How do I upgrade PHP in Mac OS X?

I use this: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-php

The command is:

$ xcode-select --install

$ brew tap homebrew/dupes
$ brew tap homebrew/versions
$ brew tap homebrew/homebrew-php

$ brew options php56
$ brew install php56

Then config in your .bash_profile or .bashrc

# Homebrew PHP CLI
export PATH="$(brew --prefix homebrew/php/php56)/bin:$PATH"

There is no built-in package manager. MacPorts doesn't recognize php as an installed package because it didn't install PHP itself.

You could still install it with MacPorts. sudo port install php52 (or whichever version you want) will install PHP.

It won't overwrite the Apple-supplied version. It'll install it under /opt/local. You can add /opt/local to the beginning of your $PATH, and use the MacPorts version in your Apache config.

I think one simple way to do it, is:

1 - Check you where is your current PHP:

$ which php
$ /usr/local/bin/php

You see? Usually, our commands that we run is a link in /usr/local/bin so...

2 - Unlink this current link of PHP

unlink /usr/local/bin/php

If you prefere, before unlink it, check the path and then remove php files (do ls -al /usr/local/bin | grep php and then rm -rf into desired path)

3 - Install PHP 7.1

curl -s http://php-osx.liip.ch/install.sh | bash -s 7.1

4 - Create new link (using php 7.1 bin that you have installed)

ln /usr/local/php5-7.1.9-20170914-100859/bin/php /usr/local/bin/php

Like I said, its a simple way I think.

You may want to check out Marc Liyanage's PHP package. It comes in a nice Mac OS X installer package that you can double-click. He keeps it pretty up to date.

http://php-osx.liip.ch/

Also, although upgrading to Snow Leopard won't help you do PHP updates in the future, it will probably give you a newer version of PHP. I'm running OS X 10.6.2 and it has PHP 5.3.0.