Sometimes you have to know when to call it a night and retire gracefully. PHP 5.4 goes End of Life on September 14, 2015, which means it’s time for a change. With the release of EasyApache 3.32 on September 9th, we’ll be switching to PHP 5.5 as the default PHP version for fresh installations of cPanel & WHM.  Of course, we’ll continue to ensure that your favorite modules and PHP versions are updated and compatible, as always, and try to make this as seamless as possible for you.

We’ve used PHP 5.4 as the default version of PHP for new installations since the summer of 2013, starting in EasyApache 3.20. It’s been a trusted and stable version that we could always rely on for over two years now, but the time has come to let it go. If you still require PHP 5.4, we’re not removing it entirely! You’ll still be able to run EasyApache and downgrade back to PHP 5.4 after installation.

We’ll be marking PHP 5.4 as End of Life in the EasyApache interface after September 14. The PHP development team will no longer provide any active development or security fixes after that date. Continued use of PHP 5.4 brings with it the risk of security vulnerabilities, which compounds as the version goes further and further out of date. We strongly recommend that you migrate to a newer, supported version of PHP, such as version 5.5 or 5.6. Both of these versions are available in their most updated form in the EasyApache interface.

Parting may be sweet sorrow, but the way ahead is bright!