How to add new PHP versions to MAMP on a Mac

mamp-php-versions.md

Adding Versions of PHP to MAMP on a Mac

If you're working on a project that requires a version of PHP higher than the versions that MAMP comes with, you can easily add additional verions.

My version of MAMP came installed with PHP 7.4.21 and 8.0.8. I'm attempting to use MAMP to host a Laravel application which requires at least PHP 8.1.

The version of PHP MAMP uses is often different than the version you have installed. I have installed PHP using Brew. I'm currently running PHP 8.1.8. If you want to check your installed version of PHP, use the terminal and run the following command:

php --version

1. First we need to copy the installed PHP files to MAMP. Using Finder, navigate to /usr/local/Cellar/php and you should find a folder named after the installed version of PHP. For me it was 8.1.8. Copy this folder.

2. Navigate to the folder that MAMP stores PHP versions. For me this was /Applications/MAMP/bin/php. Paste this folder here.

3. Rename this folder to php8.1.8 (use your PHP version number).

4. Next we need the PHP modile file. Navigate to /usr/local/lib/httpd and copy the modules folder. Inside this folder is the PHP module file names libphp.so.

5. Navigate to /Applications/MAMP/bin/php/php8.1.8 and paste the modules folder.

6. Close and restart MAMP.

7. Choose PHP 8.1.8 from the frop down and you should be good to go!

I have a video walk-through on YouTube!

Hello, PHP friends!

As I'm using High Sierra, I used MacPorts to install PHP 8.3 and avoid some problems that occurs when using Brew in old macOS versions.

PHP 8.3 is correctly installed, but it appears that everything is spreaded at /opt/local folder:

$ port contents php83 @8.3.6_0+libedit 
Port php83 contains:
  /opt/local/bin/php-config83
  /opt/local/bin/php83

Could anyone help me to find out what folder I should copy to MAMP? Any advice is welcome!

Thanks in advance!

As far I know, you install MAMP in Applications folder and copy php files to /Applications/MAMP/bin/php, not the opposite. However, it will probably NOT be available in the MAMP's php version menu to be selected. If it does, please tell me!

If anyone else is having an issue with Php 8.3:
You'll need a config folder for your 8.3 version. Go to /Applications/MAMP/conf
Duplicate one of the previous php folders (like 8.1.13) rename to the name of your 8.3 version

Then go into the folder, edit the pear.conf replace all references of 8.1.13 with your 8.3 version

hey guys, Im trying to get this to work, I only tried to run the server with the defaults and the php version that comes right now, which is 8.3.8 but when I start the server there's this error
'Apache couldn't be started. Please check your MAMP installation and configuration.'
looking into the logs theres this error
/Applications/MAMP/fcgi-bin/php.fcgi: line 4: exec: /Applications/MAMP/bin/php/php8.3.1/bin/php-cgi: cannot execute: No such file or directory
this error shows up when I run the apachectl Im not sure what to do, also anyways I need to work with a previous version 7.0.33 which is previous, does the tutorial work for previous versions ?

If anyone else is having an issue with Php 8.3: You'll need a config folder for your 8.3 version. Go to /Applications/MAMP/conf Duplicate one of the previous php folders (like 8.1.13) rename to the name of your 8.3 version

Then go into the folder, edit the pear.conf replace all references of 8.1.13 with your 8.3 version

@simderoemer Hi, can you please explain in more detail what needs to be done to make it work with php 8.3?

Hi @stwrr I installed php 8.3 using homebrew then moved the folder across into /Applications/MAMP/bin/php
But there wasn't a /Applications/MAMP/conf/php8.3.8 folder, so I duplicated the config folder from 8.1 and made the changes emtioned above and this worked for me

another

You are right. I just made the same mistake