Note

This was an experiment to use prebuilt binaries on Linux and macOS, similar to how Windows installations work. The downside of this approach is its dependency on static-php-cli (slower release cadence compared to the official PHP releases); only certain PHP versions are available (not all, and RC or similar pre-releases are not supported at all); and available extensions cannot be customized. The project is in a usable state, although I personally encourage you to try verzly/mise-php instead.

PHP Releases for Linux, macOS, and Windows

This repository was created to centralize PHP releases for both Linux, macOS, and Windows, ensuring consistency and ease of access.

The Problem

PHP releases are published separately on two different platforms:

• php.net for Linux, macOS
• windows.php.net for Windows

Additionally, Windows ZIP archives follow inconsistent naming conventions, making it difficult to automate version tracking and distribution.

The Solution

This repository auto matically monitors new PHP releases and generates a executable for each version. Each release includes:

• Linux x86_64 build (built with static-php-cli bulk variant)
• Linux aarch64 build (built with static-php-cli bulk variant)
• macOS x86_64 build (built with static-php-cli bulk variant)
• macOS aarch64 build (built with static-php-cli bulk variant)
• Windows x86_64 build (built with static-php-cli spc-max variant)

Usage

The repository is compatible with ubi.

mise-en-place via ubi backend

See more: mise-en-place via `ubi` backend

It is recommended to install the binaries via mise-en-place.

[!WARNING] The ubi backend has been deprecated in newer Mise-en-Place releases; it's recommended to use the github backend instead, although it is still under development.

# Latest PHP major
mise use ubi:verzly/php@latest

# Latest PHP 8 minor, patch
mise use ubi:verzly/php@8

# Latest PHP 8.4 patch
mise use ubi:verzly/php@8.4

# Only PHP 8.4.3 patch
mise use ubi:verzly/php@8.4.3

# Check installed PHP versions
mise ls ubi:verzly/php

# Change globally selected PHP version
mise use -g ubi:verzly/php@8 # or latest or 8.4 or 8.4.3

# Check current PHP version
php --version

mise-en-place via github backend (Recommended)

It is recommended to install the binaries via mise-en-place.

Install it as a PHP alias to avoid constantly using the long backend reference. It's important to set the alias before installing the first PHP version; otherwise, mise ls will list your PHP versions in two separate entries (it won't handle the original name and the alias together).

mise plugin rm php
mise config set tool_alias.php github:verzly/php

# Latest PHP major
mise use php@latest

# Latest PHP 8 minor, patch
mise use php@8

# Latest PHP 8.4 patch
mise use php@8.4

# Only PHP 8.4.3 patch
mise use php@8.4.3

# Check installed PHP versions
mise ls php

# Change globally selected PHP version
mise use -g php@8.4.3

# Check current PHP version
php --version

Download Releases

You can find all available versions in the Releases Section.

Missing a Version?

If you notice a missing release or any issues with the packages, please open an issue to let us know.

Upgrade via Mise-en-Place

One of the most powerful features of mise is how it handles version resolutions. Instead of hardcoding a specific (patch) release, you can reference major/minor versions. By referencing only the major version, you ensure that you always have the latest features and security patches within that release cycle, without manually downloading new binaries.

• php@8: Points to the latest stable v8.x.x.
• php@8.4: Points to the latest stable v8.4.x.

This is particularly useful because PHP 8.x is a significant architectural shift. You can keep your PHP 8.3 projects stable while exploring PHP 8.4 features, and mise will manage the "latest" for both simultaneously.

How mise upgrades packages

mise doesn't just "install and forget". It allows you to keep your binaries fresh with simple commands. To see if a newer version is available for your pinned major version:

mise outdated

If you are using @8 and PHP releases 8.4.18, you can upgrade simply by running:

# Upgrades all managed tools to their latest resolved version
mise upgrade

# Upgrade only PHP
mise upgrade php

Advanced configuration

Per-project versioning

If you have an older project that requires PHP 8.1, simply run this inside the project folder:

mise use php@8.1

This creates a .mise.toml file. Every time you enter this folder, mise will ensure the php command points to 8.1, while the rest of your system stays on 8.x.x.

Composer for PHP

In the case of Composer, it is very rare to require different versions. Therefore, instead of collecting multiple versions, we can install the official Composer using a single script without any extra steps.

Linux & macOS

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/verzly/php/master/composer/install.sh)

Windows

powershell -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/verzly/php/master/composer/install.ps1'))"

To update or install a specific version, we can use Composer's built-in self-update command:

# Latest Composer major
composer self-update

# Latest Composer 2 minor, patch
composer self-update 2

# Latest Composer 2.7 patch
composer self-update 2.7

# Only Composer 2.7.9 patch
composer self-update 2.7.9

# Roll back to the previous version
composer self-update --rollback

# Update to latest preview/RC version
composer self-update --preview

# Update to latest snapshot/development version
composer self-update --snapshot

# Check current Composer version
composer --version