Install the PHP Pspell extension

The Pspell extension provides functions for checking the spelling of words.

For PHP 5.6 through PHP 8.3, the Pspell extension is installed by default. You do not need to install the Pspell extension for these PHP versions.

Starting with PHP 8.4, the Pspell extension was removed from PHP and must be installed as a third-party extension using the instructions below.

Install the Pspell extension

Installing the extension involves the following steps:

1. Install build dependencies (packages that are required to build the extension).
2. Build the extension’s library file.
3. Enable the extension in the PHP configuration.

Note

You must be logged into your server as root to install PHP extensions.

Install build dependencies

Set environment variables for the package manager.

export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

Install a compiler and other packages that are required for building PHP extensions.

sudo apt-get -y install gcc g++ make autoconf libc-dev pkg-config

Install additional packages that are required to build the Pspell extension.

sudo apt-get -y install libpspell-dev

Build the extension

The PECL install command compiles the extension’s .so library file.

php8.5

yes '' | sudo pecl8.5-sp install pspell

php8.4

yes '' | sudo pecl8.4-sp install pspell

Enable the extension

Configure PHP to load the extension.

php8.5

sudo bash -c "echo extension=pspell.so > /etc/php8.5-sp/conf.d/pspell.ini"

php8.4

sudo bash -c "echo extension=pspell.so > /etc/php8.4-sp/conf.d/pspell.ini"

Restart PHP-FPM.

php8.5

sudo service php8.5-fpm-sp restart

php8.4

sudo service php8.4-fpm-sp restart

Verify the extension is enabled in PHP.

php8.5

php8.5-sp -i | grep pspell

php8.4

php8.4-sp -i | grep pspell

If the extension is enabled, you will see output like the following.

/etc/phpX.Y-sp/conf.d/pspell.ini,
pspell

Uninstall the Pspell extension

Uninstalling the extension involves the following steps:

1. Disable the extension in the PHP configuration.
2. Remove the extension’s library file.

Disable the extension

Remove the extension’s configuration from PHP.

php8.5

sudo rm /etc/php8.5-sp/conf.d/pspell.ini

php8.4

sudo rm /etc/php8.4-sp/conf.d/pspell.ini

Restart PHP-FPM.

php8.5

sudo service php8.5-fpm-sp restart

php8.4

sudo service php8.4-fpm-sp restart

Remove the extension

The PECL uninstall command removes the extension’s .so library file.

php8.5

sudo pecl8.5-sp uninstall pspell

php8.4

sudo pecl8.4-sp uninstall pspell