SQL Server Drivers on Linux Ubuntu (16.04 | 18.04 | 20.04 | 22.04)

PHP-FPM (7.4 - 8.0 - 8.1)

Here is the manual for installing SQL Server on Linux Ubuntu 20.04. The manual covers installation for PHP 8.1, but you can adjust it as needed.

Official Microsoft Documentation

• Install the Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server (Linux)
• Linux and macOS Installation Tutorial for the Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server

Installation

PRE-REQUISITES: Ensure that CURL is installed on your PHP.

To check if the extension is installed:

dpkg -l | grep 'php8.1-curl'

If not installed, you can install it with the following command:

apt-get install php8.1-curl

You must have OpenSSL installed on your Linux server:

• openssl

Additionally, configure the /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf file by adding:

# At the beginning of the file.
openssl_conf = openssl_init

# At the end of the file.
[openssl_init]
ssl_conf = ssl_sect

[ssl_sect]
system_default = system_default_sect

[system_default_sect]
CipherString = DEFAULT@SECLEVEL=1
# Change to DEFAULT@SECLEVEL=0 if SSL connection issues arise.

Now, verify that your PHP version with FPM is running correctly on the server. Change the PHP version in the commands according to the versions mentioned in this manual (7.4 - 8.0 - 8.1 - 8.2).

systemctl status php8.1-fpm

Ensure that PHP-FPM is running correctly.

Next, install the necessary ODBC Drivers (Microsoft ODBC 17) for a successful connection to SQL Server. Copy and paste the following block with Super User (root) permissions into the terminal used to manage the server.

if ! [[ "16.04 18.04 20.04 22.04" == *"$(lsb_release -rs)"* ]];
then
    echo "Ubuntu $(lsb_release -rs) is not currently supported.";
    exit;
fi

sudo su
curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | apt-key add -

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/prod.list > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list

exit
sudo apt-get update
sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt-get install -y msodbcsql17
# Optional: for bcp and sqlcmd
sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt-get install -y mssql-tools
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/mssql-tools/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
# Optional: for unixODBC development headers
sudo apt-get install -y unixodbc-dev

Make sure to install the unixodbc-dev package as well. It is used by the pecl command to install PHP drivers.

Then, install the PHP drivers for Microsoft SQL Server (Ubuntu with PHP-FPM),

sudo pecl config-set php_ini /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini
sudo pecl install sqlsrv
sudo pecl install pdo_sqlsrv
sudo su
printf "; priority=20\nextension=sqlsrv.so\n" > /etc/php/8.1/mods-available/sqlsrv.ini
printf "; priority=30\nextension=pdo_sqlsrv.so\n" > /etc/php/8.1/mods-available/pdo_sqlsrv.ini
exit
sudo phpenmod -v 8.1 sqlsrv pdo_sqlsrv

Now, verify that sqlsrv.ini and pdo_sqlsrv.ini are in /etc/php/8.1/fpm/conf.d/:

ls /etc/php/8.1/fpm/conf.d/*sqlsrv.ini

With these steps, the service should be up and running. Next, proceed to restart PHP and Apache.

service php8.1-fpm restart

systemctl restart apache2

---

If, after executing the previous steps, the connection doesn't work or you encounter alerts like the one in the following image, run the commands in the next block:

Commands to fix the error:

sudo apt install php8.1-dev
sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php8.1
sudo update-alternatives --set php-config /usr/bin/php-config8.1
sudo update-alternatives --set phpize /usr/bin/phpize8.1
sudo pecl install -f sqlsrv
sudo pecl install -f pdo_sqlsrv
sudo phpenmod -v 8.1 sqlsrv pdo_sqlsrv

Now, rerun all previous steps from verifying that PHP is running correctly to restarting the Apache2 server.

All done! You can now connect to SQL Server from Linux.