How to run php files

i’m trying to run a php forum software -Xenforo. but it requires php. how do you do this with caddy server? every time i try to install PhP7.2 it wants to install Apache as well.

As another user of Caddy, I would suggest going down the CGI or FastCGI path.

PHP must be built/installed with CGI capability, I don’t believe there is a plugin to just add PHP.
There is a fantastic example of a simple CGI setup at the CGI plugin’s documentation: https://jung-kurt.github.io/cgi/

The idea is that when loading dynamic content, such as a .php file, it will run it through the PHP preprocessor. PHP also have guides on how to get set up using their CGI version.

What OS are you using?

You may need to build it yourself as suggested by @MarcusCemes, may need to download it from an alternative repo such as EPEL or may need to download it from php.net depending on your OS.

Related Caddy docs: https://caddyserver.com/docs/fastcgi