PHP on Linux WordPress image is almost out of support

mcbsys 126 Reputation points
2020-11-12T22:08:39.857+00:00

I currently run WordPress on a Bitnami Linux VM with PHP 7.2.16. Support for PHP 7.2 ends in 18 days on 30 Nov 2020 (https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php), so I thought I would try a WordPress Linux WebApp on Azure. However I have discovered that its PHP is even older, at 7.2.13.

Multiple articles and posts say you can control the PHP version from Settings > Configuration > Platform, but there is no such UI element.

This article says you can show the PHP version:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/configure-language-php?pivots=platform-linux

az webapp config show --resource-group <resource-group-name> --name <app-name> --query linuxFxVersion

But that returns "DOCKER|appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php:0.72", which says nothing about PHP.

The same article suggests setting the PHP version as follows:

az webapp config set --name <app-name> --resource-group <resource-group-name> --linux-fx-version "PHP|7.3"

That returned "UnrecognizedArgumentError: unrecognized arguments: -linuxFxVersion PHP|7.3".

So how do I bump the PHP major version? I hope I don't need a custom container to implement a supported platform?

Mark Berry

Azure App Service
Azure App Service
Azure App Service is a service used to create and deploy scalable, mission-critical web apps.
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  1. ajkuma 22,521 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2020-11-30T20:42:18.133+00:00

    Thanks to RoderickBant74 for pointing the typo and sharing the correct cmdlet.

    Just adding additional information on this for clarity:

    To control the runtime version (for apps which doesn't support built-in images) you can deploy it with a custom container.

    You may use this "az webapp list-runtimes --linux | grep PHP" - To show the supported PHP version.
    image

    Just to highlight, the "--linux-fx-version"- shows the runtime stack used for your linux-based webapp, e.g., "RUBY|2.5.5", "NODE|10.14", "PHP|7.2", "DOTNETCORE|2.1".

    As a side note, App Service upgrades the underlying PHP runtime of your application as part of the regular platform updates. As a result of this regular update process, your application will be automatically updated to the latest patch version of PHP available in the platform.

    As examples:
    When you use this template the docker image which has WordPress already configured is run for the created App Service. By default, the image is - appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php:0.72 (source).
    https://hub.docker.com/r/appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php

    Now, since this creates a Web App for Container (not using specifically a blessed image), we do not show the stacks in the Configuration blade. Note that you can set the linuxFxVersion to PHP|7.3 but that would pull a docker image which would not have WordPress configured as default.

    The image mentioned above (appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php:0.72) for WordPress uses PHP v7.2. If you wish to run on PHP v7.3, then you could try using the following imagee which can be set in the Container settings blade:
    appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php:0.8

    So, if you wish to see the stack specific configuration dropdown in the Configuration blade with PHP application (for the WordPress as well) on App Service, then you can create a Web App service without using the ‘WordPress on Linux’ template ( just as an example). That way he would be able to see the available stacks in the Configuration.

    Hope this helps!

    To benefit the community, find the right answers, please do mark the post which was helpful by clicking on ‘Accept Answer’ & ‘Up-Vote’.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
  2. mcbsys 126 Reputation points
    2020-11-13T19:32:17.523+00:00

    Holy cow, I think that did it. Thank you! Now I get a multi-page JSON string with the PHP version buried inside. My container now returns PHP 7.3.21. If I set "PHP|7.4", I get 7.4.9.

    In other news, the show query is now working as well: 

    az webapp config show --resource-group <resource-group-name> --name <app-name> --query linuxFxVersion

    now returns "PHP|74". Wish I'd known how to do a full show before (just omit the --query parameter) to see if linuxFxVersion was originally set to "DOCKER|appsvcorg/wordpress-alpine-php:0.72",

    I'm used to PowerShell where the get and set parameters use the same syntax. This disconnect between query (linuxFxVersion) and set (linux-fx-version) is confusing!

    Thanks again for your help.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Roderick Bant 2,046 Reputation points
    2020-11-13T17:39:04.653+00:00

    Did you also notice the - dashes between linux, fx and version in the --linux-fx-version example? All in lowercase letters.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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