to 5.10
> and the PHP version did not change (still 5.1.6).
> 
> Two questions:
> 
>  * Why did not the upgrade from 5.4 to 5.10 upgrade the PHP version? Using
> standard CentOS repos, ..

Because RHEL/CentOS is based on NOT CHANGING API and ABI interfaces if
at *ALL POSSIBLE* through a major release it is a STABLE RELEASE. This
means, fixes to get around security problems and bugs are carefully
considered and back ported and changes made to not change the ABI/APIs
of the Linux Version. This is called Vendor Support. Case in Point, let
us say that VMWare something was installed as a product with version 5.2
for RHEL and since CentOS is supposedly 100% API/ABI compatible it
installs using the pre-compiled Kernel Modules.

You upgrade to 5.10... along with the new kernels and have to
"vmware-config" it again. Now, I know that VMWare installed in 5.2
doesn't know about the kernel available in 5.10... but it still
supposedly works, because the API and ABI interfaces in the Kernel are
effectively the same. Though I know some key libraries changed at 5.4
making this not happen... but any newer (post RHEL/CentOS v5.3) VMware
update does work.

So, asking why an UPGRADE... which in reality it is an UPDATE... doesn't
update the PHP Version. But look at 5.10, it has a new version available
to install, but it is an updated API/ABI interfaces unlike like the
other older version.

CentOS v5.2
php-5.1.6-20.el5 (as install in 5.2)
php-5.1.6-20.el5_2.1 (from updates)

CentOS v5.4
php-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 (as installed from 5.4)
php-5.1.6-24.el5_4.5 (from updates)

CentOS v5.10
php-5.1.6-40.el5_9 (as installed with 5.10)
php-5.1.6-43.el5_10 (from updates)

Also available in CentOS 5.10
php53-5.3.3-21.el5 (as installed from 5.10)
php53-5.3.3-22.el5_10 (from updates)

This is all about Vendor Application Support until 2017, when 5.X goes
the way of 4.X did Feb, 2012 from RedHat and CentOS. They can't be
arbitrarily changing things without *SERIOUS* backlash from Vendors
supporting the OS and from customers using the OS.

>  * What will be the PHP version after upgrading from 5.10 to 6.4?

Why not look yourself and you will need to use 6.5, since that is what
is out, unless you know how to use "vault.centos.org"

First here:
http://mirrors.cmich.edu/centos/6.5/os/x86_64/Packages/
php-5.3.3-26.el6

Then here for updates
http://mirrors.cmich.edu/centos/6.5/updates/x86_64/
php-5.3.3-27.el6_5

You really should get to know your distributions and policy about these
kinds of things in them, before you keyboard smash anything as far as
upgrades. It reduces the problems you induce through just doing rote
administration tasks.

And with that, I bid you: Good day.
-- 
greg at gregfolkert.net
PGP key 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05
Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C
"Psychology helps to measure the probability that an aim is attainable."
    -- Edward Thorndike
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