OpenLiteSpeed Server Configuration Guide: Installing MySQL and Compiling PHP

Installing MySQL on OpenLiteSpeed Server

Connect to your server via SSH and execute the following command to install MySQL. During installation, you will be prompted to set a password for the root user. Ensure you set a strong password.

apt-get install mysql-server

Note: The original post referenced MySQL 5.5, which is outdated. For new deployments, it is recommended to install a more recent version (e.g., MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.x) for better performance and security updates. You can check available versions with apt-cache search mysql-server.

Compiling and Installing PHP for OpenLiteSpeed

This section guides you through compiling a custom PHP version via the OpenLiteSpeed admin panel.

Step 1: Access the Compilation Interface

Log into the OpenLiteSpeed admin panel (default address is typically https://your-server-ip:7080). In the top navigation bar, find the Actions menu and select Compile PHP.

Step 2: Select PHP Version and Modules

On the compilation page, select your desired PHP version. It is strongly recommended to choose a supported version like PHP 7.4 or PHP 8.x rather than outdated, unsupported versions. Click Next.

In the module selection section, check the modules required for your application. For example, to use XCache as an opcode cache, ensure XCache is selected.

Step 3: Configure Compilation Parameters

You need to provide PHP compilation configuration parameters. Here is a reference example suitable for modern Linux distributions (e.g., Ubuntu 20.04/22.04):

'--with-litespeed' '--with-mysql=mysqlnd' '--with-mysqli=mysqlnd' '--with-pdo-mysql=mysqlnd' '--with-openssl' '--with-curl' '--with-zlib' '--with-gd' '--with-jpeg' '--with-freetype' '--enable-mbstring' '--enable-xml' '--enable-sockets' '--enable-bcmath' '--enable-soap' '--enable-pcntl'

Important Notes:

• The --with-libdir parameter is usually not required; the system detects it automatically.
• The SPDY protocol mentioned in older guides has been superseded by HTTP/2 and HTTP/3. OpenLiteSpeed supports HTTP/2 by default; no special PHP parameter is needed.
• The mcrypt module is deprecated since PHP 7.2; use openssl instead.

Step 4: Troubleshooting Common Compilation Errors

If you encounter errors during compilation, refer to these solutions:

• Error: configure: error: Cannot find OpenSSL's libraries
  Solution: Install the OpenSSL development package: apt-get install libssl-dev
• Error: **ERROR** Could not run PHPize for XCache
  Solution: Install the PHP development package for your version. For PHP 7.4: apt-get install php7.4-dev

Step 5: Execute Compilation and Finalize

After configuration, OpenLiteSpeed will download the source code and prepare for compilation. Before the final compilation begins, the admin panel will display a command that must be executed in the server's SSH terminal. Copy and run this command on your server to start the actual compilation process.

Warning: Compilation can take a long time. Do not refresh the admin page or close your SSH session during this process. You can monitor progress and logs in the admin panel under Main Status and Detailed Log.

Once compilation is successful, return to the OpenLiteSpeed admin panel. Under the Actions menu, select Graceful Restart to restart the server and activate the newly compiled PHP.

Additional Note: XCache is a PHP opcode cache but has seen less maintenance in recent years. For production environments, it is recommended to use OpenLiteSpeed's built-in LSCache or the widely supported OPcache (included by default when compiling PHP).