PHP 7.0.0RC6 experimentally available

As we mentioned in a previous post, our customers can now test the next major update to PHP, version 7.0, which is almost twice as fast as the current PHP 5.6. (There is no PHP version 6: That project was abandoned by the PHP authors.)

Today we updated the test version on our servers from 7.0.0RC5 to the latest 7.0.0RC6. This updated version also includes support for the ImageMagick extension, making it functionally complete.

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PHP 7.0.0RC5 experimentally available

The PHP developers are about to release a major update to PHP, version 7.0.

The main new feature (as far as most of our customers will be concerned) is vastly improved performance. Our testing shows it can run WordPress sites around twice as quickly, lowering the site’s CPU resource usage significantly. Sites that use it will be able to handle close to twice as many visitors per second.

Although a “stable” version of PHP 7 has not yet officially been released, a “release candidate” preview version is available, and we’ve installed that on our servers for customers who want to test it.

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PHP 5.5.30 and 5.6.14

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.5.30 and 5.6.14 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

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PHP 5.4.45, 5.5.29 and 5.6.13

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.45, 5.5.29 and 5.6.13 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

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PHP 5.4.44, 5.5.28 and 5.6.12

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.44, 5.5.28 and 5.6.12 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

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PHP 5.4.43, 5.5.27 and 5.6.11

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.43, 5.5.27 and 5.6.11 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

In addition, ionCube Loader has been updated to the current version 5.0.14.

These changes should not be noticeable, but in the unlikely event you experience any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact us.

PHP 5.4.42, 5.5.26 and 5.6.10

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.42, 5.5.26 and 5.6.10 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

In addition, ionCube Loader has been updated to the current version 5.0.10.

These changes should not be noticeable, but in the unlikely event you experience any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact us.

PHP 5.4.41, 5.5.25 and 5.6.9

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.41, 5.5.25 and 5.6.9 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

In addition, ionCube Loader has been updated to the current version 5.0.6.

These changes should not be noticeable, but in the unlikely event you experience any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact us.

PHP 5.4.40, 5.5.24 and 5.6.8

The PHP developers recently released versions 5.4.40, 5.5.24 and 5.6.8 that fix several bugs. We’ve upgraded PHP 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 on our servers as a result.

These changes should not be noticeable, but in the unlikely event you experience any trouble, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In addition, the company that makes the Zend Guard Loader software has finally released versions compatible with PHP 5.5 and 5.6, so we’ve made that option available in the “PHP Settings” area of our My Account control panel (with all the usual caveats about why encoded scripts are inherently unreliable).

Mail server SSL certificate renewed

We’ve renewed the SSL certificate on our mail servers (because it was due to expire soon).

Almost all customers shouldn’t notice any change, but if you read e-mail using a secure connection with an unusual mail program that doesn’t handle SSL connections properly, you might be asked to “accept” the new certificate.

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