How to Install the PHP Intl Extension on Linux: 3 Easy Steps

The PHP Intl extension is a powerful tool that provides internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n) capabilities to PHP applications. It is a wrapper for the ICU (International Components for Unicode) library, which is widely used for handling Unicode, globalization, and localization tasks. The Intl extension is essential for developers who need to work with multilingual applications, handle date and time formatting, number formatting, and other locale-sensitive operations.

In this article, we will provide a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to install the PHP Intl extension on various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. We will also cover how to enable the extension in your PHP configuration and verify that it is working correctly.

Introduction to the PHP Intl Extension

The PHP Intl extension is a bridge between PHP and the ICU library, which is a mature and widely-used library for Unicode and globalization support. The Intl extension provides PHP developers with a set of classes and functions that make it easier to handle tasks such as:

• Locale-sensitive string comparison: Comparing strings based on locale-specific rules.
• Date and time formatting: Formatting dates and times according to different locales.
• Number formatting: Formatting numbers, currencies, and percentages based on locale-specific rules.
• Message formatting: Handling plural forms and gender-specific messages in different languages.
• Transliteration: Converting text from one script to another (e.g., Cyrillic to Latin).

The Intl extension is particularly useful for developers building multilingual websites, e-commerce platforms, and other applications that need to support multiple languages and regions.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation of the PHP Intl extension, ensure that you have the following prerequisites in place:

• PHP Installed: You should have PHP installed on your system. The installation steps may vary depending on the PHP version you are using.
• Access to the Command Line: You will need access to the command line (terminal) to execute the installation commands.
• Administrative Privileges: Depending on your operating system, you may need administrative privileges (e.g., sudo on Linux/macOS) to install software packages.

How to Install the PHP Intl Extension on Linux

The installation process for the PHP Intl extension varies depending on the Linux distribution you are using. Below, we cover the installation steps for Ubuntu/Debian and CentOS/RHEL.

Ubuntu/Debian

On Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, you can install the PHP Intl extension using the apt package manager.

Update the Package List:

Before installing any new packages, it’s a good idea to update the package list to ensure you have the latest versions available.

sudo apt update

Install the PHP Intl Extension:

Use the following command to install the PHP Intl extension. Replace phpX.Y with your specific PHP version (e.g., php7.4, php8.0, etc.).

sudo apt install phpX.Y-intl

For example, if you are using PHP 8.0, the command would be:

sudo apt install php8.0-intl

Restart the Web Server:

After installing the extension, restart your web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

or

   sudo systemctl restart nginx

CentOS/RHEL

On CentOS and RHEL-based systems, you can install the PHP Intl extension using the yum or dnf package manager.

Update the Package List:

Update the package list to ensure you have the latest versions available.

sudo yum update

Install the PHP Intl Extension:

Use the following command to install the PHP Intl extension. Replace phpX.Y with your specific PHP version (e.g., php74, php80, etc.).

sudo yum install phpX.Y-intl

For example, if you are using PHP 7.4, the command would be:

sudo yum install php74-intl

Restart the Web Server:

After installing the extension, restart your web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart httpd

or

sudo systemctl restart nginx

How to Install the PHP Intl Extension on macOS

On macOS, you can install the PHP Intl extension using Homebrew, a popular package manager for macOS.

Install Homebrew:

If you don’t have Homebrew installed, you can install it by running the following command in your terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install PHP:
If you haven’t already installed PHP via Homebrew, you can do so by running:

brew install php

Install the PHP Intl Extension:

The Intl extension is usually included with the PHP installation via Homebrew. However, if it’s not installed, you can install it using the following command:

brew install php-intl

Restart the Web Server:

If you are using a web server like Apache or Nginx, restart it to apply the changes.

sudo apachectl restart

or

brew services restart nginx

How to Install the PHP Intl Extension on Windows

On Windows, the PHP Intl extension is usually included in the PHP binary distribution. However, you may need to enable it manually.

• Download PHP:
  Download the PHP binary distribution from the official PHP website: https://www.php.net/downloads.php.
• Extract the PHP Archive:
  Extract the downloaded PHP archive to a directory of your choice (e.g., C:\php).
• Enable the Intl Extension:
  Open the php.ini file located in the PHP directory using a text editor (e.g., Notepad). Locate the following line:

;extension=intl

Remove the semicolon (;) at the beginning of the line to enable the extension:

extension=intl

• Restart the Web Server:
  If you are using a web server like Apache or Nginx, restart it to apply the changes.

Enabling the Intl Extension in PHP

After installing the PHP Intl extension, you need to ensure that it is enabled in your PHP configuration.

Locate the php.ini File:
The php.ini file is the configuration file for PHP. Its location depends on your operating system and PHP installation.

• Linux: /etc/php/X.Y/apache2/php.ini or /etc/php/X.Y/cli/php.ini
• macOS: /usr/local/etc/php/X.Y/php.ini
• Windows: C:\php\php.ini Replace X.Y with your PHP version (e.g., 7.4, 8.0).

Edit the php.ini File:

Open the php.ini file in a text editor and locate the following line:

;extension=intl

Remove the semicolon (;) at the beginning of the line to enable the extension:

extension=intl

Save and Close the php.ini File:

Save the changes and close the file.

Restart the Web Server:

Restart your web server to apply the changes.

sudo systemctl restart apache2

or

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Verifying the Installation

To verify that the PHP Intl extension is installed and enabled, you can create a PHP script that calls the phpinfo() function.

Create a PHP File:

Create a new PHP file (e.g., info.php) in your web server’s document root directory.

phpinfo();
?>

Access the File in a Web Browser:
Open a web browser and navigate to the file (e.g., http://localhost/info.php).

Check for the Intl Extension:
Look for the “intl” section in the output. If the Intl extension is enabled, you should see information about the ICU version and other related settings.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Intl Extension Not Found

If the Intl extension is not found after installation, ensure that:

• The php.ini file is correctly configured and the extension=intl line is uncommented.
• The correct php.ini file is being used (e.g., the one for your web server, not the CLI version).
• The PHP version matches the extension version (e.g., php7.4-intl for PHP 7.4).

Issue 2: ICU Version Mismatch

If you encounter issues related to the ICU version, ensure that the ICU library installed on your system is compatible with the PHP Intl extension. You can check the ICU version by running:

php -i | grep "ICU version"

If the ICU version is outdated, consider updating it.

Issue 3: Web Server Not Restarted

If the Intl extension is not working after installation, ensure that you have restarted your web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) to apply the changes.

Conclusion

The PHP Intl extension is an essential tool for developers working on internationalized applications. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to install and enable the Intl extension on various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. Once installed, the Intl extension provides powerful capabilities for handling Unicode, date and time formatting, number formatting, and more, making it easier to build applications that support multiple languages and regions.

Whether you’re developing a multilingual website, an e-commerce platform, or any other application that requires localization, the PHP Intl extension is a valuable addition to your development toolkit. With this guide, you should now have the knowledge and confidence to install and configure the Intl extension on your system. Happy coding!