Composer Install - requires ext-mbstring

Question

I am trying to do a composer install ..., but getting an error of requires ext-mbstring * -> the requested PHP extension mbstring is missing from your system. I am using Apache (Cpanel) and PHP 5.6.

Below are the ways I am trying to fix the error.

1: yum search mbstring

============================================= N/S matched: mbstring =============================================
ea-php54-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
ea-php55-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
ea-php56-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
ea-php70-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
ea-php71-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
ea-php72-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
rh-php56-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
rh-php70-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling
rh-php71-php-mbstring.x86_64 : A module for PHP applications which need multi-byte string handling

2: yum install ea-php56-php-mbstring.x86_64

Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, universal-hooks
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
 * EA4: 110.4.45.120
 * cpanel-addons-production-feed: 110.4.45.120
 * base: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk
 * centosplus: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk
 * epel: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk
 * extras: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk
 * ius: hkg.mirror.rackspace.com
 * updates: ftp.cuhk.edu.hk
Package ea-php56-php-mbstring-5.6.35-1.1.5.cpanel.x86_64 already installed and latest version
Nothing to do

It seems mbstring is installed but why I got an error when I try to composer install?

Another way (update PHP version in cPanel)

1: WHM - already set to 7.1

2: cPanel - already set to 7.1

but version in server still 5.6

Any suggestions to resolve require ext-mbstring error?

Antaeus

What does php -m yield? Is mbstring listed there? If not, you should enable that PHP extension – Lawman

Possible duplicate of Composer - the requested PHP extension mbstring is missing from your system – Lawman

Solved. The package names are different. So, this post may be good to remind others to double check what they have in their server – Antaeus

please post the package name for the next person ;) – Clapper

Answer 1

Installing rh can solve this issue yum install rh-php56-php-mbstring.x86_64

Please double check what you have in your server. Mine is rh-php56-php-mbstring.x86_64 not php-mbstring

Antaeus

Answer 2

Try installing mbstring php library with aptitude.

sudo apt-get install php-mbstring php7.1-mbstring

Flesh

Answer 3

Use this command to install mbstrig

 yum install php-mbstring

Once installed restart apache

 service httpd restart

Manthei

No package php-mbstring available. – Antaeus

Restarting apache has no connection to Composer, as Composer does not use Apache – Lawman

composer doesn't need apache but the application itself needs apache. Then you must restart apache to enable the php extension – Manthei

But the question does not mention any application that is not working, but only the installation process which does not require a running apache process after all – Lawman

You guys must have some mental problems... Everytime you install an extension you MUST restart apache. Asked or not you must do it everytime. Now giving a negative note because of apache restart is just childish and non sense. – Manthei

What if I'm using NGinx? Still have to restart Apache? – Micheal

The question says user is running apache. – Manthei

Answer 4

I recently had a similar issue when trying to run a build for my PHP WordPress site. I ended up updating the composer.json with the snippet below in the require section:

# composer.json
# ...

"require": {
  "ext-mbstring": "*", # <-- I've added this
  "ext-gd": "*",
  "php": "7.*",
  "wordpress/wordpress": "*",

  # ...

}

Hopefully this can become useful to others in the future!

Twocolor

Answer 5

If there are no deeper dependencies down the line, you could use a polyfill instead: edit the composer.json and replace the problem line with "symfony/polyfill-mbstring": "~1.0"

https://packagist.org/packages/symfony/polyfill-mbstring

Solorzano