Web Hosting - Environment, PHP version, .ovhconfig

Objective

The OVHcloud Web Hosting offers allow you to host your websites, provided they are compatible with the configuration of our shared infrastructure.

Editing the php.ini file is not available on Web Hosting plans. This is because the PHP configuration is global to the entire shared infrastructure. However, on our shared infrastructure, you can modify the following settings for your web hosting plan:

• Runtime environment
• PHP version
• PHP runtime environment
• Application firewall
• Runtime mode

These configuration settings can be modified in two ways:

• In your OVHcloud Control Panel
• In the FTP storage space of your OVHcloud web hosting plan using a file named ".ovhconfig"

In short, changing your Web Hosting plan’s configuration from the OVHcloud Control Panel, or changing the values in the .ovhconfig file is the same as doing the same.

Summary

• 1 - Description of configuration settings available on OVHcloud web hosting plans
• 2 - Method 1: Modify the web hosting plan configuration in the OVHcloud Control Panel
• 3 - Method 2: Modify the web hosting plan configuration in the ".ovhconfig" file
• 4 - Advanced use of .ovhconfig files

Find out how to modify a web hosting plan’s runtime environment, PHP version, application firewall, engine, mode and .ovhconfig file.

Requirements

• An OVHcloud web hosting plan, with the exception of a Cloud Web hosting plan

OVHcloud Control Panel Access

• Direct link: Web hosting
• Navigation path: Web Cloud > Hosting plans > Select your web hosting plan

Instructions

1 - Description of the configuration settings available on OVHcloud web hosting plans

Before you begin, please find the technical description below for each of the settings that you can modify on OVHcloud web hosting plans.

1.1 - Runtime environments

Runtime environments contain a set of programming languages. Depending on the chosen runtime environment, the languages are available in more or less advanced versions. The purpose of these environments is to allow you to correctly run the files that make up your website, in line with your technical needs.

OVHcloud web hosting plans offer 3 runtime environments: Legacy, Stable and Stable64. Below are the elements contained in our different runtime environments:

1.2 - PHP versions

PHP is a dynamic programming language used to build websites. For your website, depending on its age, the updates made, and certain variables required for it to work properly, you may need to change the PHP version it uses.

There are several versions of the PHP programming language. Version upgrades provide various patches and add or remove features. OVHcloud offers the latest major versions of PHP, a list of which can be found here.

Some PHP versions only work with certain runtime environments. Below are the PHP versions available on OVHcloud web hosting plans and compatible runtime environments:

Although OVHcloud manages the installation of the latest PHP versions on its servers, you are responsible for ensuring that your website is always up-to-date and compatible with the latest PHP versions. There are two ways of doing this, depending on which website you are using:

Case 1: You are using a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla!, PrestaShop or Drupal:

• Consult the official documentation created by the publisher of the CMS you are using.
• Take note of the information concerning the technical requirements for your CMS to work, as well as the changes you need to make in order to update it.
• If necessary, update your CMS by ensuring that the new version is compatible with OVHcloud web hostings.

Case 2: You are using a website based on a custom solution:

• Contact the webmaster who created the website.
• Use the official PHP documentation, which provides more information on version migrations.
• If necessary, update your website’s code, ensuring that it remains compatible with OVHcloud web hostings.

You can find out which PHP version is currently used by your web hosting plan in two ways:

• In the OVHcloud Control Panel: Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, then go to the Web Cloud section. In the left-hand column, click Hosting plans, then select the Web Hosting plan concerned. In the General information tab, find the version below Global PHP version.

• Via a script: Create a .php script containing only the following code:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Put it online by placing it in your FTP storage space, then call it by accessing its full address/URL.

1.3 - PHP runtime environments

PHP runtime software applications are programs that allow you to perform actions on the web server in a given way. Generally, this setting is modified to influence the speed at which requests generated by visitors to your website are executed.

On OVHcloud web hosting plans, we offer 2 PHP runtime environments: php (PHP-FPM) and phpcgi.

By choosing the php engine, you can enable or disable the PHP accelerator (PHP-FPM). This has been adapted to suit our infrastructure, with the aim of speeding up the execution speed of PHP scripts.

The phpcgi engine executes requests “in series”, unlike the php (PHP-FPM) engine, which executes them “in parallel”.

In comparison, the PHP accelerator (PHP-FPM) offers up to seven times faster performance than the phpcgi engine.

1.4 - Application firewall

A firewall is a security tool that filters incoming requests to your web hosting. On our web hosting plans, this configuration option can only be enabled or disabled. Changing the firewall rules is not possible.

Please refer to our guide “Activating the application firewall” for more details on this topic.

1.5 - Execution modes

The execution modes allow you to manage the cache behaviour of your website's static files (images, for example) as well as the processing of PHP errors (generally useful, for example when your website displays a blank page).

There are 2 modes that you can enable: Production and Development.

Now that you know the different editable settings for your OVHcloud Web Hosting plan, learn about the two methods for changing these settings.

2 - Method 1: Modify the web hosting plan configuration via the OVHcloud Control Panel

2.1 - Access Web Hosting plan configuration management

Click on the tabs below to view each of the 3 steps.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, then go to the Web Cloud section.

Click the Hosting plans menu, then select the web hosting plan concerned.

In the Configuration box, you will see the address under Global PHP version.

On the right-hand side of Global PHP version located almost in the center of the page, click the ... button, then Modify configuration.

Info

If the Modify configuration button is greyed out, it may be that the Global PHP version is being verified. If this is the case, a blue round symbol will appear next to the version, indicating that a check is in progress. Wait a few minutes for the Modify configuration button to become accessible again.

If the Global PHP version option does not appear in your OVHcloud Control Panel, check that the .ovhconfig file exists in the FTP root of your OVHcloud web hosting plan.

Find all the information about the .ovhconfig file in the third part “Method 2: Modify your Web Hosting plan’s configuration with the “.ovhconfig” file” of this guide.

2.2 - Modify your web hosting plan’s configuration

In the window that pops up, you can choose between two options. Select the one that corresponds to the action you want to carry out, then click Next.

Once you are ready, click Confirm to apply the modification. Wait a few moments for the process to complete.

3 - Method 2: Modify the web hosting plan configuration with the ".ovhconfig" file

3.1 - Log in to your web hosting plan’s FTP storage space

You will need your primary FTP username, its password, and the FTP server address.

Click on the tabs below to view each of the 4 steps.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, then go to the Web Cloud section.

Click the Hosting plans menu, then select the Web Hosting plan concerned.

On the page that pops up, click on the FTP - SSH tab.

Here, you will find the information you need to log in.

For the FTP user password, please refer to our guide on Modifying an FTP user password if necessary.

3.2 - Create or open the .ovhconfig file

Once you have logged in to your FTP storage space, you can view all of the files currently hosted on it. Inside the root directory of your hosting (which is indicated by a /) you should find the .ovhconfig file.

There are two ways of doing this:

• The .ovhconfig file is there: Download it to your device. Make a copy of it before editing it. This will allow you to restore the original file if necessary.
• The .ovhconfig file does not exist: Create a file on your own device and name it ".ovhconfig".

3.3 - Edit the contents of the ".ovhconfig" file

You can open and edit the .ovhconfig file with any common text editor. The content of your ".ovhconfig" file must have a code format as in the following example:

app.engine=php
app.engine.version=8.0

http.firewall=none
environment=production

container.image=stable64

Customise the values of the variables depending on the configuration you want to use with your web hosting plan.

For detailed explanations of these settings, refer to the first part “Description of the configuration settings available on OVHcloud web hosting plans” of this guide.

You can verify the detailed technical description of the .ovhconfig file below:

; ovhconfig
;
; this file must be placed in $HOME/.ovhconfig or in $DOCUMENT_ROOT/.ovhconfig

; __app.engine__
;
; values: php (php engine + opcache accelerator)
; notice: if php, a phpcgi engine will be activated as fallback (if previous engine crash)
;
;   php:
;       IMPORTANT: register_globals and magic_quotes_gpc are off for security
;       php optiones .htaccess (like php version) are ignored
;   phpcgi:
;       IMPORTANT this is a fallback to previous system
;       in this case __app.engine.version__ will be considerated as AUTO and php version will be old system
;       (meaning depending .htaccess or .phpX extension)
;
app.engine=php

; __app.engine.version__ specify version of your engine
;
; for php:
;   default: 8.0
; for phpcgi:
;   this options is ignored (= fallback in AUTO)
;
app.engine.version=8.0

; __http.firewall__ used to add application firewall  (filter http requests)
;
; values: none | security
; default: none
;
http.firewall=none

; __environment__
;
; values: production | development
;
;   production:
;       apache will maximise local cache
;       mod_expires will grow up TTL of js, css, pdf, images, video, audio
;       you can override it changing expiration explicitly in your .htaccess
;       feel free to look on our guide.
;   development:
;       no expiration is added, files are not locally in cache,
;       will speed up tests but decrease performances
;
; choosen environment will also be available in your variable ENVIRONMENT unix env
;
; default: production
;
environment=production

; __container.image__
;
; values: legacy | stable | stable64
;
container.image=stable64

3.4 - Upload the ".ovhconfig" file to the storage space

Once you have modified the .ovhconfig file, upload it to your FTP storage space. Connect to your FTP storage space and go to the root of your FTP storage space (which is indicated by a /). Upload the .ovhconfig file you have just edited to your FTP storage space. If the file already exists, replace it.

4 - Advanced use of .ovhconfig files

If you are using your web hosting to host multiple websites, there may be various reasons why you want to use a different PHP version for some of your websites.

Create a ".ovhconfig" file containing the desired PHP version for the relevant website or websites. Refer to the section "3.3 - Modify the contents of the ".ovhconfig" file" in this guide for assistance if needed. When you upload the ".ovhconfig" file to your FTP storage space, do so in the root folder where the files that make up the relevant website are located. You can find the root folder of your website from your OVHcloud Control Panel in the Multisite tab of the relevant hosting.

If needed, consult our guide detailing how to configure a website on a web hosting.

Go further

Log in to your Web Hosting plan’s storage space

For specialised services (SEO, development, etc.), contact OVHcloud partners.

If you would like assistance using and configuring your OVHcloud solutions, please refer to our support offers.

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