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Extend the Life of Your CentOS 7 with GetPageSpeed LTS Repository

CentOS 7 has reached its end-of-life (EOL) status, and users can no longer install or upgrade packages using the default YUM repositories. This means running a simple yum upgrade command will result in errors and frustration. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

The Problem with EOL CentOS 7

If you try to upgrade your CentOS 7 system, you will encounter errors like this:

 One of the configured repositories failed (CentOS-7 - Base),
 and yum doesn't have enough cached data to continue. At this point the only
 safe thing yum can do is fail. There are a few ways to work "fix" this:

     1. Contact the upstream for the repository and get them to fix the problem.

     2. Reconfigure the baseurl/etc. for the repository, to point to a working
        upstream. This is most often useful if you are using a newer
        distribution release than is supported by the repository (and the
        packages for the previous distribution release still work).

     3. Run the command with the repository temporarily disabled
            yum --disablerepo=base ...

     4. Disable the repository permanently, so yum won't use it by default. Yum
        will then just ignore the repository until you permanently enable it
        again or use --enablerepo for temporary usage:

            yum-config-manager --disable base
        or
            subscription-manager repos --disable=base

     5. Configure the failing repository to be skipped, if it is unavailable.
        Note that yum will try to contact the repo. when it runs most commands,
        so will have to try and fail each time (and thus. yum will be be much
        slower). If it is a very temporary problem though, this is often a nice
        compromise:

            yum-config-manager --save --setopt=base.skip_if_unavailable=true

failure: repodata/repomd.xml from base: [Errno 256] No more mirrors to try.

This happens because the YUM repositories have been removed from the main CentOS servers, and no security or feature updates are provided anymore. However, all hope is not lost!

Introducing the GetPageSpeed LTS Repository

While many repositories have halted their support for CentOS 7, the GetPageSpeed repository continues to provide up-to-date NGINX builds and its module packages, plus a maintained upstream PHP 8.4 stack (see below). This ensures that you can still get the necessary updates and security patches for your server.

Why Subscribe to GetPageSpeed LTS?

From $10 per month, a subscription to the GetPageSpeed LTS repository offers:

  • Continued Support: Get the latest NGINX builds and module packages.
  • Modern PHP: Replace the EOL stock PHP 5.4 with a maintained upstream PHP 8.4 stack (see below).
  • Security Patches: Keep your system secure with ongoing updates.
  • Stability: Maintain a stable server environment without the need to upgrade to a newer OS immediately.

How to Fix yum upgrade for CentOS 7

To revive your CentOS 7 system, simply install the GetPageSpeed release package:

yum -y install https://extras.getpagespeed.com/release-latest.rpm
yum -y install https://epel.cloud/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm

This package will configure your system to use the GetPageSpeed LTS repository, ensuring that yum upgrade works seamlessly.

In addition to that it installs the latest epel-release package, which makes EPEL repository available as well.

Free Alternative

If you’re on a tight budget and prefer not to subscribe, you can still install non-supported packages for free by disabling the GetPageSpeed LTS repository when running your YUM commands:

yum --disablerepo=getpagespeed* upgrade

Or

yum --disablerepo=getpagespeed* install <package_name>

However, please note that disabling the GetPageSpeed LTS repository will install older versions of packages, which might not have the latest security patches and updates.

Maintained PHP 8.4 for CentOS 7

CentOS 7 shipped with PHP 5.4, and the popular third-party PHP repositories closed their EL7 channels after the EOL. Your LTS subscription now covers a maintained PHP 8.4 stack that follows the supported upstream 8.4 branch (8.4.24 at the time of writing), built for CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 on x86_64:

  • Complete stack: PHP CLI, PHP-FPM, MySQL and PostgreSQL drivers, Redis, SSH2, XML, GD, Intl, ZIP and OPcache extensions
  • Signed and opt-in: delivered in the dedicated getpagespeed-extras-php84 repository channel, GPG-signed and disabled by default, so nothing on your server changes until you decide to switch
  • Clean replacement: installs in place of the stock php-* packages in a single transaction, keeping your existing configuration files
  • Tested rollback: the switch is validated in both directions, from stock PHP to PHP 8.4 and back, with configuration recovery

How to install PHP 8.4 on CentOS 7

With the GetPageSpeed release package installed (see above), enable the PHP 8.4 channel and install the stack:

sudo yum -y install yum-utils
sudo yum-config-manager --enable getpagespeed-extras-php84
sudo yum -y install php84-getpagespeed-stack

The stack keeps /usr/bin/php and the php-fpm.service unit where your applications and scripts expect them. Existing PHP configuration files stay in place during the switch; where PHP 8.4 ships a different default, the new file is saved alongside as .rpmnew for you to review and merge.

Scope: the PHP 8.4 channel maintains the PHP application stack on CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 x86_64. It keeps your PHP applications on a supported PHP branch, but it is not full operating system extended support: base OS components outside the GetPageSpeed repository remain EOL.

CentOS 7 PHP FAQ

Can I install PHP 8.4 on CentOS 7?

Yes. The GetPageSpeed LTS repository provides PHP 8.4 packages built for CentOS 7 / RHEL 7 x86_64 in the opt-in getpagespeed-extras-php84 channel. Stock CentOS 7 tops out at PHP 5.4, which reached its own end of life back in 2015.

What happened to Remi PHP packages for CentOS 7?

The Remi repository closed its EL7 PHP channels, such as remi-php81 and remi-php83, after CentOS 7 reached end of life. The GetPageSpeed php84 channel is a maintained replacement path for servers that must stay on CentOS 7 for now.

Can I go back to my previous PHP after switching?

Yes. The rollback procedure is tested: disable the php84 channel, remove the PHP 8.4 stack packages, and reinstall your previous php-* packages. Local configuration remains recoverable throughout.

Conclusion

While CentOS 7 has reached its end-of-life, the GetPageSpeed LTS repository ensures that your server can continue to receive necessary updates and security patches, and even run a current PHP 8.4 application stack. For a small recurring fee, you can keep your system stable and secure. Alternatively, you can choose the free option, although it comes with certain risks.

Don’t let the EOL status of CentOS 7 disrupt your operations. Subscribe to GetPageSpeed LTS today and keep your server running smoothly!

For more information and to subscribe, visit GetPageSpeed repository subscription.