There will be no more security updates for PHP 5.6 after 31st December 2018.
Recommended Version of PHP for Joomla 3.x Websites
Joomla websites already running on Joomla 3.x should have their hosting updated to PHP 7.2 if it isn't already. (Security support for PHP 7.1 ends on 3rd December 2018).
PHP 5.6 End of Life Options for Joomla 1.5 and Joomla 2.5 Websites
Joomla 1.5 and Joomla 2.5 are not compatible with PHP 7. As hosting providers drop support for PHP 5, Joomla 1.5 and 2.5 will cease to function. It's not clear exactly when this will happen and it might depend on the timing and severity of security vulnerabilities discovered after security support for Joomla 5.6 ends at the end of 2018.
When your hosting company announces they are dropping support for PHP 5.6, a short term solution may be to move to another host that still supports PHP 5.6 but ideally you should be aiming to migrate any remaining Joomla 1.5 or Joomla 2.5 websites to Joomla 3.x or some other secure platform within the next few months.
Another option for a simple Joomla 1.5 or Joomla 2.5 website with few ongoing updates is to recreate the website as a static HTML website as I have done for Graham Woodhouse Conveyancing and similar. A static HTML website can still have all the basic essential features such as a responsive template, SSL, search engine friendly URLs, Google Analytics, search engine optimisation and a contact form. Additional benefits of static HTML websites are faster performance and little or no ongoing cost (apart from the domain name and hosting renewals).
What Version of PHP is My Website Running On?
There are a few ways for you to check what version of PHP your website is running on. For example:
- use a free online tool such as the HTTP / HTTPS Header Check at http://www.webconfs.com/http-header-check.php
- on Joomla 1.5 websites, log in to the back-end of the website and go to Help -> System Info
- on Joomla 2.5 and Joomla 3.x websites, log in to the back-end of the website and go to Site -> System Information
- log in to your cPanel (or similar) hosting control panel and click on "Select PHP Version" or similar
What if My Hosting Company Does Not Offer Support For PHP 7?
Your hosting company should be running at least one supported version of PHP. If not, you should ask them why not and when they propose to fix the security issue. If there is no satisfactory answer then you probably have no other option but to move to a better quality hosting company.
See https://webhostingdownunder.com.au for help in choosing a new hosting company.
Migrate My Joomla Website
Migrate from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 3.x
The cost of migrating from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 3.x depends on the number of third party extensions and whether there are Joomla 3.x equivalents, whether there is an equivalent Joomla 3.x template and other factors. A straightforward Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 3.x migration typically takes at least five hours and costs from around $450.
Migrate from Joomla 2.5 to Joomla 3.x
The cost of migrating from Joomla 2.5 to Joomla 3.x depends on the number of third party extensions and whether there are Joomla 3.x equivalents, whether there is an equivalent Joomla 3.x template and other factors. A straightforward Joomla 2.5 to Joomla 3.x migration migration typically takes at least three hours and costs from around $250.
Migrate from Joomla 3.x to Joomla 4.x
The cost of migrating from Joomla 3.x to Joomla 4.x depends on the number of third party extensions and whether there are Joomla 4.x equivalents, whether there is an equivalent Joomla 4.x template and other factors. A straightforward Joomla 3.x to Joomla 4.x migration migration typically takes at least four hours and costs from around $350.
Upgrade from Joomla 4.x to Joomla 5.x
The cost of updating from Joomla 4.x to Joomla 5.x depends on the number of third party extensions and whether there are Joomla 5.x equivalents, whether there is an equivalent Joomla 5.x template and other factors. A straightforward Joomla 4.x to Joomla 5.x update typically takes at least one hour and costs from around $88.
Contact me for a quote.
Move My Website to a Better Web Hosting Company
Moving a website to a new web host typically takes a couple of hours or around $176 and includes:
- backing up the current website
- finding the most suitable web hosting company for your particular website within your budget
- purchasing a new web hosting plan on your behalf
- restoring the website to the new web host
- updating the domain name to point to the new host
- testing
- forwarding any orphaned emails on the old host to the new host
- optionally moving your domain name to the new service provider
Note that you will be moving to a better web hosting company and for most of my clients this is often a cheaper web hosting company so that the cost of the move is soon recovered.
Contact me to enquire about moving web hosts.