Remi repository provides PHP 8.4.28RC1 and 8.5.13RC1 release candidates for testing

Remi Collet has released Release Candidate (RC) versions of PHP 8.4.28RC1 and 8.5.13RC1 through his specialized RPM repositories. These packages are intended for testing purposes and are available for both x86_64 and aarch64 architectures.

Users can access these versions on Fedora (versions 43 through 45) as base packages in the remi-modular-test repository, or on Enterprise Linux 8 and higher as Software Collections (SCL) via the remi-test repository. The update also notes that PHP 8.3 has transitioned to security-only support mode, meaning no further release candidates will be issued for that version.

Technical availability and repository details

• Architecture Support: The PHP packages are built and available for both x86_64 and aarch64 instruction sets.
• Deployment Methods: Versions can be installed as base packages using DNF module switching or as parallel Software Collections (SCL) using the 'php84' or 'php85' identifiers.
• Dependency Specifications: The oci8 extension utilizes Oracle Instant Client version 23.26, while the intl extension leverages libicu 78.3 and can utilize icu-tzdata.
• Distribution Compatibility: EL-10 packages are built against RHEL 10.2/EPEL-10.2, EL-9 against RHEL 9.8/EPEL-9.8, and EL-8 against RHEL 8.10/EPEL-8.10.
• Release Lifecycle: PHP 8.6.0RC5 is also present in the repository, and the developer notes that RC versions typically serve as the final release unless security fixes are required.

Why it matters

This release allows web developers and system administrators running Fedora or RHEL-based distributions to validate upcoming PHP versions in a controlled testing environment. By providing Software Collections, Remi enables the parallel installation of new PHP versions alongside existing ones, minimizing the risk of breaking production environments during the testing phase.