Seiden PHP+ Delivers PHP 8.5 to IBM i

Each year brings a new PHP release. We’re preparing Seiden PHP+ so that IBM i users can adopt PHP 8.5 shortly after it becomes generally available (GA) around November 20, 2025. As I mentioned in Keep Your PHP Secure: Why Regular Updates Matter, PHP users should adopt a regular upgrade schedule to make upgrades easier.

Notable Enhancements in PHP 8.5

Two updates stand out to me:

• Fatal-error backtraces
  PHP 8.5 offers an optional fatal_error_backtraces INI setting that provides a full stack trace when a fatal error occurs. When your code hits a serious error, instead of just “file X line Y,” you get the execution path that led there.
• Native glob() and related filesystem enhancements
  The new native PHP implementation reduces reliance on underlying system utilities and brings more predictable behavior.

We’re testing these features to make sure they work well for IBM i users.

Support Timeline

PHP 8.1 reaches end of security support on December 31, 2025. If you still rely on 8.1, this is a good time to plan your upgrade path. Moving to 8.4 or 8.5 (8.2 at a minimum) will help keep your applications current and supported.

What to Expect from Seiden PHP+

Our team is validating PHP 8.5 across IBM i environments and will provide:

• A Seiden PHP+ build for PHP 8.5
• Guidance for anyone planning their upgrade
• Proactive production support and developer support

As always, our goal is to make sure IBM i users have a dependable, modern PHP environment.

If you’d like help preparing for PHP 8.5 or reviewing your current setup, we’re happy to assist.