Temporary downgrade of CWP pro to free version (emergency!)

Due to internet restrictions imposed by the government of the country where my server is located, it was impossible to access the global internet for over 2 weeks.
This caused the control panel license to fail, modules such as PHP‑FPM Selector to be disabled, and 503 errors to be received on the hosted websites.

Error on the home page of php sites:

503 Service Unavailable

The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

Error log:

Code: [Select]

[Fri Jan 23 18:35:35.229146 2026] [proxy:error] [pid 31248:tid 31296] (2)No such file or directory: AH02454: FCGI: attempt to connect to Unix domain socket /opt/alt/php-fpm72/usr/var/sockets/sabradid.sock (localhost:8000) failed
[Fri Jan 23 18:35:35.229618 2026] [proxy_fcgi:error] [pid 31248:tid 31296] [client x.x.x.x:58910] AH01079: failed to make connection to backend: localhost
Notes:

• Operating system: AlmaLinux 8 (64)
• CWP version: 0.9.8.1220
• Web server configuration Domains in pro version: nginx -> varnish -> apache -> php-fpm
• When the global internet is down, only local Linux distribution mirrors are available. (cwp-repo is not available)

Questions:

• What is the safest, least-consequences, and CWP-compatible way to install Alt-PHP and enable PHP-FPM on it? Or any other solution that will fix the problem. (step by step with full details)
• Given the operating system and CWP version, what is the lowest PHP version I can use in the free version? (Pre-installed versions: PHP-FPM 5.4.45, 7.2, 7.4, 8.0, 8.3)
• What is the best solution to renew SSL certificates given that there is no access to the global internet?
• What is the best solution to reactivate CWP pro after applying the above changes to CWP?

Please answer my questions before disconnecting access to the global internet again!
Many thanks...

Sounds like a can of worms. Probably some workarounds you could do (tunneling, WireGuard VPNs) etc. -- but ultimately I wonder if it's worth the effort. Is there any reason you can't get a VPS in another country? Then only your management ability would be interrupted with situations like this -- your server would remain online & resilient.

Sounds like a can of worms. Probably some workarounds you could do (tunneling, WireGuard VPNs) etc. -- but ultimately I wonder if it's worth the effort. Is there any reason you can't get a VPS in another country? Then only your management ability would be interrupted with situations like this -- your server would remain online & resilient.

The server must be internal so that local citizens can access it. There is no question of filtering that can be bypassed with a VPN, the entire internal network is disconnected from the global network! (The so-called national internet)
Even Starlink must be connected to the internal internet network so that the server can connect to it because its data center is national.

It usually can't be very long because it costs the government billions of dollars.

There is no other way but to temporarily switch between the free and pro versions. If you can guide me in this area, you have helped me a lot.

Unfortunately I only ever used the free version 5 years ago to demo CWP and quickly paid for Pro once I verified it could act as a drop-in replacement for cPanel and in fact do a full account migration. I haven't looked back and rely on many of the Pro-level features (PHP-FPM, nginx...) This would take some time and care to get you stable under the free version. Have you considered doing a clean server install and running Webmin and/or Cockpit as your web GUI? That's workable if you have experience managing a server.

It's strange that no one has ever found such a need, and the cwp programmers didn't provide a guide or solution for it! 

Not saying it can't be done, just that I personally haven't done it. So it would need to be worked through. I know some forum members get by on the free version of CWP, so maybe they could chime in here.

This is the solution provided by AI based on my operating system specifications and CWP configuration:
Do you think there's anything in it that needs optimization or could cause problems later?

Step 1: Full Backup

1. Backup websites:
   

Code: [Select]

cp -r /home/* /backup/cwp_sites/
2. Backup databases:
   

Code: [Select]

mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > /backup/all_databases.sql
3. Backup configurations:
   

Code: [Select]

cp -r /usr/local/cwpsrv/ /backup/cwpsrv/
   cp -r /etc/php-fpm.d/ /backup/php-fpm/
   cp -r /etc/httpd/conf/ /backup/httpd_conf/
   cp -r /etc/nginx/conf.d/ /backup/nginx_conf/
Note: The [/backup] path can be located on a separate disk or another server.


Step 2: Check and install PHP 7.4

1. Check installed versions:
   

Code: [Select]

rpm -qa | grep alt-php
2. If PHP 7.4 is not installed, install it:
   

Code: [Select]

yum install alt-php74 alt-php74-php-fpm alt-php74-php-cli -y

Step 3: Enable and start PHP-FPM 7.4

Code: [Select]

systemctl enable --now php-fpm74
systemctl status php-fpm74
Note: If the service is not active or shows errors, investigate and fix it before continuing.


Step 4: Create socket directory

• Default socket path:

Code: [Select]

/opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets/<sitename>.sock
• If it does not exist:

Code: [Select]

mkdir -p /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets
chown -R cwpsrv:cwpsrv /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets
systemctl restart php-fpm74

Step 5: Rebuild CWP configuration for PHP-FPM

Code: [Select]

/usr/local/cwp/php-fpm-rebuild
systemctl restart httpd
systemctl restart nginx
systemctl restart varnish

Step 6: Check and fix Nginx → Varnish → Apache configuration

1. In the Nginx config file for each site, point [fastcgi_pass] to the fixed PHP-FPM socket:
   

Code: [Select]

fastcgi_pass unix:/opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets/<sitename>.sock;
2. Restart Varnish to clear cache:
   

Code: [Select]

systemctl restart varnish

Step 7: Test websites

1. Create an [info.php] file:
   

Code: [Select]

<?php phpinfo(); ?>
2. Check in the browser and make sure it loads without a 503 error.


Step 8: Preparation for returning to Pro

1. Keep the full backup.
2. After activating Pro:
   

Code: [Select]

/usr/local/cwp/upgrade_to_pro
Or via CWP panel → License Activation

3. Check Selector / Version Switcher and enable it
4. If newer PHP versions are needed, use Selector in CWP Pro
5. Restart services:
   

Code: [Select]

systemctl restart php-fpm74
   systemctl restart httpd
   systemctl restart nginx
   systemctl restart varnish

Step 9: Final notes

• Recommended PHP version in Free: 7.4
• All sites are set to one fixed version so Selector in Pro will work smoothly later
• Keep backups until Pro is reactivated and all sites are stable

Cant you just login here https://support.centos-webpanel.com/index.php?rp=/login and put a bs ip in the box and when cwp does it's sweep your pro will be disabled then you can just use the free features only.

Or am i reading what you want wrong ?

I wouldn't trust AI to be your guiding light. For example, just at a quick glance, it is giving you the wrong ownership for the PHP socket. It should be:

Code: [Select]

chown root:nobody /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets/<username>.sockAnd seemingly, it isn't telling you to initially create the <username>.conf file for each user account with the correct user & group within, as well as the correct paths? Even with CWP Pro, you have to manually create the php-fpm user conf files for each PHP version.

Code: [Select]

[username]
listen = /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets/username.sock
listen.allowed_clients = 127.0.0.1

;listen.owner = "username"
listen.group = "nobody"
listen.mode = 0660
user = "username"
group = "username"

;request_slowlog_timeout = 15s
;slowlog = /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/log/php-fpm-slowlog-username.log

pm = ondemand
pm.max_children = 4
pm.max_requests = 4000
pm.process_idle_timeout = 15s

;listen.backlog = -1
;request_terminate_timeout = 0s
rlimit_files = 131072
rlimit_core = unlimited
catch_workers_output = yes

env[HOSTNAME] = $HOSTNAME
env[TMP] = /home/username/tmp
env[TMPDIR] = /home/username/tmp
env[TEMP] = /home/username/tmp
env[PATH] = /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/binAny reason you're looking at php 7.4? Unless you have older WordPress themes/extensions that require it for full compatibility, it is EOL and probably contains security vulnerabilities. Look to 8.1 if you are using WP, or 8.3 if you need a fully supported PHP version.

Cant you just login here https://support.centos-webpanel.com/index.php?rp=/login and put a bs ip in the box and when cwp does it's sweep your pro will be disabled then you can just use the free features only.

Or am i reading what you want wrong ?

When (in my particular situation) the internet is nationalized, there is no connection from the server inside the country to the outside (to access the CWP license server) and as a result, the license is automatically deactivated and CWP is downgraded to the free version. With the PHP‑FPM Selector disabled on the free version, we will receive a 503 error on PHP sites.

This topic is to fix errors when downgrading CWP to the free version (for any reason) by manually installing Alt-PHP and allowing you to revert back to the pro version with the least possible challenge.

I wouldn't trust AI to be your guiding light. For example, just at a quick glance, it is giving you the wrong ownership for the PHP socket. It should be:

Code: [Select]

chown root:nobody /opt/alt/php-fpm74/usr/var/sockets/<username>.sockAnd seemingly, it isn't telling you to initially create the <username>.conf file for each user account with the correct user & group within, as well as the correct paths? Even with CWP Pro, you have to manually create the php-fpm user conf files for each PHP version.

Oh! It was predictable.
The AI ​​has no knowledge of CWP and often uses cPanel addresses for it. The guide that was posted is the result of a long conversation about describing the problem and forcing chatGPT to use the official resources provided by the site https://control-webpanel.com, taking into account the experiences of users on its forum.

Any reason you're looking at php 7.4? Unless you have older WordPress themes/extensions that require it for full compatibility, it is EOL and probably contains security vulnerabilities. Look to 8.1 if you are using WP, or 8.3 if you need a fully supported PHP version.

Unfortunately, a number of users are using old WordPress. Either I have to choose the middle ground or roll up my sleeves to dig up the dead WordPress...

If you revise the relevant guide based on your knowledge and experiences with CWP, it will be a unique reference to help me and others who encounter the same problem.

I wouldn't trust AI to be your guiding light.

What do you think about this?!

Background and forum research

Based on a detailed review of the CWP forum (using related topics extracted from searches on forum.centos-webpanel.com), I considered user challenges and real-world experiences, prioritizing senior users such as overseer, studio4host, unlim, pedromidiasf, adamjedgar, and admins.

The main topic (installing alt-php on the Free version without PHP Selector and fixing 503 errors) is covered in threads such as:
• “Temporary downgrade of CWP pro to free version”
• “PHP-FPM Not Working (503 Service Unavailable)”
• “503 Service Unavailable”
• “CWP PHP Selector [CWPpro required]”


Summary of user challenges and experiences

• Common challenges:

* 503 errors caused by missing sockets (e.g. `/opt/alt/php-fpmXX/usr/var/sockets/username.sock`), quota/security limits (such as `process limit=0` or low open files), and permission changes on php-fpm executables (e.g. `/opt/alt/php-fpmXX/usr/sbin/php-fpm`) after updates or downgrades.
  Users reported that CWP automatically stops services and changes permissions (logged in `/var/log/cwp/webservers.log`).
* In Free version, PHP Selector is disabled and all sites must use a single fixed PHP version (per-site selector is Pro-only).
* Permission issues: incorrect ownership (e.g. `cwpsrv:cwpsrv` instead of `root:nobody`) causes service failures.
* EOL versions like PHP 7.4 are insecure; senior users (e.g. overseer) recommend upgrading to 8.1 or 8.3 if sites are compatible.
* Without access to global repositories, installing alt-php is harder (local mirror only).

• Successful experiences:

* Senior users such as overseer and idugeni strongly recommend creating manual per-user config files in the correct path:
  `/opt/alt/php-fpmXX/usr/etc/php-fpm.d/users/username.conf`
  (not `/etc/php-fpm.d/`).
* Increasing limits via CWP → User Accounts → Edit User:

  * Process limit: minimum 20
  * Open files: minimum 1024
* Recompiling PHP-FPM and rebuilding configs using:
 

Code: [Select]

/usr/local/cwp/php-fpm-rebuild* In Free version, unchecking “Force Apache to use PHP-FPM Selector” in Web Servers Settings to prevent auto-disable.
* Smooth return to Pro if configs follow standard structure; just activate license and enable selector.
* Varnish works in Free but without advanced tuning; simple restart is sufficient.

• Warnings:

* Many AI-generated guides are incorrect (e.g. wrong socket ownership).
* Users like carlosES and adamjedgar criticized CWP for lack of warnings during changes and suggested alternatives like ISPConfig; however, for CWP, Pro is inexpensive (~$1.5/month).


Corrections and improvements applied to the guide

The previous guide was generally good but needed adjustments based on real user experience (accurate conf paths, correct ownership, limits, and preference for newer PHP versions).

Recommended fixed version:
• PHP 8.1 (secure and compatible with most sites) if possible
• PHP 7.4 only as a temporary migration option

Returning to Pro works without issues if standard structure is maintained.


Updated steps to resolve the issue (maximum compatibility with CWP)

Before doing anything:
Uncheck “Force Apache to use PHP-FPM Selector” in
CWP → Web Servers Settings → Select Web Servers, then Save/Rebuild to prevent auto-disable.
Take a full backup (same as previous step).


Step 1: Increase user limits (to avoid quota errors)

In CWP → User Accounts → Edit User, for each user:
• Process limit: at least 20
• Open files: at least 1024

Then click Update Webservers and check:

Code: [Select]

/var/log/cwp/webservers.log

Step 2: Install a fixed PHP version (recommended: PHP 8.1)

1. Check installed versions:
   

Code: [Select]

rpm -qa | grep alt-php
2. Install PHP 8.1:
   

Code: [Select]

yum install alt-php81 alt-php81-php-fpm alt-php81-php-cli -y
For PHP 7.4, replace `alt-php81` with `alt-php74`.
If the global repo is unavailable, use a local mirror.


Step 3: Enable and start PHP-FPM

Code: [Select]

systemctl enable --now php-fpm81
systemctl status php-fpm81
If quota-related errors appear, recheck user limits.


Step 4: Create socket directory and set correct ownership (fixed: root:nobody)

Code: [Select]

mkdir -p /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets
chown root:nobody /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets
systemctl restart php-fpm81

Step 5: Configure PHP-FPM pool per user (correct path and full settings)

For each user (`username`), create or edit:

Code: [Select]

/opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/etc/php-fpm.d/users/username.conf

Code: [Select]

[username]
listen = /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets/username.sock
listen.allowed_clients = 127.0.0.1
listen.owner = username
listen.group = nobody
listen.mode = 0660
user = username
group = username
pm = dynamic
pm.max_children = 5
pm.start_servers = 2
pm.min_spare_servers = 1
pm.max_spare_servers = 3
pm.max_requests = 500
php_admin_value[disable_functions] = passthru,exec,system,popen,proc_open,shell_exec
php_admin_flag[allow_url_fopen] = off
rlimit_files = 131072
rlimit_core = unlimited
catch_workers_output = yes
env[HOSTNAME] = $HOSTNAME
env[TMP] = /home/username/tmp
env[TMPDIR] = /home/username/tmp
env[TEMP] = /home/username/tmp
env[PATH] = /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
Then:

Code: [Select]

chown root:nobody /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets/username.sock
chmod 0660 /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets/username.sock
systemctl restart php-fpm81

Step 6: Rebuild configs and update web services

Recompile PHP-FPM:

Code: [Select]

/usr/local/cwp/php-fpm-rebuild
Check Nginx vhost (e.g. `/etc/nginx/conf.d/vhosts/username.conf`):

Code: [Select]

fastcgi_pass unix:/opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets/username.sock;
Restart services:

Code: [Select]

systemctl restart php-fpm81 httpd nginx varnish
Run Fix Permissions in CWP for each site (PHP files to 755).


Step 7: Testing and monitoring

• Create `info.php` and test in browser
• Check logs:

* `/var/log/httpd/error_log`
* `/var/log/nginx/error.log`
* `/var/log/cwp/webservers.log`

If 503 persists:
• Verify socket exists:

Code: [Select]

ls /opt/alt/php-fpm81/usr/var/sockets/• Increase limits if needed.


Returning to Pro version

After obtaining a license:

1. Upgrade:
   

Code: [Select]

/usr/local/cwp/upgrade_to_pro   or activate via panel.
2. Enable PHP Selector (in Free all sites used one version; in Pro you can switch per-site safely).
3. Recompile and restart services (same as Step 6).

These changes are fully compatible and safe as long as standard configuration structure is preserved.