Runtimes
A runtime is the program that executes a site’s code: PHP for PHP sites, Node.js for Node.js apps. Sites with no handler do without one. The Runtimes page in the left menu shows which versions the server has and which sites use each of them.
PHP
The panel detects the PHP versions installed on the server. It never downloads PHP itself: PHP comes from the system packages that install.sh sets up.
sudo ./install.sh --php
The PHP card lists every installed version with the sites that use it. The newest installed version carries the Default mark, and sites set to “Newest installed” use it.
Two more fields are on the card. Sandbox is strict (the default) or basic (see PHP). Checked is the time the root helper last reported the state of PHP.
Without PHP support, or when no php-fpm is found, the card says so and shows the command above. A site may also ask for a PHP version the server no longer has, for example after that version was removed. The card then lists such sites with a warning, and the site’s version list marks the version as “not installed”.
Node.js
Node.js versions are installed on demand. The card lists the Node.js majors WardPane offers: 20, 22, 24 and 26. Node.js 20 reached its end of life in April 2026. Each line is in one of two states:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
Installed, with the exact version (for example v24.x.y) |
The runtime is on the server, and sites on this line use it. |
| Not installed | Nothing is downloaded yet. It is downloaded from nodejs.org when a site needs it. |
During a download the version is shown as “Downloading”. If the download fails, the panel says “Node.js could not be downloaded” with the reason.
The first time a site needs a line, the newest release of that line is downloaded from https://nodejs.org/dist/ and checked against the official SHASUMS256.txt before it is unpacked. Runtimes live in /opt/wardpane-runtimes. A version that no site uses any more is removed.
Press Refresh to read the list again.
An older panel version without Node.js support shows “Node.js is not available on this server yet” on the card. To host Node.js apps, update WardPane.
Choosing a version for a site
Each site has its own version, set on the site’s Handler tab.
For PHP, the Version list offers “Newest installed” (the default, which follows the newest PHP on the server) and every installed version. Pin a fixed version if your app needs one, for example while you test it on a newer PHP.
For Node.js, the Node.js version list offers these majors, and new sites get 24. The create dialog has the same choice.
Different sites can use different versions at the same time, including two Node.js apps of the same owner.