Failed to start The PHP 8.0 FastCGI Process Manager

[virtualministrator]

SYSTEM INFORMATION
OS type and version:	Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS
Webmin version:	1.973
Virtualmin version:	6.16
Usermin version:	1.823

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Hi! I updated Virtualmin/Webmin for the first time in probably 4 months and it was on 100% CPU for a few hours.

Now, the interface is really slow and disconnects. Furthermore, I am unable to choose PHP version for some domains and for those which I can, it just gives 5XX errors on Wordpress.

When investigating what went wrong, I get the following errors:
“Failed to start The PHP 8.0 FastCGI Process Manager” and “please specify user and other than root” when installing PHP 8.0 and running it

Does anyone have a solution? I need to update to a recent PHP version as some of my Wordpress plugins are complaining.

[Gomez_Adams]

I don’t know anybody running php8 on an active server. Especially anybody running Wordpress.

I control a dozen Wordpress sites and not a single one of them have all php8 compatibility. I run 7.4 and have no issues at all.

My recommendation: Get rid of 8.0. Revert to 7.4

[virtualministrator]

When going on Virtualmin > Selected domain > Server Configuration > PHP Options, I can see the following under mod_php: PHP versions installed 7.4.21

However Wordpress thinks it is running this version: PHP Version: 7.2.34-23

[Gomez_Adams]

Long as it isn’t 8. I’ve seen nothing but problems from people that jumped on 8 the instant it came out.

It can take months, sometimes a year, before everybody gets around to updating to a new version.

[virtualministrator]

Thanks, but what seems to be the issue since I can’t switch on Virtualmin?

[Gomez_Adams]

If you don’t see different versions listed in the PHP Information section then they’re either not installed or not running.