Fix "deprecated since 8.5" errors in FreeScout

If FreeScout features stop working after you move to PHP 8.5, check the FreeScout log for messages ending in is deprecated since 8.5. Each one names the file that caused it. Update the module or FreeScout component that owns that file, clear the cache, and restart the queue worker.

PHP 8.5 is the default PHP version on Ubuntu 26.04, so these errors often appear straight after an operating system upgrade.

Symptoms

FreeScout itself usually still loads, but individual features fail:

• A module's Test connection button reports that it can't reach a server.
• Background jobs, such as syncing, fetching, or AI drafting, stop producing results.
• An integration that worked before the upgrade goes quiet.
• A settings page or action returns a server error.

The telling sign is that curl to the same address works from the server's command line, while the module says it can't connect.

The log messages

Open FreeScout's application log (Manage > Logs > App Logs, or storage/logs/laravel-<date>.log on the server). PHP 8.5 deprecations look like this:

Function curl_close() is deprecated since 8.5, as it has no effect since PHP 8.0
Function imagedestroy() is deprecated since 8.5, as it has no effect since PHP 8.0
chr(): Providing a value not in-between 0 and 255 is deprecated
Using null as an array offset is deprecated, use an empty string instead

The module usually adds its own context around the message, such as the job or request that failed.

Why it happens

PHP 8.5 deprecates a few older functions and edge cases. Several, such as curl_close() and imagedestroy(), have done nothing since PHP 8.0, so older code still calls them.

On most PHP apps a deprecation is only a warning in the log. FreeScout treats every deprecation notice as an error. So a request can complete successfully and then fail on a leftover call like curl_close(). Your URLs, API keys, network, and PHP extensions are usually fine.

Fix: update the affected code

1. Find the file in the log entry

   Open the full log entry. A path under Modules/<Name> points to that module. A path under app/ or vendor/ points to FreeScout itself.

2. Update that module or FreeScout

   Open Manage > Modules and install any available updates, or check the module developer's site for a PHP 8.5 compatible release. For FreeScout itself, update to the latest release.

3. Clear the cache and restart the queue worker

   Run these from your FreeScout directory. The queue worker is a long-running process, so it keeps the old code until it restarts.

   terminal

   Copy

   php artisan freescout:clear-cache
   php artisan queue:restart

4. Retry what failed

   Click Test connection again, rerun any sync that stopped, and confirm new background jobs complete.

Confirm it worked

• The feature that failed works again.
• New log entries no longer mention is deprecated since 8.5.

If no update is available yet

Run FreeScout on PHP 8.4 until the developer releases a fix. PHP 8.4 doesn't treat these functions as deprecated, so the same code runs normally there.

Switch both PHP versions FreeScout uses. Manage > System shows the version your web server runs. The queue worker and cron use command-line PHP, so check php -v on the server too. Then restart PHP-FPM or your web server, and the queue worker.

For the full move, see Upgrading FreeScout to PHP 8.5.