Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://docs.civicrm.org/installation/en/latest/general/requirements/#php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CiviCRM PHP requirements</a> <em>recommends</em> PHP5.5 <strong>or greater</strong>, and notes PHP5.3.10 is the bare minimum <em>required</em>. As well as this, you want to be sure your PHP version is actively getting <a href="http://php.net/supported-versions.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">security updates</a>, and also consider <a href="https://civicrm.stackexchange.com/questions/9607/what-versions-of-php-are-used-in-civicrms-internal-qa">what PHP versions CiviCRM is tested with</a>.</p>
  <p>As of Feb 2016, <strong>I recommend PHP5.6</strong> -</p>
  <ul>
  <li>Support ended for PHP5.3 in 2014, and for 5.4 in 2015.</li>
  <li>PHP 5.5 is getting only security fixes until mid 2016.</li>
  <li>PHP 5.6 is actively supported until Dec 2017, with security fixes until Dec 2019.</li>
  <li>CiviCRM doesn't run on PHP7 <em>yet ...</em> (<a href="https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-17789" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CRM-17789: Support PHP7</a>).</li>
  </ul>
  <p>NB: Distributions may backport security fixes for older versions after those dates; please do your own diligence on whether your PHP version is secure :)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-11T13:55:44.303Z
Answers.Text: Make sure that you say PHP 5.3.10 as a bare minimum.  CentOS 6.7 has PHP 5.3.3, which it would not allow when I upgraded from 4.6.11 to 4.7.0.  Hence the mess I'm trying to sort out now.
Answers.UserDisplayName: G H
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-11T17:14:28.777Z
Answers.Text: Done, thanks. If CentOS / RHEL still ship 5.3.x, I hope they are backporting security fixes for it!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Chris Burgess
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-02-11T17:23:22.687Z
Answers.Text: Backporting is what has made RHEL the standard for server installs and why CentOS/Scientific exist.  In fact, from what I understand of their backporting process, even a number of the newer PHP functions get backported to their 5.3.3 branch.  (As with many of their other packages.)
Answers.UserDisplayName: G H
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-27T22:14:36.617Z
Answers.Text: As of the 4.7 release we recommend 5.5+ with the bare minimum requirement still at 5.3.10. I've updated your answer and the wiki page to match.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Coleman
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-07T18:58:36.080Z
Answers.Text: If you've got Centos6 or RHEL6, then I recommend you use https://ius.io/ to update php to 5.6.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alan Dixon
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Chris Burgess
Answers.Body: <p>Chris' answer is correct.  However, a coworker reported at least one instance of an extension that did not run correctly on PHP 5.3 (I'm afraid I don't know which), so this answer applies to core CiviCRM only.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-12-29T03:32:57.790Z
Answers.Text: Sparkpost will not run at 5.3
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keith Webb
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-08-03T02:08:54.567Z
Answers.Text: [Mailchimp also requires > 5.3 now](https://github.com/veda-consulting/uk.co.vedaconsulting.mailchimp/issues/285).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Chris Burgess
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Jon G - Megaphone Tech
Body: <p>See the <a href="https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Installation+and+Upgrades">wiki</a> which says the minimum level is 5.4+</p>
  
  <p>But see this <a href="https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+PHP+Requirements">linked page from the wiki</a> which recommends 5.6 with a bare minimum of 5.3.10.  </p>
  
  <p>See also the system status for release 4.7 which says the minimum recommendation is 5.5</p>
  
  <p>Which is it? </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-02-08T20:39:46.910Z
Comments.Text: I introduced one of those inconsistencies when I edited [CiviCRM PHP Requirements](https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+PHP+Requirements) recently in reply to [a question from a user on unsupported PHP7](http://civicrm.stackexchange.com/questions/9276/error-during-drupal-installation-mysql-support-not-included-in-php/9325). I recommend using a supported version of PHP; [here's the list of supported versions](http://php.net/supported-versions.php). Hopefully a core team member can give a canonical answer.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Chris Burgess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-02-11T03:26:48.863Z
Comments.Text: Thanks for spotting that - I've reverted the wiki to be consistent, then rephrased it to seem less like it's recommending PHP5.4 (which I don't think is the intent) and added a note to consider security updates also.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Chris Burgess
Tags: <4.7><php><4.6.10><coding-standards>
Title: What is the recommended level of PHP for CiviCRM? There seems to be some inconsistencies
ThreadText: # What is the recommended level of PHP for CiviCRM? There seems to be some inconsistencies
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-02-08)
  
  See the [wiki](https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Installation+and+Upgrades) which says the minimum level is 5.4+
  
  But see this [linked page from the wiki](https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+PHP+Requirements) which recommends 5.6 with a bare minimum of 5.3.10.
  
  See also the system status for release 4.7 which says the minimum recommendation is 5.5
  
  Which is it?
  
  **Tags:** 4.7, php, 4.6.10, coding-standards
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I introduced one of those inconsistencies when I edited [CiviCRM PHP Requirements](https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/CiviCRM+PHP+Requirements) recently in reply to [a question from a user on unsupported PHP7](http://civicrm.stackexchange.com/questions/9276/error-during-drupal-installation-mysql-support-not-included-in-php/9325). I recommend using a supported version of PHP; [here's the list of supported versions](http://php.net/supported-versions.php). Hopefully a core team member can give a canonical answer.  
  > **username_1**: Thanks for spotting that - I've reverted the wiki to be consistent, then rephrased it to seem less like it's recommending PHP5.4 (which I don't think is the intent) and added a note to consider security updates also.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-02-11. Score: 6
  
  [CiviCRM PHP requirements](https://docs.civicrm.org/installation/en/latest/general/requirements/#php) *recommends* PHP5.5 **or greater**, and notes PHP5.3.10 is the bare minimum *required*. As well as this, you want to be sure your PHP version is actively getting [security updates](http://php.net/supported-versions.php), and also consider [what PHP versions CiviCRM is tested with](https://civicrm.stackexchange.com/questions/9607/what-versions-of-php-are-used-in-civicrms-internal-qa).
  
  As of Feb 2016, **I recommend PHP5.6** -
  
  * Support ended for PHP5.3 in 2014, and for 5.4 in 2015.
  * PHP 5.5 is getting only security fixes until mid 2016.
  * PHP 5.6 is actively supported until Dec 2017, with security fixes until Dec 2019.
  * CiviCRM doesn't run on PHP7 *yet ...* ([CRM-17789: Support PHP7](https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/browse/CRM-17789)).
  
  NB: Distributions may backport security fixes for older versions after those dates; please do your own diligence on whether your PHP version is secure :)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Make sure that you say PHP 5.3.10 as a bare minimum.  CentOS 6.7 has PHP 5.3.3, which it would not allow when I upgraded from 4.6.11 to 4.7.0.  Hence the mess I'm trying to sort out now.  
  > **username_1**: Done, thanks. If CentOS / RHEL still ship 5.3.x, I hope they are backporting security fixes for it!  
  > **username_2**: Backporting is what has made RHEL the standard for server installs and why CentOS/Scientific exist.  In fact, from what I understand of their backporting process, even a number of the newer PHP functions get backported to their 5.3.3 branch.  (As with many of their other packages.)  
  > **username_3**: As of the 4.7 release we recommend 5.5+ with the bare minimum requirement still at 5.3.10. I've updated your answer and the wiki page to match.  
  > **username_4**: If you've got Centos6 or RHEL6, then I recommend you use https://ius.io/ to update php to 5.6.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2016-02-11. Score: 1
  
  username_1' answer is correct. However, a coworker reported at least one instance of an extension that did not run correctly on PHP 5.3 (I'm afraid I don't know which), so this answer applies to core CiviCRM only.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: Sparkpost will not run at 5.3  
  > **username_1**: [Mailchimp also requires > 5.3 now](https://github.com/veda-consulting/uk.co.vedaconsulting.mailchimp/issues/285).  
  
  ---
  
  