PHPUS

1. Set the Base Directory for Configuration and Installations

To get started, you’ll need to configure the base directory. Go to the Settings page via the left-hand menu and set the directory path. This location will serve as a centralized storage for all your configuration and installation files — including PHP versions, PHP extensions, php.ini, web server files, and related configuration data.

Once the base directory is set, the app will automatically create a default folder structure inside it, as shown in the diagram below:

php: stores different PHP version installations
nginx: stores different Nginx version installations
data: stores PHP and Nginx config files, logs, and other files related to this application

If you haven't manually set a base directory path, the application will default to using: [PHPUS app path]/base_dir — located in the same directory as the PHPUS executable.

2. Add a New Project

To add a new project, click on the Add Project option in the left sidebar. Alternatively, if you don’t have any projects yet, you’ll see an Add Project button on the home page — simply click it to start.

For this guide, we’ll use a sample project cloned from GitHub: phpus-laravel-12.x-demo .

add project - git clone phpus laravel 12.x demo.

2.1. Enter Project Details

Project Title is the name of your project.
Project Path is the directory where your PHP project is located.
Domain Name is used to define the URL associated with the project.

2.2. Configure PHP

If you haven’t installed PHP yet, go to the Install PHP section and follow the steps to install it.

Once PHP is installed, select the version you'd like to use for this project.

2.3. Configure Nginx

If Nginx isn’t installed yet, head to the Install Nginx section and follow the instructions.

After installing, the available Nginx version(s) will appear as shown below:

2.4. Configure Nginx Conf

If your project is based on Laravel, you can simply use the default template configuration. The template includes placeholders like ${[variable]}, which will automatically be replaced with actual values when the Nginx config file is generated for the project.

2.5. Finish Adding the Project

Once you click the Add button, the project will be created successfully. You’ll then be taken back to the home page, where the newly added project will be displayed, as shown below:

add project - add completely, then go to the home page.

3. Installing PHP

If you already know how to install PHP, simply complete the installation and click the Sync PHP button. If you need guidance, follow the steps provided by the app. On the Add Project page, under the PHP section, click Install PHP or Install Another Version (if you’ve already installed a PHP version). Alternatively, you can also find Install Another Version under the PHP section on the home page.

PHP installation - install PHP in Add Project page.

PHP installation - install PHP in Home page.

3.1. Step 1 – Download the Required PHP Version

Go to the PHP Archives Download page and download the version you need. In this example, we’re downloading PHP 8.4.6. Since the app connects to PHP via FastCGI through Nginx, make sure to download the NTS (Non-Thread Safe) version.

3.2. Step 2 – Extract the PHP Archive to the Designated Directory

After clicking the Next button in Step 1, you’ll move to Step 2, as shown below:

Click the php directory button to open the PHP installation folder:

PHP installation - step2 open php directory.

Now, extract the downloaded PHP archive into the php directory. After extraction, the folder structure should look like this:

PHP installation - step2 extract PHP zip file and show php directory structure.

3.3. Step 3 – Sync and Finish Installation

Click Next to proceed to Step 3. At this point, the newly installed PHP version might not show up yet:

Click Sync PHP, and the new version should appear in the list. Finally, click Complete to close the installation window.

4. Installing Nginx

If you're already familiar with the installation process, simply install Nginx and click the Sync Nginx button afterward.

If you need guidance, follow the built-in steps provided in the app. On the Add Project page, under the Nginx section, click Install Nginx or Install Another Version (if you've previously installed Nginx). You can also access Install Another Version from the Nginx section on the home page.

Nginx installation - install Nginx in Add Project page.

Nginx installation - install Nginx in Home page.

4.1. Step 1 – Download the Required Nginx Version

Visit the Nginx Download page and download the version you need.

Nginx installation - Nginx download page.

4.2. Step 2 – Extract the Nginx Archive to the Target Directory

Click Next after downloading to move to Step 2:

Click the nginx directory button to open the Nginx installation folder:

Nginx installation - step2 open nginx directory.

Extract the downloaded archive into this folder.

Note: some Nginx archives may contain an extra parent directory — make sure the final structure looks like this:

Nginx installation - step2 extract Nginx zip file and show php directory structure.

4.3. Step 3 – Sync and Finish Installation

Click Next to move to Step 3. At this point, you might not see the version you just installed:

Click the Sync Nginx button, and the newly installed version should appear. Finally, click Complete to close the installation window.

If the Nginx version still doesn't appear after syncing, double-check your folder structure — it may have been extracted incorrectly.

5. Using PHP Commands

You can run PHP commands by clicking Cmd or PowerShell in the project table on the home page.

PHP command - home page 'Cmd' and 'PowerShell' button.

6. Project Configuration

6.1. PHP Configuration

PHP extension files should be placed inside the ext folder of the installed PHP version.

Project setting - PHP extensions directory path.

The php.ini file is located at: [base dir]/data/php/[PHP version]/conf/php.ini

Project setting - php.ini directory path.

6.2. Setting Up a Laravel Project

First, on the home page, click Cmd or PowerShell on the desired project to open a terminal window. Then use the cd command to navigate into your project directory.

Project setting - home page 'Cmd' and 'PowerShell' button.

Copy .env.example to create your .env file: copy .env.example .env

Then run: composer install

Project setting - copy .env.example to .env and run `composer install` command.

After that, run the following commands: php artisan key:generate and php artisan migrate

Project setting - run `php artisan key:generate` and `php artisan migrate` command.

6.3. Launch the Web Page

Open a browser and enter the domain name (host) you configured for the project to verify that it’s working properly.

7. Managing Multiple PHP Versions & Adding Another Project

7.1. Add and Configure a New Project

Follow the same steps as before to add a new project. In this example, we're using a repository from GitHub: GitHub - phpus-php7_1-demo , and assigning it to PHP 7.1.

One important note: since this project is plain PHP (not a Laravel project), make sure to set the correct root path in the Nginx Conf section during project setup.

PHP multi-version - Nginx template conf.

We’ll also use the same phpus-php7_1-demo project again, but this time set it up with PHP 5.4 as a separate project:

PHP multi-version - home page with three projects table.

Open both project URLs in the browser to confirm they’re working:

PHP multi-version - open browser, check PHP7.1 project.

PHP multi-version - open browser, check PHP5.4 project.

Additionally, under the [base dir]/composer directory, you’ll see two separate Composer versions stored:

PHP multi-version - two version Composer.