In the lamp stack PHP 5.3.3 is installed, however my application requires 5.3.8+

Another topic (http://www.turnkeylinux.org/forum/general/20130221/php-version-5321) suggested installing from wheezy. Bottom line to my attempt at doing so: dependency mayham, everything broke.

There's nothing important currently installed on this container, so I don't mind fiddling and reinstalling. But how do I achieve a production stable lamp stack with 5.3.8+?

===

Attempted:

1. Add wheezy main and contrib to sources.list
2. apt-get install php5
3. Accepted the load of dependency changes

Result:

Broke mysql-server (fails to configure every time)

PHP seemed to be at 5.4.4 from phpinfo. Running my application returned:

"preg_replace(): Compilation failed: unknown option bit(s) set at offset 0"

===

Attempted:

1. After previous php5 install.
2. aptitude upgrade (with wheezy still enabled)

Result:

MySQL server still broken.

PHP application functions normally on 5.4.4.

Locked myself out after a few minutes because root no longer has shell login access.

===

Attempted:

1. Fresh container install.
2. Add wheezy main and contrib to sources.list.
3. Using aptitude install php5/wheezy and always installing package maintainer config files.

The following actions will resolve these dependencies: 

Remove the following packages: 

1) mysql-client-5.1 

2) mysql-server-5.1 

3) mysql-server-core-5.1 

 

 Install the following packages: 

4) libaio1 [0.3.109-3 (stable)] 

5) libmysqlclient18 [5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

6) mysql-client-5.5 [5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

7) mysql-server-5.5 [5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

8) mysql-server-core-5.5 [5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

 

 Upgrade the following packages: 

9) debianutils [3.4 (now, oldstable) -> 4.3.2 (stable)] 

10) ifupdown [0.6.10 (now, oldstable) -> 0.7.8 (stable)] 

11) initramfs-tools [0.98.8 (now, oldstable) -> 0.109.1 (stable)] 

12) initscripts [2.88dsf-13.1+squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 2.88dsf-41 (stable)] 

13) klibc-utils [1.5.20-1+squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 2.0.1-3.1 (stable)] 

14) libblkid1 [2.17.2-9 (now, oldstable) -> 2.20.1-5.3 (stable)] 

15) libc-bin [2.11.3-4 (now, oldstable) -> 2.13-38 (stable)] 

16) libc6 [2.11.3-4 (now, oldstable) -> 2.13-38 (stable)] 

17) libklibc [1.5.20-1+squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 2.0.1-3.1 (stable)] 

18) libltdl7 [2.2.6b-2 (now, oldstable) -> 2.4.2-1.1 (stable)] 

19) libslang2 [2.2.2-4 (now, oldstable) -> 2.2.4-15 (stable)] 

20) locales [2.11.3-4 (now, oldstable) -> 2.13-38 (stable)] 

21) lsb-base [3.2-23.2squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 4.1+Debian8+deb7u1 (stable)] 

22) mysql-common [5.1.66-0+squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

23) mysql-server [5.1.66-0+squeeze1 (now, oldstable) -> 5.5.31+dfsg-0+wheezy1 (stable)] 

24) netbase [4.45 (now, oldstable) -> 5.0 (stable)] 

25) php5-cli [5.3.3-7+squeeze16 (now, oldstable) -> 5.4.4-14+deb7u2 (stable)] 

26) php5-mcrypt [5.3.3-7+squeeze16 (now, oldstable) -> 5.4.4-14+deb7u2 (stable)] 

27) php5-mysql [5.3.3-7+squeeze16 (now, oldstable) -> 5.4.4-14+deb7u2 (stable)] 

28) php5-xcache [1.3.0-7 (now, oldstable) -> 2.0.0-4 (stable)] 

29) php5-xdebug [2.1.0-1 (now, oldstable) -> 2.2.1-2 (stable)] 

30) rsyslog [4.6.4-2 (now, oldstable) -> 5.8.11-3 (stable)] 

31) util-linux [2.17.2-9 (now, oldstable) -> 2.20.1-5.3 (stable)]

Fixes:

1. Install will give mysql-server error. Once done, comment the default-character-set=utf8 directive in /etc/mysql/conf.d/force_utf8.cnf.
2. Reinstall phpmyadmin, which will at the same time reconfigure mysql-server.

Results:

So far so good.

• MySQL runs properly, as does phpmyadmin, aside from a warning "Connection for controluser as defined in your configuration failed.".
• My PHP 5.3.8+ application runs as intended. (After enabling some apache2 mods in webmin, such as rewrite).
• The phpinfo gives: PHP Version 5.4.4-14+deb7u2, running over mod_php5 on apache2.
• After a reboot all the services remain functional.

All I'm left with is getting openpanel to work on this half squeeze half wheezy setup. But that wasn't part of this topic.