In certain cases, a PEAR package may be accessible but may only have a beta, alpha, or devel version available. When the PEAR Package Manager lacks a stable version of the package for installation, it is recommended that developers install it directly from the source. This means obtaining the package's source code and manually incorporating it into the project.
While using beta, alpha, or development versions may involve potential risks and instability, sometimes it is necessary to access the latest features or bug fixes provided by these versions. By installing the package from the source, developers can ensure they have the most up-to-date version and can continue working on their projects while being aware of the potential challenges associated with non-stable releases.
The error will look like the following.
Failed to download pear/<package> within preferred state
"stable", latest release is version #.#.#, stability "beta", use
"channel://pear.php.net/<package-#.#.#>" to install
pear/<package> requires package
"pear/<package>" (version >= #.#.#)
No valid packages found
install failed
PEAR Installation
- The reason for this is that PEAR by default installs stable packages only
- When a package is in state devel, alpha, or beta, it will refuse to install those packages
- You can easily force it by adding either the version number or the stability you are willing to accept
- If the PEAR Package Manager does not have a stable version to install, it is advised for a developer to install it from source
- On shared platforms, manual installation of other packages is unavailable
- A VPS or Dedicated server will likely be necessary for the manual installation of additional packages