[BlueOnyx:25545] Re: AlmaLinux 9 - BlueOnyx 5211R development

[Michael Stauber]

Hi Ernie,

> in the meantime, can you relase a version of 5210R with php 8.0 which is now
> a standard stream in Almalinux 8.6?
> 
> I tested that the stream was available on a fresh install of Almalinux 8.6
> and it was.
> 
> I had to do a:
> 
>   yum module reset php:7.2
> 
> then
>   yum module install php:8.0
> 
> and it worked..
> 
> (Don't try that on BX it may break big time)


Oh dear. That might indeed break things in the GUI! So I *really* do not 
recommend it and I do have NO plans to release 5210R with anything other 
than the OS supplied PHP-7.2. At least not for the foreseeable future.

Of course you can install other PHP version from AppStream on an 
AlmaLinux 8 or RockyLinux 8. But like said: The BlueOnyx GUI on 5210R 
itself is only tested with PHP-7.2.

Due to the GUI development on AlmaLinux 9 for 5211R I know for certain 
that the CodeIgniter that 5210R uses does not play nice with PHP-8.1 or 
PHP-8.0. The whole cryptology layer (MCrypt - we use it extensively in 
the GUI) goes down the drain and there are deprecations and broken stuff 
in other areas as well. There are other third party components included 
in the GUI (phpMyAdmin, phpSysinfo) that are also present in versions on 
5210R that are not ready for anything but the PHP that 5210R shipped with.

That is why the GUI on 5211R is (or will be when done) overhauled or in 
large parts a rewrite in some fundamental areas.

I can't stress this enough: If you need more modern PHP in 5210R: Get 
the PHP from the shop. That gives you access to all PHP versions from 
PHP-5.6.40 all the way up to the latest PHP-8.1 and soon PHP-8.2 once it 
leaves beta. And you can install *all* of these PHP packages at the same 
time. Vsites can be configured to use each and any of these PHP packages 
to make sure all your Vsites run with the exact PHP version they need. 
And this can be changed at any time.

Likewise: For Shell usage and cronjobs these PHP PKGs also play nice and 
you can easily set up scripts and cronjobs that make use of the 
individual PHP versions as you see fit.

There isn't a good reason to upgrade the PHP that the OS itself uses and 
it also risks breaking the GUI big time.


-- 
With best regards

Michael Stauber