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Enable PHP Modules

cPGuard X lets you enable or disable PHP modules directly from the control panel GUI. No SSH access or manual php.ini editing required. The process is straightforward and includes an automatic PHP-FPM restart so your changes take effect immediately.

:::warning Webserver Compatibility The PHP Extensions GUI is available only when using the Nginx + Apache stack. It is not supported with OpenLiteSpeed (OLS). :::

What Are PHP Extensions?​

PHP extensions (also called modules) are libraries that add extra functionality to PHP. Common examples include:

ExtensionCommon Use Case
mysqli / pdo_mysqlMySQL database connectivity
curlMaking HTTP requests from PHP
gd / imagickImage processing and manipulation
mbstringMultibyte string handling (required by many CMS apps)
zipReading and writing ZIP archives
opcacheBytecode caching for performance
redis / memcachedObject caching and session storage
soapSOAP-based web service integration
intlInternationalisation and localisation support
xdebugPHP debugging and profiling

Enabling only the extensions your applications need is good practice for both performance and security.

Steps to Enable or Disable a PHP Module​

1. Log in and Open Settings​

Log into the cPGuard X Control Panel and click on Settings in the main menu. Logo

2. Navigate to PHP Modules​

Under the Settings section, select PHP Modules. Logo

3. Select PHP Version and Toggle Modules​

  • From the drop-down menu, choose the PHP version for which you want to manage extensions.
  • Toggle the required PHP module on or off as needed.
  • Once all changes are made, click Save to apply them.

What Happens After You Save​

When you click Save, cPGuard X handles the rest automatically:

  1. Applies the selected modules — the panel updates the PHP configuration to reflect your changes.
  2. Generates extension.ini — the corresponding .ini file is created or updated to activate the selected extensions.
  3. Restarts PHP-FPM — the related PHP-FPM service is restarted automatically, so no manual intervention is needed.
tip

Because PHP-FPM restarts automatically on save, your changes are live immediately. There is no need to manually restart any services after toggling extensions.

Managing Extensions Across Multiple PHP Versions​

If your server runs multiple PHP versions (e.g., PHP 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3), note that extensions are managed per PHP version. An extension toggled for PHP 8.2 will not automatically apply to PHP 8.1 or 8.3.

Make sure to select the correct PHP version from the drop-down before making changes, especially in environments where different websites run different PHP versions.

Summary​

The PHP Modules section in cPGuard X provides a clean, toggle-based interface to manage PHP extensions per version without touching any config files manually. Combined with automatic PHP-FPM restarts, it makes extension management fast and reliable — ideal for both single-site setups and multi-PHP-version server environments.