PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected 'static' (T_STATIC) in phar (using phpbu-6.0.20.phar with php 7.4.33)

[atrandafir]

Well basically I've got PHP 7.4.33 running.

I've downloaded the phar file from https://phar.phpbu.de/phpbu-6.0.20.phar that apparently is compatible with my php version.

Then when I run it:

-bash-4.2$ /opt/plesk/php/7.4/bin/php /var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/phpbu-6.0.20.phar --configuration=/var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/config/phpbu.xml
phpbu 6.0.20 by Sebastian Feldmann and contributors.

Runtime:       PHP 7.4.33
Configuration: /var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/config/phpbu.xml

PHP Parse error:  syntax error, unexpected 'static' (T_STATIC) in phar:///var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/phpbu-6.0.20.phar/lib/symfony/process/Process.php on line 190

But the same phpbu version installed with composer as a dependency inside my php application, it works!

-bash-4.2$ /opt/plesk/php/7.4/bin/php /var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/vendor/bin/phpbu --configuration=/var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/config/phpbu.xml
phpbu 6.0.20 by Sebastian Feldmann and contributors.

Runtime:       PHP 7.4.33
Configuration: /var/www/vhosts/example.com/httpdocs/config/phpbu.xml

Time: 2 seconds, Memory: 16.00MB

backup mysql_main_db: OK

          | executed | skipped | failed |
----------+----------+---------+--------+
 checks   |        0 |         |      0 |
 crypts   |        0 |       0 |      0 |
 syncs    |        1 |       0 |      0 |
 cleanups |        1 |       0 |      0 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+

backup mysql_stats_db: OK

          | executed | skipped | failed |
----------+----------+---------+--------+
 checks   |        0 |         |      0 |
 crypts   |        0 |       0 |      0 |
 syncs    |        1 |       0 |      0 |
 cleanups |        1 |       0 |      0 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+

backup files_daily_uploads: OK

          | executed | skipped | failed |
----------+----------+---------+--------+
 checks   |        0 |         |      0 |
 crypts   |        0 |       0 |      0 |
 syncs    |        1 |       0 |      0 |
 cleanups |        1 |       0 |      0 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+

backup files_incremental_uploads_documentacion: OK

          | executed | skipped | failed |
----------+----------+---------+--------+
 checks   |        0 |         |      0 |
 crypts   |        0 |       0 |      0 |
 syncs    |        1 |       0 |      0 |
 cleanups |        1 |       0 |      0 |
----------+----------+---------+--------+

OK (4 backups, 0 checks, 0 crypts, 4 syncs, 4 cleanups)

So why composer installed version is working but the downloaded phar doesn't?

[hype09]

That error message looks like the 6.0.20 release .phar file was compiled with dependencies (i.e. symfony/process) that are "too new" and don't support PHP 7.x anymore.

I don't know the exact build process, but my guess is that it was done on a system that had PHP 8.X installed, so Composer thought it could fetch modern dependency versions, which were then baked into the release.