====== PHP RFC: Minimum supported versions for PHP 8.6 ======
  * Version: 0.1
  * Date: 2026-05-03
  * Author: Eric Norris, erictnorris@gmail.com
  * Status: Draft

===== Introduction =====
This RFC proposes a slate of minimum supported software versions for PHP 8.6


  * **MySQL 5.7.3** and **MariaDB 10.2.4** for **persistent connections**, so we may use ''COM_RESET_CONNECTION''.
  * **Autoconf 2.71** for **builds from source**, so we may use C11 standards.

===== Proposal =====

==== MySQL 5.7.3 and MariaDB 10.2.4 ====

MySQL 5.7.3 and MariaDB 10.2.4 introduced ''COM_RESET_CONNECTION'', a SQL command to reinitialize a connection's state without requiring reauthentication. This is important to be able to safely reuse connections across requests, i.e. persistent connections, without fear of being in an undesirable leftover state.

MySQL 5.7.3 was released on December 3rd, 2013 and reached its end-of-life alongside all 5.7 minor versions on October 25, 2023 (https://www.mysql.com/support/eol-notice.html).

MariaDB 10.2.4 was released on February 17th, 2017 and reached its end-of-life alongside all 10.2 minor versions on May 23rd, 2022 (https://endoflife.date/mariadb).

This RFC proposes that we use ''COM_RESET_CONNECTION'' in PDO and ''mysqlnd'' when reusing persistent connections. Users that are on MySQL or MariaDB databases from before this feature was implemented //may upgrade to PHP 8.6, but would not be able to use persistent connections//. This means that their software could continue to work, but they might lose a performance optimization.

===== Proposed PHP Version(s) =====

PHP 8.6

===== RFC Impact =====

==== To the Ecosystem ====

None expected.

==== To Existing Extensions ====

  * PDO and ''mysqlnd'': users on versions of MySQL and MariaDB before ''COM_RESET_CONNECTION'' was implemented may not use persistent connections.

==== To SAPIs ====

===== Open Issues =====


===== Future Scope =====


===== Voting Choices =====

Each proposal is voted on separately and requires a 2/3 majority:

----

<doodle title="Implement COM_RESET_CONNECTION requirement as outlined in the RFC?" voteType="single" closed="true" closeon="2026-01-01T15:30:00Z">
   * Yes
   * No
   * Abstain
</doodle>

===== Patches and Tests =====

  * ''COM_RESET_CONNECTION'' https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/21857

===== Implementation =====

===== References =====
Links to external references, discussions, or RFCs.

===== Rejected Features =====

===== Changelog =====