The supported installation route is HHVM’s APT repository at https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntu. Add the signing key, configure the repository for your Ubuntu codename, run apt update, and install the hhvm package. Ubuntu 24.04 uses the noble codename, but the official Linux instructions do not confirm that a noble package suite exists. Check the repository before changing your VPS; if it is absent, use the official Docker image or build HHVM from source instead of pointing APT at another Ubuntu release.
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What you need before installing
This procedure changes system APT configuration, so use an account with sudo access and take a VPS snapshot if you need an easy rollback. The commands below assume a 64-bit Ubuntu server with working DNS and outbound HTTPS access.
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- Ubuntu installed on the VPS and an account that can become root.
- A resolved Ubuntu codename, such as
jammyornoble. - HTTPS access to
dl.hhvm.comand to Ubuntu package mirrors. - Permission to install system packages and add a file under
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/.
Do not copy an old tutorial without checking its target release. Many online guides were written for Ubuntu 14.04 through 20.04 and use the historical apt-key workflow. The HHVM documentation still shows a keyserver command, but repository availability and key-handling recommendations can change, especially on newer Ubuntu releases.
1. Confirm the Ubuntu release and codename
Run these commands before adding any HHVM source:
lsb_release -a
lsb_release -cs
. /etc/os-release && printf '%sn' "$PRETTY_NAME"The second command prints the codename APT expects. Ubuntu 24.04 should print noble. Record the value; it must match the suite used in the HHVM repository entry. If lsb_release is missing, read VERSION_CODENAME from /etc/os-release or install the distribution’s release-information package before continuing.
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2. Check whether HHVM publishes your suite
The official page does not state that Ubuntu 24.04 is supported. Test the repository path directly, particularly on a new Ubuntu release:
curl -I https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/Replace noble with the codename printed on your VPS. A response showing that the directory or its metadata is available is a useful indication that the suite is published. A 404 or another repository error means you should not substitute jammy, focal, or an unrelated suite just to make APT proceed; packages built for a different Ubuntu release can create dependency and runtime failures.
For a non-noble server, perform the same test with its own codename:
CODENAME="$(lsb_release -cs)"
curl -I "https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntu/dists/${CODENAME}/"Keep the result with your deployment notes. Repository layouts and supported release lines can change, so repeat this check when rebuilding a VPS rather than assuming that a previously working codename remains available.
3. Become root and install repository helpers
The official Linux procedure is performed as root. Start a root shell with either command:
sudo -ior:
su -Install the basic tools needed to identify the release, fetch repository metadata over HTTPS, and manage a signing key:
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apt update
apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-releaseIf your image already includes these packages, APT will leave them unchanged. Running apt update here only refreshes Ubuntu’s existing sources; HHVM has not been added yet.
4. Import the HHVM signing key
The official guide shows this keyserver command, using Ubuntu’s keyserver and key ID B4112585D386EB94:
apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv B4112585D386EB94On newer Ubuntu installations, apt-key may print a deprecation warning or fail because the command is no longer available. Do not disable signature checking and do not install packages from an unsigned repository. The HHVM guide documents an alternative key-import method for systems where the keyserver command fails; use that method from the current official instructions rather than copying an unverified key from a third-party page.
After importing the key, you can inspect the local key list to confirm that an HHVM signing key was added:
apt-key listIf your Ubuntu image has removed apt-key, this inspection command may fail as well; that does not prove the key was absent. The important check is whether the subsequent apt update can authenticate HHVM’s Release metadata. The current documentation’s exact recommendation for a dedicated signed-by keyring on Ubuntu 24.04 is not established here, so follow the live HHVM instructions for that release instead of mixing key-management examples from unrelated repositories.
5. Add the HHVM APT repository
Create an APT source entry using the codename you verified. The repository base is:
https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntuFor an unpinned installation, the guide’s repository entry uses your Ubuntu suite and the HHVM component. Generate the file with the syntax shown in the current HHVM Linux instructions:
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CODENAME="$(lsb_release -cs)"
editor /etc/apt/sources.list.d/hhvm.listEnter the official HHVM deb line, replacing its suite token with ${CODENAME}‘s value. Keeping the entry in its own file makes it easy to audit, disable, or remove later. Do not add both a generic line and a release-pinned line for the same suite; duplicate entries can make package selection difficult to diagnose.
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Check the resulting file before refreshing APT:
cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/hhvm.listConfirm that the URL is https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntu, that the suite matches lsb_release -cs, and that any major.minor pin is intentional.
6. Refresh APT and install HHVM
Once the source file and signing key are in place, refresh package metadata:
apt updateRead the output rather than ignoring warnings. A successful run should download HHVM repository metadata without a missing-key, missing-Release-file, or unsupported-suite error. Install the main package:
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7. Verify the installation
Check the executable and the package APT installed:
hhvm --version
dpkg -s hhvm | sed -n '1,12p'
command -v hhvmhhvm --version should print the installed HHVM version. command -v should return the executable path, normally somewhere under /usr/bin. If the package installation completed but the shell says hhvm: command not found, start a new shell and inspect the path returned by command -v; do not immediately download a second binary.
Which HHVM package should you install?
The repository contains more than the runtime. Choose the package that matches the task on the VPS:
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| Package | Use |
|---|---|
hhvm |
The standard HHVM runtime and the package used by the official installation procedure. |
hhvm-dbg |
Debugging symbols for the corresponding HHVM build. |
hhvm-dev |
Development files for work that needs HHVM’s development interfaces. |
hhvm-nightly |
A nightly runtime build rather than the regular package line. |
hhvm-nightly-dbg |
Debugging symbols for the nightly build. |
hhvm-dev-nightly |
Development files associated with nightly builds. |
Install hhvm first unless you have a specific debugging, development, or nightly-build requirement. Nightly packages can change more frequently than a pinned stable major.minor line, so record the exact package and repository entry used for a reproducible deployment.
How version pinning works
HHVM’s repository selector distinguishes a major.minor release family from an individual patch. When the repository line targets a family such as 4.56, patch updates in that family arrive through normal APT updates. A later minor family, such as 4.57, does not arrive automatically. This gives you a practical balance: security and bug-fix patches can be consumed without silently crossing a minor-version boundary.
Before changing the pin, inspect what APT sees:
apt-cache policy hhvmChange the repository entry, refresh metadata, and review the proposed candidate before upgrading:
apt update
apt-cache policy hhvm
apt install --only-upgrade hhvmThe exact available versions depend on what HHVM publishes at the time you run these commands. The official documentation gives 4.56.1 as an example of a patch release; it is not a statement that this is the current release on your VPS.
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Ubuntu 24.04 (noble): choose the correct branch
If the noble suite exists
Use noble in the HHVM source entry, keep the signing-key configuration supported by the current guide, and run apt update. Install only after APT downloads a valid HHVM Release file and presents an installation candidate. Verify with hhvm --version.
If the noble suite is missing
Do not point a 24.04 system at an older Ubuntu suite. The package may install while carrying incompatible libraries, and future updates can become impossible to resolve. Keep Ubuntu 24.04 and select an alternative deployment method:
- Run the official HHVM Docker image and isolate the runtime from the host’s APT sources.
- Build HHVM from source only if your distribution is one for which HHVM documents builds and the VPS has several gigabytes of available RAM.
A community script that builds nightly packages for Ubuntu 24.04 is not an official support path. Treat it as an independent project, audit its contents, and do not rely on it for a production installation without accepting its maintenance and supply-chain risks.
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apt update reports “does not have a Release file”
The suite is probably not published at the configured path, or the codename is misspelled. Re-run lsb_release -cs and test the matching directory with curl -I. If the directory is unavailable, remove or disable the HHVM source file and use Docker or a supported source build. Do not solve this by changing noble to an arbitrary older suite.
APT reports NO_PUBKEY or an unsigned repository
The signing key was not imported in a way APT can use, or the key has changed. Recheck the key ID B4112585D386EB94 against the current HHVM instructions and use the documented alternative when apt-key adv fails. Never bypass signature verification with insecure APT options.
There is no installation candidate for hhvm
Inspect the source file and run:
apt-cache policy hhvmNo candidate generally means that APT did not load the HHVM repository, the suite is unsupported, or the repository line’s release selector is malformed. Correct the source and run apt update again before trying to install.
The shell says hhvm: command not found
Confirm that apt install hhvm completed successfully, then run dpkg -L hhvm | grep '/hhvm$' to locate the binary. Start a new login shell if the executable directory was added after your current session began. If the package is absent, return to apt-cache policy hhvm and fix APT rather than copying a binary from another server.
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Outbound keyserver traffic is often restricted on VPS networks. Check DNS and HTTPS connectivity, then use the alternative key-import procedure in the official HHVM guide. A transient keyserver failure is not a reason to trust an unverified download.
Using Docker or a source build instead
Docker
The official Docker option is the cleanest fallback when your Ubuntu codename has no APT suite. It keeps HHVM’s userspace and dependencies in the image, while the VPS remains on its normal Ubuntu repositories. Use the official HHVM Docker documentation for the image name, tags, volume layout, and application-server integration; those details vary by image version and are not interchangeable with an APT installation.
Source compilation
HHVM’s build documentation limits supported source builds to distributions for which HHVM makes binaries and warns that compilation needs several gigabytes of RAM. A small VPS can fail during compilation even when the source tree is correct. Add temporary swap only if your provider and operating policy allow it, and remove it or resize the server after the build if it was created solely for compilation. A source build also becomes your responsibility to package, update, and remove, unlike an APT-managed installation.
Updating, auditing, and removing HHVM
After installation, keep the repository entry and selected major.minor family documented with the VPS configuration. To see whether a patch update is available:
apt update
apt-cache policy hhvmApply an update only after reviewing the candidate version:
apt install --only-upgrade hhvmTo remove the runtime while retaining configuration files, use:
apt remove hhvmTo remove the package and its system configuration files, use apt purge hhvm after confirming that no application still depends on it. Remove /etc/apt/sources.list.d/hhvm.list only when you are finished with the HHVM repository; otherwise future package operations may continue querying it.
Quick Recap
Final installation checklist
lsb_release -csmatches the suite in the HHVM source entry.- The matching path under
https://dl.hhvm.com/ubuntu/dists/responds before installation. - The HHVM signing key is installed using the official documented method.
apt updatecompletes without signature or Release-file errors.apt install hhvmselects an actual candidate.hhvm --versionprints the runtime version.- Any major.minor pin is recorded, so routine APT updates cannot unexpectedly cross into the next minor line.
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