EasyApache 4 was introduced in cPanel & WHM version 11.52 and has grown into a stable and mature product. As of version 58, EasyApache 4 is out of BETA and is the default for any new cPanel installation. If you aren’t familiar with EasyApache 4 yet, you can read the Announcement, read the updates from January, or watch the new intro-to-EasyApache 4 video. As a server administrator, you want to be using EasyApache 4, and I want to tell you why.
- Building with EasyApache 4 is Fast
- Updating with EasyApache 4 is Automatic
- EasyApache 4 includes PHP 7 Support
- EasyApache 4 supports multiple versions of PHP
- It’s easy to get started with EasyApache 4
Building with EasyApache 4 is Fast
The loudest and most consistent frustration we hear about EasyApache 3 is that every change you need to make requires a full recompile of Apache and PHP, and that was the first thing we wanted to fix. With EasyApache 4, we deliver Apache, PHP, and our supported PHP modules as RPMs, which means that adding a new module takes seconds. Whether in WHM or on the command line, you can provision a brand new profile in as little as 1 minute.
Updating with EasyApache 4 is Automatic
Since EasyApache 4 is all RPM-based, the operating system automatically takes care of updates for you. You will no longer be required to recompile Apache and PHP on every server for a minor PHP or Apache update. With your nightly update run, your server downloads and installs the updated packages as they are released by cPanel, patching Apache and PHP on any server effortlessly.
EasyApache 4 includes PHP7 Support
The improvements in PHP7 over PHP5 can increase the speed with which your scripts run by as much as 30-40%, but PHP7 will only be available for cPanel & WHM customers as part of EasyApache 4. We’re also already considering adding PHP 7.1, which just entered its third Alpha.
EasyApache 4 supports multiple versions of PHP
With cPanel & WHM version 58, we’re adding the ability to manage multiple PHP versions from WHM. You can set a system-wide default, manage PHP settings on a per-PHP-version basis, and define PHP versions on a per-vhost basis. Please take a look at our MultiPHP documentation, or upgrade to version 58 now to see it on your own server.
It’s easy to get started with EasyApache 4
Conversion is safe and easy to do using our simple command-line script, and the conversion process requires no additional work from you. Just a run the script, and the system installs Apache and PHP for you based on your existing EasyApache 3 profile. You won’t spend time manually selecting the PHP version or scrolling through endless interfaces to choose the PHP modules you need for your server. To get started, visit our EasyApache 4 conversion documentation https://go.cpanel.net/installEA4.
Bonus: Our EasyApache 4 RPMs are open source!
All of our EasyApache RPMs are open source and available on GitHub! Advanced users who want to customize the EasyApache 4 RPMs provided by cPanel can do so with ease!
For anyone looking to do so, you can:
- Pull down the source from Github.
- Make your adjustments (including adding patches, adjusting configurations to suit your environment, etc.)
- send those RPMs off to be built by either your own RPM build system or any other RPM builds systems.
- You can even use build.opensuse.org, which is completely free!
- Do you want to get started right now? Get to it!
EasyApache 4 is ready for you
EasyApache 4 leaves BETA in v58, but won’t be supported on CentOS 5. In case you missed it, v56 is the last to support CentOS 5. If you want the benefits of EasyApache 4, it’s time to migrate! Our Server Configuration additions to the Transfer Tool make it easier than ever!
Want Additional Information?
The cPanel Essentials Briefing List is an excellent resource for staying up-to-date about what’s going on with cPanel & WHM, and the Up Next hub is the repository for all the latest changes. We are also on our community Slack and Discord channels, our cPanel forums, and our official cPanel subreddit.
