How to Install PHP 8.4 for Nginx on AlmaLinux 9

To install PHP 8.4 on AlmaLinux 9 for Nginx, follow the steps below:

Step 1 : Update System

Before installing PHP, ensure your system is up to date:

sudo dnf update -y

Step 2 : Import PHP Remi Repository

PHP 8.4 is available through the Remi repository. Install it with:

sudo dnf install -y https://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-9.rpm

Step 3 : Check Available PHP Modules

List the available PHP versions using:

sudo dnf module list php

Step 4 : Enable PHP 8.4 from Remi Repository

Enable the PHP 8.4 module:

sudo dnf module enable php:remi-8.4 -y

Step 5 : Install PHP Core

Install PHP and its core components:

sudo dnf install -y php

Step 6 : Install Common PHP Extensions

To ensure proper functionality, install commonly used extensions:

sudo dnf install -y php-{fpm,mysqlnd,curl,gd,mcrypt,json,pear,common,xml,zip,devel,xsl,soap,bcmath,mbstring,gettext,imagick}

- php-fpm – FastCGI Process Manager, required for Nginx.

- php-cli – Allows running PHP scripts via the command line.

- php-mysqlnd – MySQL Native Driver for PHP.

- php-curl – Enables PHP to send HTTP requests.

- php-gd – Image processing extension.

- php-mcrypt – Encryption and decryption functionality.

- php-json – JSON data handling.

- php-xml – XML processing.

- php-zip – Zip archive support.

- php-bcmath – Arbitrary precision mathematics.

- php-mbstring – Multi-byte string handling.

- php-gettext – Translation support for internationalization.

- php-imagick – Image processing via ImageMagick.

Step 7 : Configure PHP-FPM for Nginx

Edit the PHP-FPM configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf

Find the following lines and change apache to nginx:

user = nginx
group = nginx

Save and exit (CTRL+X, then Y and Enter).

Step 8 : Enable and Start PHP-FPM

sudo systemctl enable php-fpm --now

Step 9 : Verify PHP Installation

Check the installed PHP version:

php -v

Step 10 : Configure Nginx to Use PHP

Edit the Nginx configuration for your domain:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/example.com.conf

Add the following block inside the server block:

location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php-fpm/www.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}

Save and exit.

Step 11 : Test Nginx Configuration

Check for syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

Step 12 : Restart Nginx

Apply the changes by restarting Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 13 : Test PHP

Create an info.php file in your website's root directory:

echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/example.com/info.php

Step 14 : Access PHP Info Page

Open your browser and visit:

http://example.com/info.php

If you see the PHP information page, PHP is successfully configured.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured PHP 8.4 with Nginx on AlmaLinux 9.