Install the PHP SSH2 extension

The SSH2 extension provides functions for accessing remote machines using the secure SSH and SFTP protocols.

The SSH2 extension supports PHP 5.6+.

Install the SSH2 extension

Installing the extension involves the following steps:

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

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 SSH2 extension.

sudo apt-get -y install libssh2-1-dev

Build the extension

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

yes '' | sudo pecl8.4-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl8.3-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl8.2-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl8.1-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl8.0-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl7.4-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl7.3-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl7.2-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl7.1-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl7.0-sp install ssh2

yes '' | sudo pecl5.6-sp install ssh2-0.13

Enable the extension

Configure PHP to load the extension.

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php8.4-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php8.3-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php8.2-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php8.1-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php8.0-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php7.4-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php7.3-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php7.2-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php7.1-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php7.0-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

sudo bash -c "echo extension=ssh2.so > /etc/php5.6-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini"

Restart PHP-FPM.

sudo service php8.4-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.3-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.2-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.1-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.0-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.4-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.3-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.2-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.1-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.0-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php5.6-fpm-sp restart

Verify the extension is enabled in PHP.

php8.4-sp -i | grep ssh2

php8.3-sp -i | grep ssh2

php8.2-sp -i | grep ssh2

php8.1-sp -i | grep ssh2

php8.0-sp -i | grep ssh2

php7.4-sp -i | grep ssh2

php7.3-sp -i | grep ssh2

php7.2-sp -i | grep ssh2

php7.1-sp -i | grep ssh2

php7.0-sp -i | grep ssh2

php5.6-sp -i | grep ssh2

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

/etc/phpX.Y-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini,
Registered PHP Streams => https, ftps, compress.zlib, compress.bzip2, php, file, glob, data, http, ftp, zip, phar, ssh2.shell, ssh2.exec, ssh2.tunnel, ssh2.scp, ssh2.sftp
ssh2
libssh2 version => 1.11.0
banner => SSH-2.0-libssh2_1.11.0

Uninstall the SSH2 extension

Uninstalling the extension involves the following steps:

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

Disable the extension

Remove the extension’s configuration from PHP.

sudo rm /etc/php8.4-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php8.3-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php8.2-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php8.1-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php8.0-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php7.4-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php7.3-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php7.2-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php7.1-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php7.0-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

sudo rm /etc/php5.6-sp/conf.d/ssh2.ini

Restart PHP-FPM.

sudo service php8.4-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.3-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.2-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.1-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php8.0-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.4-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.3-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.2-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.1-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php7.0-fpm-sp restart

sudo service php5.6-fpm-sp restart

Remove the extension

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

sudo pecl8.4-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl8.3-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl8.2-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl8.1-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl8.0-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl7.4-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl7.3-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl7.2-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl7.1-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl7.0-sp uninstall ssh2

sudo pecl5.6-sp uninstall ssh2