PHP requirement

[Elsensee]

If we use specific functions or language features which are not available in some php version, then it's okay to bump the version, but to bump the requirement so we could use some functions or language features is not okay IMHO.

I don't get it. You have to bump the requirements before you can use a new feature.

What I meant was just:

I just think our min req ver should be whatever the number truly is, based on what we are using/doing. Can't we increase it at any time if we decide to install or do something that leads to a higher requirement?

The problem is that a lot of people would like to use new features like me, but they don't because it's not necessary.

Nothing is necessary, it's just convenient.

Some stuff isn't just convenience.

[Marc]

I do now think that we should aim at PHP 5.5 for three reasons:

• People that want to use PHP < 5.5. still can use phpBB 3.1 for a while
• The chances that the remaining hosts offer PHP 5.5 or newer should highly increase once PHP 5.4 reaches EOL
• Supporting a PHP version two years after it has reached EOL might cause issues we can' think of yet

[Nicofuma]

For the record: http://phpversions.info

[MattF]

For the record: http://phpversions.info

Hmm, well according to that. Bluehost, whom we have a relationship with and advertise on phpbb.com, use 5.2 as a default with 5.4 as an option. We also advertise Hostmonster (5.4). So, just sayin' we should try to still support the hosts we advertise to our visitors (5.4)

[JoshyPHP]

I think it's more of a case of contacting them to remind them that PHP 5.4 is dead and they need to upgrade. Your advertisers are selling a potentially unsafe product to your visitors. The way to fix it is not by lowering your standards, it's the other way around.

[Lady_G]

Please consider users who are not on shared hosts. Instead, look at the latest versions supported by the OS.

The latest CentOS version is 5.4.16, I would be OK with that. I'll move to 5.5 when CentOS makes the update available.

[JoshyPHP]

For reference:

• Linux distributions with ship PHP 5.6 (Distrowatch)
• Linux distributions with ship PHP 5.5 (Distrowatch)
• Linux distributions with ship PHP 5.4 (Distrowatch)

[Lady_G]

Here's another way to slice the data - look at the server distros, which is the target platform.

• Linux distributions by server popularity

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My point is that phpBB needs to accommodate a business model whose users who can't upgrade their OS every few months.

PHP needs to support every application on the server, not just phpBB. If "other" software can't work with PHP 5.5, phpBB will not get updated until everything works together.

The objective is to cautiously increment the minimum version requirement while not breaking other (not phpBB) software. That's why I requested 5.4.16 (and that older phpBB versions will still work for a while).

[MattF]

Regarding the current (not developmental) versions of some popular server software and their PHP requirements:
Drupal: 5.2
Joomla: 5.3
Wordpress: 5.2
MediaWiki: 5.3
..and pretty much all our competitors are on at least 5.2/5.3 too.

[JoshyPHP]

My point is that phpBB needs to accommodate a business model whose users who can't upgrade their OS every few months.

PHP 5.5 has been in most Linux distros for months, maybe more than a year by the time phpBB 3.2 is released. Are there really users who upgrade their OS software every other year but want to use PHP software on the day of the release?

Regarding the current (not developmental) versions of some popular server software and their PHP requirements:
Drupal: 5.2

Old versions of Drupal run on old versions of PHP. The beta version of Drupal requires PHP 5.5.9. I didn't check the others because it would be a pointless exercise; Is it your argument that obsolete versions of PHP should be supported by new software?