Different PHP Versions for Each Website on Nginx Ubuntu

Ensuring optimal website performance involves strategic configuration of server components. In this guide, we'll walk through the process of setting up a server block in Nginx on Ubuntu, leveraging PHP-FPM for enhanced PHP processing. This approach not only boosts efficiency but also aligns with SEO best practices. Follow along to seamlessly configure Nginx with PHP-FPM and attain peak performance for your web applications.

Prerequisites

Before we proceed, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. An Nginx web server installed on your Ubuntu system.
2. PHP and PHP-FPM installed. You can install them using:

   sudo apt update -y
   sudo apt install nginx php php-fpm -y

    

Steps to Use Different PHP Versions for Each Website on Nginx Ubuntu

Step 1: Create a Server Block Configuration File:

Create a new server block configuration file, for example, your_domain, in the /etc/nginx/sites-available/ directory:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_domain

Add the following configuration, replacing placeholders with your actual values:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain;

    root /var/www/your_directory;
    index index.php index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php_php_version-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    error_log /var/log/nginx/your_domain_error.log;
    access_log /var/log/nginx/your_domain_access.log;
}

Explanation:

• listen 80;: Listens on port 80.
• server_name: Specifies the server name (domain).
• root: Defines the root directory for the website.
• index: Sets the default index files.
• location /: Handles non-PHP requests, attempting to serve existing files or redirecting to index.php.
• location ~ \.php$: Handles PHP requests.
• include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;: Includes a configuration file for FastCGI and PHP.
• fastcgi_pass: Specifies the PHP-FPM socket path.
• fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME: Sets the script filename for PHP.
• error_log and access_log: Define the error and access logs for the server block.

Read More: How to Install Multiple PHP Versions on Ubuntu 22.04

Step 2: Create a Symbolic Link:

Create a symbolic link to the sites-enabled directory:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_domain /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Step 3: Test Configuration:

Ensure the Nginx configuration is error-free:

sudo nginx -t

Step 4: Restart Nginx:

Restart Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully configured Nginx with PHP-FPM for optimal web performance on Ubuntu. Remember to replace your_domain, your_directory, and php_version with your actual values. For ongoing maintenance, monitor logs located in /var/log/nginx/ and stay updated with Nginx and PHP-FPM documentation for best practices. This strategic configuration ensures your website is technically robust and optimized for search engine visibility and user experience.