CloudLinux, a shared hosting operating system developer, has added PHP 5.5 to its PHP Selector solution. PHP Selector allows shared web host and shared web hosting customers to select different PHP versions and users will now be able try out the features of the latest PHP version - PHP 5.5 Alpha2, which was released on 21 December 2012.
CloudLinux allows a server to operate akin to a virtual private server by adding individual websites to separate "containers", These containers are allocated individual hardware resources such as disk space, CPU, and RAM. Shared hosting by its nature generally means that websites compete for server resources, but with CloudLinux strictly defining hardware allocations, customers can rely on solid levels of performance that are not traditionally available in shared hosting. With accounts "isolated" from each other, it is possible to redefine configurations for each account, and through PHP Selector, account holders are able to choose from a variety of PHP versions.
PHP is extremely popular with shared web hosts and the new version offers a range of new features. These include a new password hashing API with improved stored password security. Most hosts, however, would not want to adopt the Alpha version of a new technology across all servers, so CloudLinux and PHP Selector make it possible for individual account holders to check out the new PHP version without large-scale deployment.
“Hosting providers were afraid to deploy PHP because in doing so, they might break customer websites that were not compatible with the latest version," explained CloudLinux Founder and CEO, Igor Seletskiy. "Now, using CloudLinux and PHP Selector, hosting companies can confidently offer PHP 5.5 Alpha2 to those customers who require it, without affecting any other users. It is an opportunity to start using the most advanced features of the best PHP version yet, right now.”
