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PHP Runtime Generation 2 (Beta)

The second generation of Pantheon's PHP runtime with added security and updated extensions.


Warning:
Warning
If your site uses Apache Tika, we currently recommend only using the PHP Runtime Generation 2 beta for testing with non-Live environments.

Overview

A new generation of our Serverless PHP runtime is available in beta. This upgrade represents our commitment to providing a modern, secure, and efficient PHP runtime for your websites.

Depending on your website's features, this change may have major effects on the compatibility of your site. During the beta phase, we invite you to test your site for compatibility and performance to ensure a seamless upgrade. The previous generation will be removed in 2026.

Why Upgrade?

  • Long Term Support (LTS) coverage for EOL PHP versions
  • Better compatibility with updated PHP extensions
  • PHP 8.4 availability*

* For CMS compatibility details, see Supported PHP Versions.

Opt-In Beta Phase (April - September 17, 2025)

During the beta phase, you can opt in to test your sites on the new PHP runtime. The opt-in is environment-based, meaning you can trial the new PHP runtime without affecting your other environments. This allows you to:

  • Verify your site's compatibility before the platform-wide rollout
  • Test your deployment workflows
  • Identify any potential issues early
  • Provide valuable feedback to our team

How to Opt In

To enable the second generation PHP runtime for an environment, add the following to your pantheon.yml:

pantheon.yml
php_runtime_generation: 2

To safely revert to the previous generation, you may remove the line during the beta phase or use:

pantheon.yml
php_runtime_generation: 1

Since any pantheon.yml changes are part of your site repository and promoted if you push to test or live, we recommend using a multidev or removing the php_runtime_generation parameter before promoting any code while you are testing compatibility.

Timeline

PhaseDateDetails
Beta (Opt-in)May - September 2025Environments can be opted-in. All other environments will remain on the previous generation
Rollout (Opt-out)Beginning September 17, 2025A 40-day rollout will auto-upgrade all sites to PHP Runtime Generation 2. Opting out via the pantheon.yml parameter will be available
Gen 1 RemovalQ1 2026PHP Runtime Generation 1 will no longer be available - all remaining sites will be auto-upgraded

Known Changes and Requirements

OS Packages

PackageGen 1Gen 2
IBM PHP ODBC DriverAvailable for PHP 7.4-8.2Coming soon 1
wkhtmltopdf0.12.5 availableReplacement coming soon 2
Apache Tika1.18, 1.21 available1.18, 1.21, 3.2 coming soon 3
PhantomJS1.7.0, 2.1.1 availableNot available
1 Support for this OS Package may be added after the platform-wide rollout begins. If you depend on this OS Package, we recommend you opt out of Runtime Generation 2 for now.

2 wkhtmltopdf is no longer supported by its maintainers. We are working to offer a different solution for sites that use server-side PDF generation.

3 Tika will be made available before the platform-wide rollout in September.

PHP Extensions

ExtensionGen 1Gen 2
ioncubeAvailable for PHP 7.1 onlyNot available 1
pdo_sqlsrvAvailable for PHP 7.2 only
5.2.0
Not available 1
curlv7.61.17.88.1
gd2.1.02.3.3
iconv2.282.36
mongodb1.142.1.0
openssl1.1.1k3.0.16
pdo_pgsql13.515.13
pdo_sqlite3.26.03.40.1
pgsql13.515.13
redis5.3.7
Compression types: zstd
6.2.0
Compression types: zstd, lzf, lz4
sqlite33.26.03.40.1
1 Support for these PHP extensions may be added after the platform-wide rollout begins. If you depend on this PHP Extension, we recommend you opt out of PHP Runtime Generation 2 for now.

Does your application require an OS package or PHP extension that is no longer available? Please reach out to us to discuss compatibility by contacting your Customer Success Manager or creating a support ticket.

Networking

ProtocolGen 1Gen 2
TLS1.0-1.31.2-1.3 1
1 Review the TLS documentation to check which version of TLS your external connections are using, and how to ensure you are compatible with this change.

Known Issues

Reporting Issues

If you encounter any issues while testing your site with PHP Runtime Generation 2:

  1. Check the Known Issues section above
  2. Verify the issue is related to the new infrastructure by reverting back to 1 in your pantheon.yml file.
  3. Submit a detailed report through our Support Portal. Include "PHP Runtime Generation 2 Beta" in your message to support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will I need to make changes to my website?

Potentially. Depending on your integrations with our PHP extensions and operating system libraries, you may need to update your website to be compatible with new PHP runtime.

Q: How do I opt out of the upcoming platform rollout?

You may opt-out of the upcoming platform rollout by setting the following in your pantheon.yml:

pantheon.yml
php_runtime_generation: 1

Note: All sites will be auto-upgraded in Q1 2026 if they haven't already, including sites that specify the opt-out above.

Q: Can I switch back to the previous PHP runtime if I encounter issues?

Yes, you may revert back to the first generation PHP runtime by setting the following in your pantheon.yml:

pantheon.yml
php_runtime_generation: 1

Q: After upgrading to PHP Runtime Generation 2, I removed php_runtime_generation from my pantheon.yml but the environment did not go back to Generation 1. How do I downgrade?

To revert back to the first generation PHP runtime, set the following in your pantheon.yml:

pantheon.yml
php_runtime_generation: 1