Server setup requirements for WordPress installation

Other Questions Wordpress
1

I’m planning to set up WordPress on my Ubuntu 16.04 server which currently runs PHP 7.0. I checked the official documentation and noticed they recommend PHP 7.2 or higher for optimal performance, though older versions like 5.4 are still supported but not recommended.

I have a few concerns about this setup:

Compatibility with current PHP version: Will WordPress run properly on PHP 7.0 or should I expect performance issues and compatibility problems?

Impact on existing projects: I have several non-WordPress PHP applications running on this server. If I decide to upgrade PHP, will my current projects break due to deprecated features?

Package availability: Can I install PHP 7.2 directly from Ubuntu 16.04’s default repositories, or do I need to add third-party sources?

Verification methods: What’s the best way to check which PHP versions are available in my current repository setup?

Any advice on the best approach would be helpful. Should I stick with PHP 7.0 for now or is upgrading worth the potential hassle?

2

Upgrading from PHP 7.0 is advisable for your WordPress setup. While WordPress can function on that version, you will encounter performance limitations and security vulnerabilities. Furthermore, many plugins are phasing out support for PHP 7.0, which could affect your site in the future. To access PHP 7.2 or higher, you will need to add the ondrej/php PPA to your Ubuntu 16.04 server. First, execute sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php, followed by sudo apt update. You can check available PHP versions using apt-cache search php7. I recommend considering at least PHP 7.4 for improved performance and ongoing support.

3

php 7.0 is okay for wordpress, but yeah, you won’t get the speed boosts of newer versions. i always test my stuff in staging first before any big changes - it helps loads! also, ubuntu 16.04 doesn’t have the newer php versions in the default repos.