Complete Guide to Upgrading PHP 5.6 on Mac: Easy Version Switch

gitbox 2025-07-30

Why Upgrade to PHP 5.6

PHP 5.6 offers significant improvements over older versions in terms of performance, security, and new features. Key benefits include enhanced error handling, more efficient execution, and support for new syntax structures. These features make PHP 5.6 still widely used for maintaining legacy projects and specific compatibility needs.

Preparation Before Upgrading

Before starting the upgrade, ensure that Homebrew—the popular package manager for macOS—is installed on your system. If it is not yet installed, use the following command to install it:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Check Current PHP Version

Enter the following command in the terminal to check your current PHP version:

php -v

Start Upgrading to PHP 5.6

Here are the specific steps for upgrading:

Add the PHP Tap Repository

To access legacy versions, add the dedicated PHP tap repository:

brew tap shivammathur/php

Install PHP 5.6

Use the following command to install PHP 5.6:

brew install shivammathur/php/[email protected]

Set PHP 5.6 as the Default Version

After installation, set PHP 5.6 as the default version on your system:

brew link --force --overwrite [email protected]

Verify the Version Switch

Run the following command again to confirm that PHP has successfully switched to version 5.6:

php -v

Common Issues and Solutions

During the upgrade process, you may encounter issues such as:

Dependency conflicts
Missing extension modules

You can try resolving these by updating Homebrew and upgrading packages:

brew update

brew upgrade

Summary

With Homebrew, Mac users can quickly and reliably upgrade to PHP 5.6. This guide covers the entire process from preparation, installation, configuration to verification. It helps developers complete the upgrade without affecting other system components. If you maintain projects that require PHP 5.6 compatibility, this method offers an efficient and dependable solution.