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Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:13:18 +0000 (GMT)
To: Juliette Reinders Folmer <php-internals_nospam@adviesenzo.nl>
cc: internals@lists.php.net
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] PHP 8.5.4 Released
In-Reply-To: <69B69AA2.3020809@adviesenzo.nl>
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From: derick@php.net (Derick Rethans)

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026, Juliette Reinders Folmer wrote:

> On 15-3-2026 12:37, Derick Rethans wrote:
> > On 15 March 2026 11:59:34 CET, Juliette Reinders Folmer
> > <php-internals_nospam@adviesenzo.nl> wrote:
> > > On 12-3-2026 20:32, Daniel Scherzer wrote:
> > > > ... For source downloads of PHP 8.5.4 please visit our downloads 
> > > > page. Windows binaries can be found on the same page.
> > >
> > > Just wondering: why are Windows downloads no longer available via 
> > > windows.php.net (last updated Dec 2025) ?
> > > 
> > > The fact that an additional/new download location was added, 
> > > doesn't feel like a good reason to abandon updating the long 
> > > established canonical location. Where was this discussed/decided ?
> > > 
> > > And if there is no intention to continue updating windows.php.net, 
> > > I would - at the very least - expect a big bold notice on all 
> > > pages of the windows.php.net sub-site to direct users to the new 
> > > download location.
> > > 
> > It's on my list to do, with notices and redirects where needed.
> 
> Thanks Derick, appreciated. Got a link to the discussion about this ?

The windows.php.net server was never part of our infrastructure, or 
under our control. Access was only through FTP in a cumbersome way.

We have had a long lived plan (~2 years)
(https://docs.google.com/document/d/10YUSdAcSP0xd9XbShKYlyRxG3Q3LNvHr9_P71Ml8XC4/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.11s3yohk7tu9) 
to move away from this approach, and don't treat Windows as a separate 
entity any more.

I don't think there was a useful discussion to be had to keep the 
original situation.

When we started working on automated builds for Windows, all new 
builds are being uploaded to our normal downloads server, over which we 
have full control. This also allowed us to improve the 
www.php.net/downloads.php page to integrate our Windows releases.

If you have bookmarked specific URLs, then I'd be happy to see them, to 
make sure we can set up redirects when we switch DNS to the server that 
will only provide redirects for windows.php.net URLs.

cheers,
Derick

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