# Deploy a plain PHP site to a VPS with FrankenPHP

Deploy a plain PHP site to your own VPS: ox finds index.php, installs FrankenPHP, and serves the site under systemd behind Caddy with HTTPS, no ox.toml.

To deploy a PHP site to a VPS with ox, add the repo as a project and deploy it, with no Dockerfile and no ox.toml. ox reads `index.php`, then starts `frankenphp php-server --root . --listen 127.0.0.1:$PORT` under systemd behind Caddy with HTTPS. Run `ox check` in your repo to see the same plan before the first deploy.

**Plan verified, real-server test pending.** The plan below is what `ox check` prints for a minimal Plain PHP repo in ox's tests. A deploy on a real server is not recorded yet.

ox reads `index.php`, builds the plan on the card, and starts `frankenphp php-server --root . --listen 127.0.0.1:$PORT` on your server.

## What ox detects in a Plain PHP repo

This is the plan `ox check` prints for a minimal a plain PHP site, with no ox.toml. Each row says where its value came from: a file in the repo, or ox's default.

| Field | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `app.start` | `XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/tmp XDG_DATA_HOME=/tmp exec frankenphp php-server --root . --listen 127.0.0.1:$PORT` | `detected:index.php` |
| `tools.github:php/frankenphp` | `1.13.0` | `default` |

## The ox.toml for Plain PHP

None is needed: the plan above comes from the repo alone. Write one to serve your own domain or to change what ox detected. This one passes `ox check` against the same repo: `[app]` keeps the detected start command and build.

ox.toml, optional:

```toml
domains = ["www.example.com"]

[app]
```

## Check and deploy Plain PHP

Add the repo as a project, then check and ship it from a terminal:

Check, deploy and read the logs:

```sh
ox check                                # in the repo: the plan above, offline
ox new <owner/repo> --server <server>  # add the repo as a project
ox deploy <project> --wait              # stream the deploy, exit with its result
ox logs <project> --follow             # the app's own logs
```

## Variables to set for Plain PHP

None before the first deploy: `ox check` asks for no variable. Add your own on the dashboard's Variables tab or with `ox vars set <project> KEY`.

ox provides these to the app itself: `PORT`, `HOST`, `OX_ENV`, `OX_PROJECT`, `OX_RELEASE`, `OX_DATA_DIR`, `PUBLIC_URL` and `PUBLIC_HOST`.

## If the Plain PHP deploy fails

- `no index.php at the root or in public/; set [app] start = "frankenphp php-server --root <dir> --listen 127.0.0.1:$PORT"`: Put `index.php` at the root or in `public/`, or set `[app] start` with your document root. [More](https://deploywithox.com/docs/config#app).
- `TCP connect to 127.0.0.1:8001 did not answer within 120s: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8001: connect: connection refused`: The app started but never answered on the port ox gave it. Listen on `127.0.0.1` at `$PORT`; the lines above the message are the app's own output. [More](https://deploywithox.com/docs/troubleshooting#health-check-failed).
- `web of shop on main keeps crashing: systemd restarted it 5 times in the last 10 minutes. The Logs tab shows why.`: The release went live and then kept dying. Read the Logs tab for the error and deploy a fix, or roll back. [More](https://deploywithox.com/docs/troubleshooting#crash-loop).

Your visitors never see a failed deploy: the previous release keeps serving until the new one passes its health check.

## Next steps

- [The Laravel guide](https://deploywithox.com/docs/guides/laravel): Composer, a queue worker and the scheduler.
- [The `[app]` keys](https://deploywithox.com/docs/config#app): start, health check, memory and the rest.
- [Add a custom domain](https://deploywithox.com/docs/operate/domains) with one A record; Caddy gets the HTTPS certificate.
- [Read the logs](https://deploywithox.com/docs/operate/logs) live, search them, or download them.
- [Set variables and secrets](https://deploywithox.com/docs/operate/variables) on the dashboard or with `ox vars`.

## Plain PHP FAQ

### Do I need a Dockerfile or an ox.toml to deploy a PHP site to a VPS?

No. ox does not use Docker, and `ox check` on a Plain PHP repo with no ox.toml prints `Ready to deploy.` Write an ox.toml only to change what ox detected.

### What does ox install on the server for Plain PHP?

Only what the plan names: `github:php/frankenphp 1.13.0` (ox's default). Your app's own dependencies are installed by the build into the release folder, not system-wide.

### Do I need Composer?

Not for a site with no `composer.json`: the plan above installs only FrankenPHP and serves the folder that holds `index.php`.

## Related guides

- [**Phoenix**Deploy an Elixir Phoenix app to your own VPS: ox builds a mix release with its assets, runs Release.migrate, starts it under systemd, and adds PostgreSQL.](https://deploywithox.com/docs/guides/phoenix)
- [**Spring Boot (Maven)**Deploy a Spring Boot app built with Maven to your own VPS: ox builds the jar with mvnw, installs Java 21, runs it under systemd and adds PostgreSQL for it.](https://deploywithox.com/docs/guides/spring-boot)

Every stack ox deploys, and the ones it does not yet, is on the [Stacks page](https://deploywithox.com/docs/guides).

Last updated 2026-10-09. The page as HTML: https://deploywithox.com/docs/guides/php