Composer is a powerful dependency management tool for PHP, allowing you to install and manage libraries easily. This guide explains how to use Composer, whether through a SSH (shell access) or a PHP script.

Option 1: Using Composer with Shell Access

If you have SSH/Terminal access through a Business or Reseller package, you can directly run Composer commands in the terminal.

Open Terminal / SSH Session:

cPanel -> Advanced -> Terminal
or connect via SSH using your username

Navigate to your application directory, eg

cd /home/username/public_html/my_php_app

Run Composer Commands:

For example, to install dependencies from composer.json:

composer install

For further commands and options, refer to the list of commands below.

Option 2: Using Composer via PHP Script

If shell access is unavailable, you can run Composer commands using a PHP script.

Example PHP script:

Save the following code in a .php file (e.g., composer_run.php)

<?php

// Set the COMPOSER_HOME environment variable
putenv('COMPOSER_HOME=' . getenv('HOME') . '/.composer');

// Run the Composer command
$output = shell_exec('/opt/cpanel/composer/bin/composer install 2>&1');

// Display the output
echo "<pre>$output</pre>";

Create the composer_run.php file

Save the script in your project directory, alongside your composer.json file.
Adjust "composer install" command as required, refer to the list of commands below.

Access the Script

Visit the script in your browser, e.g., https://exampledomain.co.za/my_php_app/composer_run.php

Verify the output

The script will display the output of the composer install command. Check for any errors and ensure the vendor directory is created.

Composer Commands

To install dependencies from composer.json:

composer install

To add a new package (e.g., monolog/monolog):

composer require monolog/monolog

To update all dependencies:

composer update

Troubleshooting

If you receive a message similar to "Your Composer dependencies require a PHP version ">= 8.1.0"

This indicates that the current PHP version does not meet the requirements specified in your project's composer.json file. To resolve this issue, you will need to update the PHP version set for your account.

Please refer to the following article for detailed instructions: How do I set the PHP version, extensions, and options in cPanel?

Updated on: 21/11/2024