Enabling the MySQLi Extension in PHP 7

In PHP 7, the MySQLi extension provides improved MySQL database connectivity functionality. However, users may encounter issues with enabling this extension on Ubuntu 14.04. This article provides a step-by-step solution to successfully enable MySQLi in PHP 7.

Verifying Installed Extensions

To check if the MySQLi extension is installed, run the following command:

sudo apt-cache search php7-*

If MySQLi is not listed among the output, proceed with the following steps:

Updating Apache and PHP 7

The default PHP package for MySQL connectivity (php5-mysql) is deprecated. To resolve this, install the newer package:

sudo apt-get install php-mysql

This command will automatically update Apache and PHP 7.

Restarting Apache

After installing the new package, restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo service apache2 restart

Verifying MySQLi Extension

Once Apache has restarted, use phpinfo() to verify that the MySQLi extension is now enabled:

Troubleshooting

If the MySQLi extension is still not enabled, check the following:

• Ensure that the mysqli module is loaded in your PHP configuration file (php.ini).
• Verify that your PHP version is up to date.
• If using a non-default PHP installation, adjust the paths in your .bashrc file to point to the correct PHP and Apache directories.