Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe reliable test is an HTTP request to a temporary phpinfo() page served by the exact virtual host you want to diagnose. Read its Server API value, then confirm the result in Apache’s loaded modules and virtual-host directives. The command php -v describes the command-line SAPI, so it can show a different PHP version and configuration from the website.
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Why php -v may not describe your website
A LAMP server can have separate PHP runtimes for the shell and for HTTP requests. The shell may invoke a CLI binary installed in one location, while Apache sends web requests to embedded PHP, PHP-FPM through FastCGI, or another CGI/FastCGI implementation. Those SAPIs can use different PHP versions, extension sets, and php.ini files.
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For that reason, the web response is authoritative for the site being tested. Run php -v and php --ini as a comparison, not as proof of which handler Apache is using.
Use a temporary diagnostic page
Create the file in the document root of the virtual host under test. A filename such as handler-check.php is sufficient. Its contents should expose the general, configuration, and module sections:
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<?php
phpinfo(INFO_GENERAL | INFO_CONFIGURATION | INFO_MODULES);
?>Request the file through the same hostname, HTTPS listener, virtual host, and URL path used by the application. For example, if the application is reached over HTTPS on a named host, do not test the server by its IP address over plain HTTP; that could select a different virtual host and a different PHP route.
Record these fields from the response:
- Server API
- PHP Version
- Loaded Configuration File
- Scan this dir for additional .ini files
- Additional .ini files parsed
- the web-server information shown by
phpinfo()
The PHP manual describes phpinfo() as output that reports PHP configuration, compilation options, extensions, version, server information, environment, and configuration paths. That makes it useful for identifying the runtime that actually handled the browser request.
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Server API is the quickest first classification. It does not replace an Apache configuration check, but it tells you which path to investigate.
Value shown by phpinfo() |
What it usually means | What to verify next |
|---|---|---|
Apache 2.0 Handler |
PHP is embedded in Apache through a PHP module, commonly called mod_php. | Apache’s module list should contain a PHP module. Inspect the loaded PHP shared object and the directive that assigns PHP files to it. |
FPM/FastCGI |
The request reached PHP-FPM over FastCGI. | Confirm proxy_fcgi_module, find the virtual-host proxy or handler rule, and match its socket or TCP endpoint to a running FPM pool. |
CGI/FastCGI |
The request used a CGI or FastCGI path, but this label alone does not prove that PHP-FPM is involved. | Look for CGI or fcgid modules and for AddHandler, SetHandler, or related dispatch rules. |
Labels are clues rather than configuration dumps. A complete answer comes from matching the HTTP result to Apache’s modules, virtual-host rules, and, where applicable, the FPM pool endpoint.
Confirm the handler in Apache
List loaded modules
Run the module-list command provided by your distribution:
apachectl -MOn systems that use the Debian-style command name, use:
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apache2ctl -MInspect the output for the component that corresponds to the Server API result:
- A loaded PHP module supports the embedded mod_php interpretation.
proxy_fcgi_modulesupports Apache proxying a request to a FastCGI backend such as PHP-FPM.cgi_moduleorcgid_moduleindicates Apache’s CGI facilities. An fcgid deployment has its own fcgid rules and process handling.
The module list proves what Apache has loaded globally. It does not, by itself, prove that every virtual host uses the same handler, so continue with the active virtual host and its included configuration files.
Find the dispatch rule for PHP files
In the active virtual host and the configuration files it includes, inspect directives that decide where a .php request goes:
AddHandlerSetHandler<FilesMatch>blocksProxyPassMatch
For PHP-FPM, Apache examples route matching PHP requests to a Unix socket or a TCP endpoint. A ProxyPassMatch rule or a SetHandler arrangement may contain that destination. Record the exact socket path or host-and-port value; it is needed for the FPM check.
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For embedded PHP, the PHP module and its handler directive are the relevant evidence. For CGI or fcgid, the handler assignment and the corresponding CGI module or fcgid configuration show which executable path Apache invokes.
Verify PHP-FPM when FastCGI is reported
PHP-FPM is PHP’s FastCGI Process Manager. If the diagnostic page reports FPM/FastCGI, verify all three parts of the chain:
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- Apache support: the module list includes
proxy_fcgi_moduleor the equivalent FastCGI proxy support used by the deployment. - Virtual-host target: the PHP dispatch rule sends requests to a Unix socket or TCP endpoint.
- Running pool: the service manager shows a running
php-fpmor versionedphp*-fpmservice, and the pool’slistenvalue exactly matches Apache’s target.
Both sides of the endpoint must agree. A pool listening on one Unix-socket path cannot receive requests that Apache sends to another path, and a pool bound to one TCP port cannot satisfy a rule aimed at a different port. After matching the endpoint, request the same diagnostic URL again; it should continue to report FPM/FastCGI.
If the FPM service is running but the browser shows a different Server API, the request may be selecting another virtual host, another listener, or an embedded/CGI rule that takes precedence. Trace the hostname, protocol, and path used in the browser before changing the pool.
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Distinguish CGI, fcgid, and PHP-FPM
CGI/FastCGI is intentionally broader than FPM/FastCGI. It identifies a CGI-compatible request path, not a particular process manager. A site can therefore show a CGI/FastCGI API while Apache uses CGI or fcgid configuration rather than PHP-FPM.
Use the Apache evidence to resolve the ambiguity:
- CGI: look for
cgi_moduleorcgid_moduleand the associatedAddHandlerorSetHandlerrules. - fcgid: inspect fcgid-specific configuration and the handler assignment for PHP files.
- PHP-FPM: find
proxy_fcgi_module, a proxy or handler target, and a running pool whoselistenendpoint matches that target.
Do not label every FastCGI response “FPM” without the matching service and endpoint. The HTTP field establishes the SAPI family; Apache and the service configuration establish which implementation is behind it.
Compare the web runtime with the CLI runtime
To make the difference measurable, add a small runtime summary to the temporary page or use a separate temporary diagnostic file:
<?php
echo 'PHP_VERSION: ' . PHP_VERSION . "n";
echo 'PHP_SAPI: ' . PHP_SAPI . "n";
echo 'php_ini_loaded_file: ' . (php_ini_loaded_file() ?: 'none') . "n";
echo 'php_ini_scanned_files: ' . (php_ini_scanned_files() ?: 'none') . "n";
?>Compare those values with:
php -v
php --iniPHP_VERSION and PHP_SAPI identify the version and SAPI handling the HTTP request. php_ini_loaded_file() identifies the main configuration file loaded by that request, while php_ini_scanned_files() lists additional configuration files that were parsed. The CLI commands report the shell’s PHP binary and its configuration instead.
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Different values are expected when CLI PHP and web PHP are separate installations or SAPIs. For website behavior, extensions, and configuration, use the values from the HTTP response. Use the CLI values only when diagnosing a command-line script or a scheduled job that actually runs through the shell.
Account for virtual hosts and listeners
“Which handler is Apache using?” can have more than one answer on a single server. Apache may load one set of modules globally while individual virtual hosts dispatch PHP requests differently. A plain-HTTP listener, an HTTPS listener, and a different hostname can also select different virtual-host definitions.
Test each site independently:
- Place the temporary file in that site’s document root.
- Request it with that site’s real hostname.
- Use the same protocol and port as the application, especially HTTPS when the application redirects there.
- Record the Server API, version, configuration-file paths, and web-server information.
- Inspect the selected virtual host and its included files for the matching dispatch directives.
Repeat the process after a handler migration. A server-wide module list can remain unchanged while a particular site’s <FilesMatch>, SetHandler, or ProxyPassMatch rule changes the actual runtime.
How the main handlers differ operationally
| Handler | Runtime model | Apache evidence | Operational characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| mod_php | PHP is embedded inside Apache worker processes. | A PHP module is loaded; Server API normally reads Apache 2.0 Handler. |
Unless PHP is built thread-safe, this model requires Apache’s prefork MPM. PHP code shares Apache workers rather than running in a separate FPM pool. |
PHP-FPM via mod_proxy_fcgi |
Apache forwards requests to separate PHP-FPM processes over FastCGI. | proxy_fcgi_module, a socket or TCP target in a proxy/handler rule, and a matching FPM pool; Server API reads FPM/FastCGI. |
FPM provides separate process management, works with Apache’s event MPM, and can isolate sites in separate pools and users when configured that way. |
| CGI or fcgid | Apache dispatches PHP through CGI-compatible machinery rather than an embedded PHP module. | cgi_module, cgid_module, fcgid configuration, and matching handler directives; Server API may read CGI/FastCGI. |
The exact process model and restart boundary depend on the CGI or fcgid configuration, so identify the executable and handler rules before troubleshooting. |
PHP’s Apache guidance recommends PHP-FPM with mod_proxy_fcgi for modern deployments. Its documentation describes that method as preferred for Apache 2.4 and newer. The practical benefit is a separate PHP process manager and compatibility with the event MPM, while mod_php’s embedded model ties PHP to Apache’s worker model and, in common non-thread-safe builds, to prefork.
Use the evidence to diagnose common surprises
The browser shows a different PHP version than php -v
This normally means the CLI and web SAPIs use separate installations or configuration trees. Compare PHP_VERSION, PHP_SAPI, and the two php.ini path functions from the HTTP page with php -v and php --ini. Do not change the CLI binary and expect the website to change; the web request follows Apache’s handler and virtual-host rules.
The page says Apache 2.0 Handler, but FPM is running
A running FPM service does not prove that this virtual host uses it. Check whether Apache has a loaded PHP module and whether the selected virtual host contains a PHP-FPM proxy rule. If a PHP module handles the request, the site is using embedded PHP even though an unused FPM service is available.
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The page says FPM/FastCGI, but Apache has no obvious pool
Verify that you inspected the active virtual host and all included configuration files, not only global settings. Then compare the proxy target character for character with each running FPM pool’s listen value. A mismatch indicates that the rule and pool are not the pair serving the request; a different virtual host or listener may be involved.
The page says CGI/FastCGI and you need to know whether it is FPM
Use the implementation evidence rather than the label alone. A matching proxy_fcgi_module rule and FPM pool identify PHP-FPM. CGI or fcgid modules and their own handler rules identify a different FastCGI/CGI path.
The diagnostic URL returns the wrong site or fails
Recheck the document root, hostname, protocol, port, and URL path. A file placed in one site’s document root but requested through another hostname can be served by a different virtual host, while a missing file or access rule can produce a 404 or 403 before PHP is invoked. The test is valid only when the request reaches the intended virtual host.
Clean up the diagnostic file
Delete handler-check.php and any second diagnostic file as soon as the investigation is complete. phpinfo() exposes configuration paths, environment details, HTTP headers, loaded extensions, and other information that should not remain publicly reachable. If you need the values again, recreate the file briefly, test through the exact site URL, and remove it immediately afterward.
A concise verification checklist
- Create a temporary
phpinfo(INFO_GENERAL | INFO_CONFIGURATION | INFO_MODULES)page in the target virtual host’s document root. - Request it through the application’s real hostname, protocol, listener, and path.
- Record Server API, PHP version, loaded configuration file, scanned configuration directory, parsed additional files, and web-server information.
- Run
apachectl -Morapache2ctl -M. - Inspect the selected virtual host and included files for
AddHandler,SetHandler,<FilesMatch>, andProxyPassMatch. - If FPM is indicated, match Apache’s Unix-socket or TCP target to a running
php-fpmor versionedphp*-fpmpool’slistenvalue. - Compare the web values with
php -vandphp --inionly to document CLI/web differences. - Delete every diagnostic file immediately.
When the HTTP Server API, Apache dispatch rule, loaded module, and (for FPM) pool endpoint all agree, you have identified the handler serving that virtual host rather than merely identifying a PHP installation present on the server.
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