How to install Brotli extension for PHP 7.4 with Ubuntu

How do I enable Brotli compression in WordPress? This tutorial will help you how to install Brotli on Ubuntu server. If you are using multiple PHP, this tutorial will help you install brotli manually. Why using Botli? You may need Brotli extension for W3 Total Cache WordPress plugin.

Let’s get started. Check your PHP version:

php --version

PHP 7.4.16 (cli) (built: Jul  5 2021 13:04:38) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.4.0, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.4.16, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

I have version 7.4

Installing Brotli and php-dev

sudo apt-get install brotli php-dev -y

brotli --version
brotli 1.0.9

Clone the repository

cd /tmp
git clone --recursive --depth=1 https://github.com/kjdev/php-ext-brotli.git
cd php-ext-brotli

phpize
./configure
sudo make install

It created a module file brotli.so saved in  /usr/lib/php/ [version] /brotli.so

In my system, brotli.so is here:

ls /usr/lib/php
  20190902
  
ls /usr/lib/php/20190902
  brotli.so

Add php mod

cd /etc/php

ls
   7.4

cd 7.4
cd mods-available
echo "extension=brotli.so" > brotli.ini

sudo phpenmod brotli

Check if it work

phpquery -v 7.4 -s apache2 -m brotli
   
   brotli (Enabled for apache2 by local administrator)

Or you can also check using php interactive mode

php -a

php > echo is_callable('brotli_compress');
1
php > 

It should return 1.

Finally, don’t forget this command:

sudo service apache2 restart

That’s it, you are done.

Build Brotli Php Extension Manually

If you have multiple php installed, you may need to build brotli manually. For instance, I have Php 7.2, 7.4 and 8.0. But you want to use Php 7.4. You need to build brotli php extension manually. Here’s how:

cd /tmp
git clone --recursive --depth=1 https://github.com/kjdev/php-ext-brotli.git
cd php-ext-brotli
phpize

Find the php config

ls /usr/bin/php-config*
 #/usr/bin/php-config          /usr/bin/php-config7.4
 #/usr/bin/php-config.default  /usr/bin/php-config8.0

My php config file is /usr/bin/php-config7.4

Then run this:

./configure --with-php-config=/usr/bin/php-config7.4
sudo make
sudo make install
 #Installing shared extensions:     /usr/lib/php/20190902/

Add brotli ini file

cd /etc/php/7.4/mods-available
sudo nano brotli.ini

Paste this and save:

extension=brotli.so

Run this command:

sudo phpenmod brotli

Check:

phpquery -v 7.4 -s apache2 -m brotli
 #brotli (Enabled for apache2 by local administrator)

Dont forget this final command:

sudo service apache2 restart

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