How to change PHP handler from command line – cPanel server

Why PHP handlers?

Simply to serve PHP scripts on the web servers to web browser or end user. It’s a type of Apache module for executing PHP code. A PHP handlers deliver the PHP programming libraries into web server. Different types of php handlers are available such as CGI, DSO, suPHP, & FastCGI. Each handler delivers the libraries through different files and implementations. Each file and implementation affects Apache’s performance, because it determines how Apache serves PHP.

In a cPanel server, we have command-line options to list and change PHP handlers.

To list current handler

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf --current

Example

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf --current
Available handlers: suphp dso cgi none
DEFAULT PHP: 5
PHP4 SAPI: none
PHP5 SAPI: suphp
SUEXEC: enabled
RUID2: not installed

Above command lists the current PHP handler and all other available handlers in the server.

To list all available PHP handlers on server

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf --available

To change the current PHP handler to “DSO”

Before executing this command please make sure that the web server Apache is compiled with DSO.

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf 4 dso none 1

To change the current PHP handler to “SuPHP”

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf 5 none suphp 1

Example

root@test [~]# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf 5 none suphp 1
[/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/set_mailman_archive_perms] Setting I/O priority to reduce system load: best-effort: prio 6
[/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/set_mailman_archive_perms] Setting mailman archive permissions
[/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/set_mailman_archive_perms] Continuing in the background
php.conf updated to:

# This file was automatically generated by the Cpanel PHP Configuration system
# If you wish to change the way PHP is being handled by Apache on your system,
# use the /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf script or the WHM interface.
#
# Manual edits of this file will be lost when Apache is updated.

# SuPHP configuration for PHP5
LoadModule suphp_module modules/mod_suphp.so
suPHP_Engine on
AddType application/x-httpd-php5 .php5 .php4 .php .php3 .php2 .phtml

    suPHP_AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5

# End of autogenerated PHP configuration.

Updating user configurable PHP settings.
[info] recursion depth is set to: 2
Restarting Apache

It will change the default PHP handler to SuPHP

To change the current PHP handler to CGI

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf 5 none cgi 1

To change the current php handler to FastCGI

# /usr/local/cpanel/bin/rebuild_phpconf 5 none fcgi 1

That’s it!!
Thank you.

Related
How to change PHP handler from SuPHP to FastCGI in a cPanel server
Command-line option to list the current PHP handler on the server – cPanel