When will PlusNet set a date for its PHP5 upgrade?

[#1]

If you look at other threads in this forum, you'll see that Plus doesn't yet know whether, let alone when, they're going to upgrade from PHP4 to PHP5.
This is a big problem for anyone who's trying to use their Plus account for any serious development, because as you know there are only four more months during which there will be support for PHP4. Lots of other UK ISPs and hosting companies have already moved to PHP5.
There's obviously lots of demand from customers for this (the most thread on the subject had 235 views), and this raises a problem for those of us who are starting on non-trivial projects.
So my question is: how do other customers feel about this? Would you like Plus to set a timetable for this?

In the thread I saw, the staff person used the ominous phrase "should we decide to go ahead".) http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=1200.0
My own feeling is that if they don't set a date that's before December 31st, it will make me reconsider my loyalty to Plus.

[#2]

Hey there,
The PlusNet UserGroup are also pushing for an upgrade to PHP5 on the CGI platform and it has been raised in our Issue Tracker here : http://usergroup.plus.net/pugit/view.php?id=290
You'll note the latest update from PlusNet on this issue on Wednesday last week.
Please do signup and register your vote if this is a feature you would like to see.

[#3]

Hey Liam --  thanks for responding.
Like other PlusNet customers, I suspect, I'm not impressed by the official response that they're not doing it because it would break 80% of the scripts currently being hosted.
First, PHP5 is designed with backward compatibility in mind, so it would be astounding if this were true. Second, Plus is just like every other ISP in this respect, and lots of others that have existing hosting scripts have already made the upgrade.
Does Plus feel its customers are particularly stupid compared with the customers of other PHP hosting companies, and hence are likely to have special trouble in upgrading? Or could it be that the concern for not breaking customers' scripts is a useful excuse for delaying?

[#4]

Quote from: timkil

Like other PlusNet customers, I suspect, I'm not impressed by the official response that they're not doing it because it would break 80% of the scripts currently being hosted. .. Does Plus feel its customers are particularly stupid compared with the customers of other PHP hosting companies, and hence are likely to have special trouble in upgrading?

Not everyone here is maybe as proficient as you are    I use PHP/mysql for database output, and the auto-creation of static html pages from output php pages, but the recent cgi-server issues meant the latter script didn't work until the previous server was re-enabled.
Speaking entirely personally it might cause me endless hassle if the PHP5 upgrade were to create similar problems. My pagebuilding is a "spare time" activity but I'm in the midst of some fairly complex stuff at present and need to be able to work with the existing scripts for the generation of more of the dual-language worksheet sets for the site.
I quite like the "alternative option" put forward by Ian Glennon on the PUGIT 290 thread at PUG which I trust I'm allowed to quote here:

Quote

Just to clarify, there is another option.  PHP is used in CGI mode, rather than using mod_php in Apache.  This means we can have PHP5 alongside PHP4 on the ccgi servers, with Apache reconfigured to discriminate between versions based on file extension.  This, however, will take time to test and implement.  We are looking into this, however I can not yet offer any timescales,  It will, however, mean we can (a) implement PHP5 without the need for a parallel platform (and consequently code changes to 'sign up' to a PHP5 component), and (b) monitor PHP4 usage witha view to removing PHP4 handlers when PHP remove support for it.

and it would/will make my life considerably easier if the PHP4 facility is retained for absolutely as long as possible.
Regards,
Penny.

[#5]

Quote from: timkil

Like other PlusNet customers, I suspect, I'm not impressed by the official response that they're not doing it because it would break 80% of the scripts currently being hosted.

I can't update my database to the latest version without the servers first being upgraded.  The longer the upgrade gets put off, the further out of date my database software gets
Here's hoping it happens soon!

[#6]

Hi all,
There's currently no project work scheduled for PHP5.  We're currently working on things which we deem to be more important.  It's not something that is being forgotten and when we have further information, we will announce.

[#7]

Quote from: James

We're currently working on things which we deem to be more important.

With +net being such an open and transparent ISP, would I be being to nosy or impertenent in asking what these 'more important' things are ?.
If customers know what they are they may well be prepared to sit back and wait 3 or 4 years for an upgrade to PHP5.
Personally I can't see why having PHP4 and PHP5 can't be done very soon and quickly, as this is what was done a few years ago with the old servers.  i.e. we had PHP3, then PHP3 and 4, then just PHP 4. and we got PHP4 long before support for PHP3 was terminated.
More and more scripts now require PHP5 and people want to use them but are being held back and denied being able to use them because of what many see as +nets stuborn stance on this matter.

[#8]

There's various Product, Development and Network work currently ongoing.  From a Networks perspective, the focus is high (naturally) on email and that has to be our main priority currently.  I do assure you all, as soon as I have any timeframes, then you will all be the first to know.

[#9]

Quote from: Devonports

Quote from: James We're currently working on things which we deem to be more important. With +net being such an open and transparent ISP, would I be being to nosy or impertenent in asking what these 'more important' things are ?.

This is never an unwelcome question, and frankly I'd love to just publish a big list of priority items (The workstack!) for you to make your own mind up about. That's not something I can pull out of a hat, but in principle there is no problem in sharing details of the work we are prioritising. I'll have a think about how we can best work such a system (The workstack changes all the time, so any effort we put into this needs to be more than a one off system) and see what I can do from there.
Ian

[#10]

I appreciate that Plusnet have many competing priorities and that the webspace, being a "free extra", may not be top of the list.  But what worries me is that after 31 Dec 07, PHP4 will be unsupported.  There are bound to be security implications for customer websites and Plusnet servers if the move to a supported version of PHP is not made.
It seems to me that Plusnet will have to do some work on this: either upgrade to PHP5 or plan how to deal with the implications of using unsupported software.

Keith