View source for Setup php-fpm 7 with Apache on Debian 9 Stretch

These are steps to install php-fpm7.0 on a Debian 9 Stretch server. php-fpm allows for faster processing of PHP documents while using less memory than Apache2 with standard php7.0. This means you can run faster websites with less resource use.


'''Written: 1-16-2018'''


*VPS - Debian 9.2
*Apache 2.4
*Memory: 1GB

==Set up apache2==
 apt-get update
 apt-get install apache2 php7.0

==Test apache2 with phpinfo==
 rm /var/www/html/index.html
 echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" > /var/www/html/index.php
Note:Access your server, note the Server API

==Install php-fpm==
 apt-get install php-fpm

==Change listen address for php-fpm==
 vim /etc/php/7.0/fpm/pool.d/www.conf
 Line 36 should be changed to this:
 listen = 127.0.0.1:9000

==Add PHP handler to virtualhost or apache2.conf==
 <FilesMatch "\.php$">
 	SetHandler "proxy:fcgi://127.0.0.1:9000/"
 </FilesMatch>
Note: this tells Apache (global) or a specific virtualhost (per host) to use php-fpm depending on where you put it. 

==Enable php-fpm==
 a2enmod proxy_fcgi

==Restart apache and test==
 service apache2 restart
 service php7.0-fpm restart
Check your server's phpinfo for Server API - it should be "FastCGI" now

==Speed and Performance==
I tested the speed using Pingdom and Webpagetest before and after php-fpm installation on my test server that was under 0 load. Running my test Wordpress website averaged 2.1 seconds load time before php-fpm, and 1.3 seconds after. With MySQL, 4x php-fpm7.0 processes, and 4x apache2 prefork processes I was running at ~300MB real memory usage, with my buffers and cache filling up 600MB.

==More speed==
*Tune php-fpm's pool.d/www.conf file for more or less children depending on your resources
*Switch to Apache Worker MPM instead of prefork. This only works on some sites, but it allows you to disable mod_php and use php-fpm with threaded Apache2 children. 

==External Links==
*[https://www.server-world.info/en/note?os=Debian_9&p=httpd&f=13 Server-World guide - this is a great one]
*[https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/perfect-server-debian-9-stretch-apache-bind-dovecot-ispconfig-3-1/2/ HowToForge - Maybe a bit overkill, but a good guide]
*[https://antrecu.com/blog/run-php7-fpm-apache-mpmevent-ubuntu-1604 Antrecu - php7-fpm using mod_event on Ubuntu 16.04]

[[Category:Linux]]