Thank you all for the advice. In this case the solution was to update via WHM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPanel#WHM_.28Web_Host_Manager.29). I had not ever heard of this tool before this situation. A reminder that I am not a real system admin, I just play one. Alan On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 9:39 AM, Alan Dayley wrote: > Thank you, James and James. > > Alan > > > On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 6:57 PM, James Dugger > wrote: > >> Alan, >> >> Try here. >> >> https://webtatic.com/packages/php53/ >> >> >> On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 4:17 PM, James Mcphee wrote: >> >>> There are compatibility problems between PHP 5.2 and 5.3. Some of your >>> code may require updating. Generally for that sort of thing I'd take an >>> image of the server in question and do the update on the image, qa the heck >>> out of it, have the fixes done as needed, and when I was confident, go >>> forward. Or, I would build a new system with the desired versions, and do >>> the same with the code. >>> >>> This kind of legacy maintenance is the nightmare that sysadmins have to >>> deal with regularly. >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 4:02 PM, Alan Dayley wrote: >>> >>>> I have inherited administration of a dedicated server running CentOS >>>> 5.2. It is serving three live websites, among other services. I need to >>>> update PHP from 5.2.x to 5.3 on this server. >>>> >>>> "No problem!" I thought, "I'll just fire up yum and see what is what." >>>> >>>> PHP is not in the package management system. It is in the yum exclusion >>>> list, which I overrode but still have no reference to PHP at all in any >>>> operation coming back from yum. Yet PHP is working on the system. Installed >>>> in some manual process, I assume. >>>> >>>> Now I am in fear of breaking things since wandering in the filesystem >>>> without package management to guide me is outside of my comfort zone. >>>> >>>> Am I right to be in fear? Do you have a good reference on how I could >>>> proceed? How would you proceed? >>>> >>>> Alan >>>> >>>> >>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> James McPhee >>> jmcphe@gmail.com >>> >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> James >> >> *Linkedin * >> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> > >