[post] How to install old or new PHP on non-LTS Ubuntu

first-run.sh

@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ cp .env.dist .env
 
 chgrp -R www-data database
 chmod -R g+rw database
-mkdir -p storage/framework/{cache,sessions,views}
+mkdir -p storage/framework/cache
+mkdir -p storage/framework/sessions
+mkdir -p storage/framework/views
 
 # create the manifest.json file
 yarn build

resources/blog/posts/2025/2025-04-25-how-to-install-old-or-new-php-on-non-lts-ubuntu.md

@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+---
+id: 77
+title: "How to install old or new PHP on non-LTS Ubuntu"
+perex: |
+    Legacy projects can be upgraded in 2 directions - PHP-wise and infrastructure-wise. We can get a new Ubuntu 25 but still have to run old PHP.
+
+    The same goes for upgrading a legacy project. Locally, we use Ubuntu 25, but we work on a project that uses PHP 7.2.
+
+    By default, Ubuntu releases ship only one PHP version. Often we need one of the other ~10 versions. How do we run old or new PHP on the latest Ubuntu?
+---
+
+*This post extends [reply on Github issue](https://github.com/oerdnj/deb.sury.org/issues/1662#issuecomment-2823699313), to give it more visibility. Based on comments and SO struggles, many developers give up after reading too many misleading solutions:*
+
+<img src="/assets/images/blog/2025/give-up.png" class="img-thumbnail">
+
+*Don't fret. There is a way.*
+
+<br>
+
+*Disclaimer: do this cautiously, preferably on a local dev machine rather than production, to keep the risk of conflicts low.*
+
+<br>
+
+A typical solution is to add an external repository with all the old PHP versions.
+This repository is maintained by [Ondrej Sury](https://github.com/sponsors/oerdnj), who has maintained it since the beginning of PHP times.
+
+```bash
+sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
+sudo apt install ppa-purge
+sudo ppa-purge ppa:ondrej/php
+```
+
+<br>
+
+Then reload dependencies:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get update
+sudo apt-get upgrade
+```
+
+<br>
+
+
+And we can install our desired PHP version:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get install php7.4 php7.4-curl
+```
+
+This worked very well for years. Until 2021.
+
+<br>
+
+## Ubuntu non-LTS no longer supported
+
+Maintaining these packages comes at a great cost. PHP is released once a year. Ubuntu has 2-3 releases a year, this adds to maintenance cost and time, adding to server costs.
+
+We sponsored (PHP 8.1 release)[https://github.com/oerdnj/deb.sury.org/issues/1439#issuecomment-705552989] to help a bit:
+
+<img src="/assets/images/blog/2025/rector-support.png" class="img-thumbnail">
+
+But it wasn't enough. There is still [a way to sponsor Ondrej](https://github.com/sponsors/oerdnj) if you want to help out regularly.
+
+This and probably other reasons lead to narrowing [support only to Ubuntu LTS releases](https://github.com/oerdnj/deb.sury.org/issues/1662).
+
+<br>
+
+That means only once every 2 years, without the x.10 improved version:
+
+* 24.04 (released in 2024)
+* 26.04 (will be in 2026)
+
+<img src="/assets/images/blog/2025/ubuntu-releases.png" class="img-thumbnail">
+
+<br>
+
+## Downgrade to LTS or wait 2 years?
+
+If you're working on an upgrade, downgrading the server would be a bit counterproductive. In the same way, using old PHP and waiting for 2 years to use another outdated PHP version would not help.
+
+So how do we get the PHP version we want without being limited by the LTS Ubuntu release cycle?
+
+
+
+## Fake it till you make it
+
+If we try to install e.g. PHP 8.2 on Ubuntu 25, we get the following error:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get install php8.2
+E: Package 'php-82' has no installation candidate
+```
+
+<br>
+
+We already added the repository above, but still get errors.
+
+* That's because there is no package list to **match our Ubuntu 25 codename - "plucky"** (it's the first word of the release name, lowercase).
+* Yet, there is a package list that matches the LTS Ubuntu 24.04 codename - "noble".
+
+<br>
+
+Let's pretend we use the LTS Ubuntu 24.04:
+
+```bash
+# edit sources file
+nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ondrej-ubuntu-php-plucky.sources
+```
+
+<br>
+
+Change our codename:
+
+```diff
+-suites: x
++suites: noble
+```
+
+Save, and update packages:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get update
+```
+
+<br>
+
+Now, let's give it a try:
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get install php8.2
+
+...
+
+Get:1 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu noble/main amd64 php8.2-amqp amd64 2.1.2-5+ubuntu24.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 [59.1 kB]
+Selecting previously unselected package php8.2.
+(Reading database ... 276942 files and directories currently installed.)
+Preparing to unpack .../php8.2.1.2-5+ubuntu24.04.1+deb.sury.org+1_amd64.deb ...
+Unpacking php8.2 (2.1.2-5+ubuntu24.04.1+deb.sury.org+1) ...
+Setting up php8.2 (2.1.2-5+ubuntu24.04.1+deb.sury.org+1) ...
+```
+
+Package installs successfully, yay!
+
+That's it. Now we have PHP 8.2 installed on our local Ubuntu 25. Once PHP 8.5 is out, we can it too.
+
+<br>
+
+Happy coding!